The structural challenge of a high-performance Japanese office building In Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture (Japan), stands a commercial building featuring highly uncommon engineering properties. This facility serves as the corporate headquarters of KOBO.INC—the parent enterprise of Craftec Vietnam. Constructed in 2010, the property remains one of the few office buildings in Japan to utilize European Reinforced Concrete (RC) External Insulation. This structural method wraps the massive concrete frame entirely from the exterior with specialized insulation material. Consequently, the building's immense concrete mass is converted into a giant thermal reservoir, applying thermodynamic principles to regulate indoor environments naturally. The operational benefits of this engineering peak during seasonal weather extremes. In mid-summer, stepping inside the office reveals a temperature drop as cool as a subterranean cavern. Conversely, during severe winters, the thermal energy retained within the concrete frame remains locked indoors, preventing heat loss. While recognized as a model of energy efficiency, the original interior layouts and floor distributions no longer aligned with the company’s current headcount and evolving departmental workflows. Therefore, Craftec Vietnam was commissioned to deliver a comprehensive corporate office renovation—overhauling everything from the reception hall and primary work floors to the pantry, conference spaces, restrooms, and communal stairwells. This marked the most significant interior transformation for the building since its completion in 2010. Seeking to maximize your current commercial square footage? [Contact Craftec Vietnam today to schedule an expert space-planning assessment by our Japanese engineers]. Challenging the visual safety of traditional Japanese office design Working extensively within competitive international commercial markets reveals a distinct corporate aesthetic pattern: workplaces in Japan are heavily dominated by a four-color safety rule consisting of white, gray, beige, and natural wood tones. Everyday urban environments reflect this conservative approach, with corporate professionals moving through commercial districts in perfectly coordinated, muted monochrome attire. Operating daily as an established office fit-out contractor Vietnam, Craftec manages a dynamic market where commercial clients actively pursue distinct visual identities and bolder design choices. Our design team decided to take the core lessons learned from this expressive Southeast Asian market and inject them directly into the KOBO.INC headquarters renovation in Japan. Fortunately, President Narita shares a deep affinity for vivid, multifaceted color palettes. Consequently, across various collaborative zones of the office, we intentionally applied color schemes that traditional Japanese corporations would avoid at all costs. To a conventional observer, the initial visual impact might seem overly saturated, almost pushing structural design boundaries. However, this aesthetic disruption was a deliberate architectural strategy planned to challenge standard workplace conventions.  Unlocking workplace productivity through psychological color shifts Why introduce such intense visual elements into a Japanese office design Ho Chi Minh City framework adapted for Tokyo? Color functions as an influential environmental factor capable of recalibrating human perception over a remarkably short timeline. When employees spend consecutive working hours surrounded by vibrant pink or yellow walls, under deep green or blue ceilings, the human visual system quickly undergoes a process of adaptation. What initially felt eccentric or jarring transitions rapidly into an accepted, neutral daily reality. Our hidden architectural objective was to leverage this psychological adaptation to release staff from rigid corporate preconceptions of what a corporate office "should" look like. By removing conventional visual boundaries, we aim to naturally redirect employee mindsets toward unconstrained problem-solving, reduced mental fatigue, and elevated workplace productivity. Strict Japanese engineering standards executed via remote design management Throughout the construction lifecycle, the Craftec design team managed and supervised all technical interior specifications remotely from our primary studio in Ho Chi Minh City. The successful execution of this international project relied heavily on the strict project governance of KOBO’s local construction division and Japanese tradesmen. Their field expertise ensured millimeter-accurate alignment with our complex digital design layouts and color integration plans. This project validates Craftec's capability to deliver high-tier commercial interiors across international borders, successfully blending bold aesthetic concepts with the rigorous structural execution expected of premium office interior design Vietnam. craftec.vn/en/office-interior-design craftec.vn/en/about-craftec https://www.khobho.co.jp/

不動産仲介のN-ASSET様からご紹介いただいたコンドミニアムのリノベーション計This is one of our construction project case studies. The design was led by Professor Nakakura of Nakakura Architects & Urban Design, who teaches architecture at the University of Tokyo, while the construction was carried out by CRAFTEC. As the client is not based in Vietnam, we conducted regular coordination via a group LINE chat. In addition to daily construction reports, we also held detailed discussions with Mr. Nakakura by occasionally connecting live video from the site. Thanks to this close communication, we were able to complete the project without any major issues. “Because architecture is something we devote months of effort to create, it is only natural to approach completion photography with the same level of care. The market value of a property owned by the client can significantly change depending on the quality of its architectural photographs.” With this in mind, it was particularly impressive that Mr. Nakakura visited Ho Chi Minh City not only for the final inspection but also to personally conduct the completion photography. Working with an architect provides us with valuable learning opportunities beyond our own design-and-build projects—almost like a form of hands-on training—which helps elevate our capabilities as well. We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the client for entrusting us with this project, and to Mr. Nakakura for his flexible yet precise remote management of the construction site in Vietnam, where conditions differ greatly from those in Japan.

This project involved the relocation and renovation of the VUI VUI Global Lounge in Da Nang, operated by H.I.S.We had previously renovated the meeting room at H.I.S.’s Ho Chi Minh office, and thanks to that connection, we were also selected to handle this Da Nang relocation project.The plan involved moving to a new street-level space located in one corner of the GRANDVRIO City Hotel.Unlike the previous office, which also functioned as a travel lounge, the new plan separates the travel lounge and office into different locations. Since the client managed the project remotely from Ho Chi Minh City, we made sure to provide detailed progress reports during meetings and construction — attaching as many photos, sketches, and notes as possible to avoid any communication gaps. For the lounge design, we aimed for a bright and colorful look visible from the glass-front entrance — featuring vivid green walls, a smoky blue counter, and orange sofas.In the back, a decorative wall lit with Hoi An-style lanterns adds a touch of local charm.We designed the space to make female travelers feel comfortable and relaxed, even allowing them to try on traditional Ao Dai costumes in a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.