Alteration of Space per Usage – Shuhei Aoyama | Interviews

I am an architect based in China. I started using ARAKAWA GRIP in a renovation project called "L-shaped house," which became a sensation after being featured on the Chinese TV program "Before & After" in 2015. Three generations of six people live in this 43-square-meter building on a narrow piece of land amidst an old city characterized by a labyrinthine street pattern. With limited usable space, ARAKAWA GRIP's picture rails that can be adjusted flexibly have made it possible to hang items and turn a 10-centimeter gap into storage. The characteristic and advantage of this product is that the space it occupies can be altered depending on whether it is in use or not. Having designed this building to regulate space usage depending on the time of day, I realized the effectiveness of utilizing suitable products. text by Masaaki Takahashi

Shuhei Aoyama

B.L.U.E. Architecture Studio

Born in 1980 in Hiroshima, Japan, he graduated with a bachelor's degree from the Division of Global Architecture at the School of Engineering at Osaka University in 2003 and a master's degree from the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences at the University of Tokyo in 2005 (Hidetoshi Ohno Laboratory). After working at SAKO Architects since 2005, he enrolled in the doctoral program at the School of Architecture at Tsinghua University (Shan Jun Laboratory) in 2012. He also became a part-time lecturer at the Northern Institute of Technology the same year. In 2014, he jointly founded B.L.U.E. Architectural Design Office.