Suppose Design Office

What Suppose Design Office does

Suppose Design Office is a privately held Japanese architectural design practice founded in October 2000 in Hiroshima by Makoto Tanijiri and Ai Yoshida. The firm delivers architectural planning, interior design, renovation, and creative direction services across residential, commercial, hospitality, retail, public/institutional, and mixed-use sectors, with a portfolio exceeding 300 completed projects in Japan and selectively overseas (notably New Acton Nishi in Canberra, Australia). Its design approach emphasizes "incompleteness as completion," environmental engineering principles (natural ventilation, radiant heating/cooling), and the integration of contemporary architecture into existing contexts and historical structures, as demonstrated in landmark projects such as ONOMICHI U2, hotel koe tokyo, KADOKAWA Tokorozawa Campus, and the Sendagaya Public Toilet.

The practice operates from a headquarters in Hiroshima and a Tokyo office opened in 2008, employing 11-50 staff. Since 2014 it has been incorporated as SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE Co., Ltd., and since 2017 has built a vertically integrated group of wholly owned subsidiaries: Vantage Point Properties (real estate/land consulting), Twenty-first Century Constructions (construction delivery), Shashokudo (public cafeteria), and BIRD BATH & KIOSK (retail/café), plus the managed Nekoyacho Building multi-use complex opened in September 2023. Revenue is generated through project-based design fees (approximately 15% of construction cost for residential, with structural and environmental engineering billed separately at 20-25% of the design fee), plus revenue from subsidiary operations and managed venues. New project leads are sourced primarily through the firm's bilingual Japanese/English website, newsletter, awards-driven earned media, and direct consultation, with international delivery executed through partners such as Arup and local architects.

The firm carries no external institutional investment, has no disclosed funding rounds, and does not publicly report financial results. Its competitive position rests on founder-led creative talent, a multi-decade portfolio of award-recognized work (iF Design, Frame Awards, dezeen, GOOD DESIGN, JCD, KUKAN, Nikkei), and the integrated design-build-operate ecosystem that differentiates it from pure design studios.

Name

Suppose Design Office

Legal name

Suppose Design Office Co., Ltd.

Website

https://suppose.jp

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Suppose Design Office is a privately held Japanese architectural design firm, founded 2000 in Hiroshima, delivering planning, interior design, renovation, and creative direction across residential, commercial, hospitality, and public sectors, with integrated real estate, construction, and venue-operating subsidiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Architectural Design Services

NAICS

Architectural Services (54131), Interior Design Services (54141)

SIC

General Bldg Contractors - Residential Bldgs (1520), Operators Of Nonresidential Buildings (6512)

akta.pro primary industry

Architectural Design Services (BPAHAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interior Design Services (BPAHAKAB), Landscape Architecture & Site Design (BPAHAKAC), Space Planning & Workplace Design (BPAHAKAI), Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Architectural design services
• Interior design
• Creative direction
• Renovation architecture
• Environmental design

Headquarters

HQ city

Hiroshima

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Architecture Design Services: Project-based design fees for architecture and interior design. For residential projects, standard design fees are approximately 15% of construction cost. Structural engineering and facilities/environmental engineering services billed separately at approximately 20-25% of the design fee.
2. Creative and Design Direction: Creative direction, design direction, and art direction services for projects including branding, space design, and total project coordination.
3. Business Operations (Owned Venues): Direct operation of company-run venues including Shashokudo (company cafeteria), BIRD BATH & KIOSK, and managed properties. Also includes Vantage Point Properties real estate operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Suppose Design Office provides architectural design, interior design, renovation, landscape design, urban planning, and creative direction services for new construction and existing buildings. The firm serves residential homeowners, commercial and hospitality operators, and public-sector clients across Japan and internationally, with project-based fees determined after a free initial consultation.

Product overview

Suppose Design Office is an architecture and design firm that provides comprehensive architectural design services, interior design, and creative direction for various building types including residences, commercial spaces, hotels, cafes, offices, and public facilities. The firm operates as a unified practice with several subsidiary ventures including Shashokudo (a public cafeteria), Vantage Point Properties (real estate), Twenty-first Century Constructions (construction), BIRD BATH & KIOSK (retail), and manages the Nekoyacho Building commercial complex. The portfolio spans over 300 projects across Japan and internationally, with a philosophy of creating spaces that blend interior and exterior, embrace incompleteness, and forge new relationships between existing and new elements.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Architectural Design Services Comprehensive architectural design services for residential, commercial, cultural, hospitality, educational, healthcare, and public facilities including new construction, renovation, interior design, and landscape architecture. Engaged via direct consultation with project-based design fees and construction supervision through completion.
• Creative and Design Direction Services Creative direction, design direction, and art direction services for projects including branding, space design, total project coordination, and conceptual guidance for clients across building and space types. Delivered alongside architectural design or as a standalone service.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 projects completed since founding in 2000
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sato SekkeicoreTechnology or IntegrationStructural and environmental engineering partner for projects including ONOMICHI U2. Provides structural and facilities design expertise.
• ArupcoreTechnology or IntegrationEnvironmental and services design partner for international projects including New Acton Nishi in Canberra, Australia.
• Vantage Point Properties (絶景不動産)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate real estate company established in 2017. Can suggest plots of land to clients and provides property consulting services.
• 21st Century Constructions (株式会社21世紀工委店)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliate construction company established in 2017 for integrated design-build services.
• Shashokudo (社食堂)coreOthersCompany cafeteria business established in 2017. Public cafeteria operated by the firm, also involved in company-operated venues and events.
• BIRD BATH & KIOSKminorOthersBusiness venture established in 2018 operating retail kiosks offering cosmetics, goods, sweets, snacks, and stationery.
• MAXRAYcoreTechnology or IntegrationLighting design partner for projects including ONOMICHI U2, providing specialized lighting planning services.
• Craig Tan ArchitectscoreTechnology or IntegrationLead architect on New Acton Nishi project in Canberra, Australia. Collaborated on facade and interior design.
• Fender Katsalidis ArchitectscoreTechnology or IntegrationArchitecture firm collaborator on New Acton Nishi complex building project in Australia.
• Frame PublishersminorOthersPublisher of 'SUPPOSE DESIGN OFFICE - Building in a Social Context' monograph in 2019.
• Shufunotomosha (主婦の友社)minorOthersPublisher of 'Beautiful Noise' (美しいノイズ) book in October 2021.
• EXCLUSIVE (エクスナレッジ)minorOthersPublisher of '1000% Architecture Continued' (1000%の建築 つづき) book in 2020.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SANAA (Sejima + Nishizawa): Pritzker Prize-winning Japanese architectural practice renowned for cultural and public projects. Comparable as a top-tier Japanese design-led boutique working across cultural, public, and commercial typologies internationally.
• Kengo Kuma and Associates: Tokyo-based boutique architecture studio with a globally recognized design philosophy spanning residential, commercial, hospitality and cultural projects. Direct comparable as a Japanese design-led boutique with award-winning portfolio and international reach.
• Nendo: Tokyo-based design studio founded by Oki Sato that spans architecture, interiors, products and branding. Comparable as a Japanese multi-disciplinary boutique with a strong creative-direction overlap and international commercial clients.
• Schemata Architects: Tokyo-based studio led by Jo Nagasaka working across architecture, interiors and product design for commercial and residential clients. Comparable in size, philosophy and project mix including adaptive reuse and retail/hospitality work.
• Sou Fujimoto Architects: Tokyo-based boutique practice led by Sou Fujimoto with a signature minimalist design approach across residential, public, and cultural commissions. Comparable Japanese design-led boutique working across similar typologies and award circuits.
• Apollo Architects: Japanese residential-focused boutique firm with strong design reputation and award-winning single-family and small-scale housing portfolio. Comparable as a Japanese design-led boutique focusing on refined residential and small commercial work.
• Klein Dytham architecture: Tokyo-based studio working across architecture, interiors, and branding with strong retail and hospitality credentials. Comparable for its multi-disciplinary design approach, boutique scale, and similar client types.
• Wonderwall: Japanese boutique architecture studio specializing in residential, retail and hospitality interiors with a refined material approach. Comparable for similar boutique scale and project mix.

Broad incumbents

• Snøhetta: Internationally renowned architecture and design practice with a strongly identity-driven portfolio across cultural, public and hospitality projects. Comparable as a design-led practice that has scaled internationally while preserving creative direction.
• Nikken Sekkei: Japan's largest integrated architecture, engineering and design firm working on large-scale commercial, public and masterplan commissions. Comparable as a Japanese architecture incumbent against which Suppose Design Office competes for prestige commissions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SupposeDesignOffice

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Suppose Design Office