Sozosha College of Design, Osaka, Japan
Product
Experience
Process
Teamwork
Overseas
Lifesize
Structure
Sozosha
A yearly tradition for Sozosha College of Design in Osaka, Japan, is to invite students from various countries to participate in
an International Workshop, where we were given an opportunity to work together and design a modern Japanese
teahouse. Having to communicate cross culturally sparked fresh and creative ideas, which was the aim of the workshop.
In the 20th International Student Workshop, we first worked with students from Singapore, Malaysia, Brazil, America and
Japan, who are specialized in different fields of design such as Product, Graphic, Illustration, Interior, and also Fine Arts; to
create 3 concept spaces. Every detail of the space was taken into consideration, from both interior and exterior, to
furnishing and graphic advertising, allowing everyone to learn form one another while sharing their views and opinions.
As for us, product designers, we then focused on designing and mass producing cardboard stools for the teahouse.
Finally, based on scaled prototypes, a lifesize teahouse and two other structures were built at the Goryou Shrine near the
school; consisting of materials such as cardboard, bamboo, and paper. The following day is when we officially open our
teahouse to over 200 visitors, where we also served them some Japanese Green Tea and Wagashi, a Japanese sweet.