Walking on the streets of Tokyo city is like browsing a design museum with many of the buildings offering architectural inspiration, from the traditional to ultra-modern structures. How can anyone navigate such an abundance of quality?
The Good Design Award operated by the Japan Institute of Design Promotion helps one to easily explore marvellous design in Japan, and can also be a tool for finding architecture and urbanism on your first investment trip to Japan. In this article, we will explore what the Good Design Award is, and highlight two apartment buildings that have received this prestigious accolade.
The Good Design Award
The Good Design Award, also known as the G Mark system, is a comprehensive design evaluation and recommendation system in Japan and was founded in 1957 to recognise a variety of Japanese design values in industrial goods, architecture, software, systems, as well as services, tangible and intangible.
G Mark leads to GOOD
With over 60 years of history, the G Mark shows a great connection between the effort of architects/designers and society.
According to The Good Design Award Recognition Rate Survey conducted in February 2020, over 80% of people surveyed responded that they knew and have heard about this award. In their perception, G Mark stands for:
- Attractive appearance
- Excellence in function and performance
- High-quality and User-friendly.
Since it only focuses on good design, the recognition has gained creditability and is well-recognized across industries. Simply put, the “G Mark” lets you recognize what products are considered to have “good design” in the shortest period of time. Let’s take a look at a must-know trendy condominium in Tokyo that has won this prestigious award.
THE PARKHOUSE GRAN MINAMIAOYAMA
Overview
Located in a rare location near Miyuki Dori lined with high-brand buildings, a 4-minute walk from Omotesando Station, this building has a site area of 4,800 sqm and 101 units of a total. The exterior was designed taking into consideration the continuity of the local cityscape, and to express the aesthetic sense of the Aoyama area using natural stone that creates shadows and depth, a rich planting area connects to the neighbourhood and a lighting plan that is in harmony with the neighbourhood.
All new units offered for sale were sold out on the first launch day in June 2015. Within the total 101 units, only 20 were made available for sale, the rest of 81 units belong to the original landholders and project participants. Giving the very prestigious and extremely limited supply on the market, the interests and evaluation of this project were extremely high with the customers.
Developer
Mitsubishi Estate is one of Japan’s major 7 developers and ”The Park House Gran” is considered a flagship of their luxurious city centre branded developments by utilising highly desirable locations to achieve the highest grade. The brand pursues quality without compromise in all aspects such as technology, specifications, materials, and aims at creating an ideal of luxury living that echoes the sense of beauty and the five senses.
Architect
ARCHI SITE MOBIUS – the firm’s spirit was inspired by architect Luis Barragán Morfin, and they seek to create architectural spaces that embody serenity, beauty, and pleasure whilst fulfilling the duty of making a long-lasting home.
The firm was responsible for several famous condominium projects in Tokyo including Hikawa Garden, Park Mansion Roppongi, and Park Mansion Minami-Azabu.
| SOLD M/Y | FLOOR | LAYOUT | SQM | PRICE | PRICE PER SQM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| August 2019 | 2F | 2BR | 82 | JPY 235 Million | JPY 2.86 Million |
| August 2018 | 1F | 2BR | 72 | JPY 200 Million | JPY 2.77 Million |
| December 2017 | 4F | 1BR | 60 | JPY 157 Million | JPY 2.62 Million |
| February 2017 | 2F | 3BR | 103 | JPY 280 Million | JPY 2.72 Million |
Pre-owned apartment market values by age
The Parkhouse Gran Minami-Aoyama’s prices ranged from 1,900,000 ~ 3,460,000 Yen/sqm when new, and up to 2,620,000 ~ 2,820,000 Yen/sqm when transacted in the second-hand market. When compared with the price of buildings built the same year, which range up to 3,000,000 Yen/sqm in the Minami-Aoyama area and averages 1,640,000 Yen/sqm in Minato ward, the development keeps its value, likely due to the Good Design Award and the location right in the heart of Omotesando.
Key Takeaway
By considering this property in detail, the skill and design of the architect are very apparent. More-and-more people are looking for a home that matches their lifestyle rather than adjusting themselves to the house floorplan. These kinds of uniquely design condominiums fulfil this need.
Design makes our life more adorable. If you are interested to discuss high-quality design in Tokyo, please feel free to contact us anytime.
This is the first in a series of articles focused on Good Design. Subscribe to our newsletter to know more.
Author: Su-ching Chang (Peko)
Peko, Su-ching Chang, Taiwanese, a licensed trilingual language sales associate for Housing Japan, speaks English, Japanese, and Chinese. With years of real estate experience, Peko specializes in sales properties, helping UHNW, HNWIs, and developers to achieve investment goals and connecting overseas clients with the perfect home to fit their needs in the Japanese market. Her qualities include being well-versed in the transaction process, with a customer-oriented demeanour, and providing honest opinions that allow clients to feel confident in their decisions.
