Nendo in Japanese means free forming clay almost like Play-Doh, founder Oki Sato goes on to further describe the meaning to represent in the end ‘flexibility’. The company, which he established in Tokyo in 2002 after graduating with an architecture degree from Waseda University, has steadily gained momentum (they now have a second office in Milan) and recognition. Focusing on small ideas that provide a strong impact, Sato shares, “we don’t specialize in anything it is the story that is important.” Nendo‘s designs, are able to simultaneously remain clean and minimal while remaining friendly or as Sato describes it, “he doesn’t want to make them cold, it needs a pinch of humor.”
Take a look at nendo‘s work featured on ArchDaily. The PUMA House design incorporated vine like staircases giving the space a unique character and key display stands for PUMA sneakers. The resulting effect is in the words of the firm, “a strong reminder that we exercise our bodies daily going up and down stairs, and has a visual connection with stadium stairs and podiums too, to bring in PUMA’s important relationship with sports. The stairs bring a sense of movement to the interior, enabling a three-dimensional product display that fully uses its space and allows visitors to experience PUMA’s worldview.”
