Services

Architecture

Universal Design Office Inc. is a unified architecture firm providing comprehensive services, from architectural design and structural engineering to electrical and mechanical engineering. By collaborating with our clients, we quickly and confidently respond to their needs from a multifaceted perspective, resulting in quality architecture.
We also put our efforts into the renovation and conversion of existing buildings. We increase their asset value by improving both the design and user convenience, and achieve greater profitability through plans for change of use.
We have also begun utilizing BIM (Building Information Modeling), which visualizes considerations and proposals for more intuitive, easy-to-follow project presentations.

What's Involved in Architectural Design

  • Meeting with clients to program and develop architectural plans, reviewing various surveys and considerations, developing design proposals
  • Checking applicable codes and consulting with officials and authorities in the field during the preliminary design phase, developing schematic design documents, creating preliminary design documents, calculating and considering the preliminary financial estimates
  • Checking applicable codes and consulting with officials and authorities during the working design phase, creating working design documents, considering costs, filing for building confirmation certificates and notifying the local authorities, filing the necessary documents

What's Involved in Structural Engineering

  • Ensuring structural safety while following an architectural plan, considering and suggesting economical and efficient structural systems, consulting with officials and authorities, compiling structural design documents and structural calculations, filing for structural calculation conformity assessment
  • Reviewing seismic risk surveys and assessments for existing buildings, planning and designing seismic repair and strengthening

What's Involved in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering

  • Meeting with clients, conducting surveys and analyses, considering and nominating the equipment that fits the type of architecture, consulting with officials and authorities, creating electrical and mechanical documents, calculating and considering estimated and total costs, calculating energy efficiency, filing for certification of conformity with energy-efficient standards
  • Ensuring safety and comfort of all users of the building, submitting proposals for reducing environmental impact, examining appropriate systems to reduce their life cycle costs
  • Proposing the adoption of systems in the event of natural disasters
  • Assessing conditions of existing systems and creating proposals for their replacement

Construction Administration

We offer a team of experienced and capable professionals, including an architect, a structural engineer, and an electrical and mechanical engineer. We strive to ensure that the construction work goes smoothly and steadily, and assure high quality architecture.

  • Formulating construction administration policies
  • Overseeing construction work and monitoring compliance with design documents
  • Performing progress inspections
  • Reviewing and approving construction documents and shop drawings
  • Conducting inspections and site visits
  • Ensuring safety on construction sites

Investigations and Assessment

As time passes, physical, chemical and biological factors can cause deterioration to the buildings and systems. Our professional team of experts conducts an assessment and investigation, and compiles a condition report. We then provide recommendations for repairs and upgrading so that the buildings and systems can be used economically for a long time.

  • Investigations (including regular reports)
  • Seismic analysis
  • Assessment of exterior walls deterioration
  • Facility assessment
  • Water leakage evaluation
  • Medium- and Long-Term Renovation Plans

Community Development and Disaster Recovery

Architecture firms play a significant role in urban regeneration and revitalization. Through collaboration with local communities and societies, we remain actively involved in urban redevelopment projects, as well as disaster recovery plans.

When providing our services, we emphasize the following values, in accordance with the "Policy Outline for a Beautiful Country" set out by the Japanese government:

  • Recognition of landscape as a public asset
  • Focus on consensus-building within communities
  • Establishment of social mechanisms beyond the fields of civil engineering and architecture
  • Use of methods that last for generations
  • Priority placed on education and image sharing