Architect Yoshimi Kono has created the most lush, green workplace for some lucky office workers at Human Resources company Pasona Inc., in Japan.
While they still have their desks and meeting rooms, Kono has also incorporated fully functioning organic urban gardens. Foliage and vines drape the exterior of the building, hanging tranquilly via overhead trellises.
It’s not a problem if you’ve forgotten your lunch here as tomato vines dangle over conference tables and fruit trees are blooming on the balcony – in fact there are 200 fruit and vegetable varieties. There are also flowers and even a rice paddy as you approach the front lobby.
It’s just one of a series of innovative approaches being adopted to deal with Japan’s food supply issues. The country’s dense overpopulation means there’s a scarcity of land available for agriculture space. The result is that more than 50 per cent of Japan’s food is imported from overseas.
Kono’s unique concept is a win-win result – for the office workers whose mood and health is lifted by the beauty of their surroundings, and a possible solution to urban farming.
