Tetsuya Matsumoto

Very Good in Design.

Tetsuya Matsumoto

About Tetsuya Matsumoto

Tetsuya Matsumoto is the founder and Head Architect Designer at KTX archiLAB based in Japan, and a Lecturer of a space design course at Osaka University of Art. After graduating from the same university, he specialized in commercial space design and built a large portfolio of projects varying both in type and scale, from shops and restaurants to offices and clinics, and from a small pharmacy to a large Hospital. Tetsuya has received more than a hundred local and international design awards and became a jury member for several prestigious prizes.

  • Winner of 12 A' Design Awards.
  • Very Good in Design.
  • 12 Featured Original Designs.
  • Highly Creative, Very Diligent and Super Innovative.
  • All Designs
LuxLinea Ophthalmology Clinic

LuxLinea Ophthalmology Clinic

Design

Daiichi Hospital

Daiichi Hospital

Design

Cloud of Luster Wedding Chapel

Cloud of Luster Wedding Chapel

Design

Toshin PostPandemic Office

Toshin PostPandemic Office

Design

Nautilus Restaurant

Nautilus Restaurant

Design

The PolyCuboid Office Building

The PolyCuboid Office Building

Design

The OmniDirectional Internal Medicine Clinic

The OmniDirectional Internal Medicine Clinic

Design

Toshin Takarazuka School Office

Toshin Takarazuka School Office

Design

Wavy Stillness Sports Bar

Wavy Stillness Sports Bar

Design

Lumiere Hair Salon

Lumiere Hair Salon

Design

Moritomi Japanese Restaurant

Moritomi Japanese Restaurant

Design

The Parallel Blue Aquarium Dining

The Parallel Blue Aquarium Dining

Design

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Interview with Tetsuya Matsumoto

Could you please tell us more about your art and design background? What made you become an artist/designer? Have you always wanted to be a designer?
My grandfather was painter and he taught me how to draw. I think my design foundations are greatly due to my childhood experiences.
Can you tell us more about your company / design studio?
Established in 1976, Matsuya Art Works is a four decades company acting in the architecture, interior design, and construction industries. The company has a wide range of building types in the portfolio, yet specialized in the commercial projects. Matsuya Art Works conduct projects according to the client’s business strategy from its blastoff until the reception of the completed building or interior and even beyond to guarantee a perfect functioning of the business. The KTX archiLAB was founded in 2006 to sustain this activity by producing very high quality designs. This Japanese based company has received several local and international awards for projects conducted both in Japan and in foreign countries.
What is "design" for you?
Design is everything; it is just something that I'm constantly thinking about.
What is your most favorite design, could you please tell more about it?
Commercial and medical spaces, as it represents most of our projects.
What is your favorite material / platform / technology?
We work mostly on the A&A Vector Works software, it allows me to control the designs to the smallest details.
Which aspects of a design do you focus more during designing?
I focus on how to design spaces that fits my clients' business strategies.
How do you think the "design field" is evolving? What is the future of design?
I think nowadays design is, and will be in the future, in a constant competition with the IT field.
How would you describe your design style? What made you explore more this style and what are the main characteristics of your style? What's your approach to design?
As an architect, I put the priority on the functional floor plan. Just a beautiful box but non-functional is a nonsense for architecture.
Where do you live? Do you feel the cultural heritage of your country affects your designs? What are the pros and cons during designing as a result of living in your country?
We have world heritage Himeji castle in our hometown and I think it definitely affects our designs. Not only the castle but the also the huge Japanese cultural heritage.
How do you work with companies?
I work exclusively for our company Matsuya Art Works / KTX archiLAB.
Can you talk a little about your design process?
First, make a fully functional floor plan, and then, do the special design.
Can you describe a day in your life?
Get up. Go to the office. Do design. Return home. Do design. Go to bed.
What is the most frequently asked question to you, as a designer?
How do you design? And I always say that's what I most want to know.
Who are some of your clients?
We had many recurrent or new clients, for example we have had several projects with Matsuo-Gakuin which is a cram-schools company. We work also with Himeji Daiichi Hospital and several restaurant owners.
What are your future plans? What is next for you?
The next project is always the most important in my eyes. I have no directional lines.
Do you have any works-in-progress being designed that you would like to talk about?
I'm working now on a hospital design project, I cannot say more about that.
How can people contact you?
E-mail or phone or any other contact method, I don't care about the tool.

Designer of the Day Interview with Tetsuya Matsumoto

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
After graduating from Osaka University of Art in 2001 I integrated Matsuya Art Works where I became the Head of the Design section in 2006. I founded KTX archiLAB as part of the company in order to advance the design quality. I am specialized in commercial Spaces design where my portfolio includes restaurants, shops, showrooms, clinics, schools, beauty salons, sport facilities just to cite a few.
How did you become a designer?
I think that was a natural process, since my family has some artistic background. After finishing high-school, I integrated Osaka University of arts, and graduated from the department of architecture.
What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?
Simplicity of the design, being budget friendly, aesthetically impressive, but most importantly being perfectly functional. My first priority is to respond to the clients business strategy and his requirements.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
It’s a very hard thing to explain since it actually depends on the case. Every project has its own specificities, and so does the design process, and so does the emotions.
What particular aspects of your background shaped you as a designer?
My grand father was a painter, my father is a martial arts master, and so I grew in a family where many members are related to arts, or design, or are related in a way or other to art and beauty. This put me since my younger years into the field.
What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?
As a space designer, for both interior and architectural projects I of course look forward to more projects, probably bigger in size, or have more budget and more challenges. I want to keep working on the commercial field, but of course I welcome any project that is challenging.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
I think I would say think about design all the time, but think outside the box.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
I would say thinking outside the box. Of course, the key is functionality conjugated to aesthetics. And for this matter thinking outside the box is one way of achieving it.
What is your day to day look like?
I spend most of my day in the office, except when I am on building site or have a meeting outside of it. Most of the time I am working on my designs until late hours. When back home and after spending some time with my family, I still go to my special room to listen to music or produce it, and most likely also think about my designs.
How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?
I have several subscription to Japanese and international design magazines that I receive in my office. I check all of them to see if there is any interesting designs, but also from the internet, its easier nowadays and more and more designs are being published. Subjectively I don’t follow trends, I have my own vision about design that I try to develop.
How do you know if a product or project is well designed? How do you define good design?
As I am working on commercial spaces design, it is easy to check if it works or not. The results are here when the customers are loving the projects or becoming a powerful tool for our clients, this is what we call a successful project.
How do you decide if your design is ready?
Its never ready. I can work indefinitely on any design. Deadlines and client’s schedules defines the time limit.
What is your biggest design work?
In size, or building area, it might be the Origami Ark, a showroom for Sansho Leather Company which has received a golden A’ Design Awards in the 2015/2016 period. The most influential might be The Cutting Edge Pharmacy that got both Platinum and Gold A’ Design Awards in 2016/2017 period. I am working currently on a much bigger Project in scale.
Who is your favourite designer?
I don’t have an absolute reference. Of course there is many designers I like, Zaha Hadid in instance, or Oscar Niemeyer.
Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?
I think both my life style and culture are based on design and music. I can say that they are one and the same thing, and they take all of my time and energy.
Would you tell us more about your work culture and business philosophy?
I work in commercial space design, this implies that my client’s business strategy is the most important point to focus on. My design should materialize this strategy onto space, perfectly functional space. the aesthetic plays a major role as advertisement and creates identity for their businesses.
What are your philanthropic contributions to society as a designer, artist and architect?
I have designed several Japanese restaurants. And by such I regard my work as a contribution in defining contemporary Japanese style. As architect and interior designer, the spaces we produce affects the daily life of its users, and so we take care of the smallest details to make their daily life a better experience.
What positive experiences you had when you attend the A’ Design Award?
The A’ Design Award Ceremony Gala night was a fantastic occasion to socialize with designers from all fields and from all over the world. Winning the A’ Design Award also impact our company by making our designs trusted by our clients. They know they deal with professional designers who can produce international high quality projects.

Extended Interview with Tetsuya Matsumoto

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?
My grandfather was painter and he taught me how to draw. I think my design foundations are greatly due to my childhood experiences. After Highschool I attended Osaka Graduate school of Design where I graduated in 2001. Immediately after I joined Matsuya Art works, where I am the Head Architect Designer Today.
How did you become a designer?
Art has always been around in my family for generation, I grew up in a creative environment, I just followed the tradition but in my own field: Interior Design and Architecture.
Which emotions do you feel when designing?
Most of my work is either interior design or architecture for commercial spaces, but not limited to that. any other type of spaces or any other design work is welcomed.
What are your advices to designers who are at the beginning of their career?
The design that fits the clients request, is perfectly functional and aesthetically outstanding and original.
You are truly successful as a designer, what do you suggest to fellow designers, artists and architects?
In the field of commercial design, Investing in a good design means more business benefits for the client. the better the design is, the more it sells.
What is your day to day look like?
Any kind of design is welcomes, the most important is not the design it self.
What is your biggest design work?
sometimes I check magazines and other projects online mostly to see the technical details.
Who is your favourite designer?
I think that I am in constant evolution, the design that I can find great today will be surpassed by the next one.

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