Redesign of a Shipyard Office Turns Space into Collaboration

The new office for Imabari Shipbuilding’s Marugame site was finished in 2025. It covers 8, 489 square metres and is located on a former industrial plot that once stretched over 0. 88 km². Architects Yano Toshihiro and Eriko Aoyama, working with designer Rin Nishikawa, saw a chance to bring together teams that had been spread across the large area. Their goal was to make the workplace more efficient and welcoming. The project’s design changes the layout of the head office. Offices, meeting rooms and common areas are now arranged so that people can move easily between them. This helps the teams who build large tankers to communicate better.The architects also focused on natural light and open sightlines. Large windows let daylight fill the space, reducing energy use and improving mood. The design encourages spontaneous conversations that can spark new ideas. The project is part of a broader effort to modernise industrial sites. By converting old factory land into productive office space, the company shows how design can support both people and production.