STUDIO COHAKU

Designing beauty that makes sense
= A way of thinking we call aesthetic rationality =

We continually question how materials, technologies, and spaces come together, and under what conditions they form meaningful relationships. We believe that form and function are not predetermined, but emerge as a necessity through the careful reading and design of given conditions.
Rather than pursuing novelty of form or expressive impact for its own sake, we focus on whether an outcome is derived through a logic that holds. This includes the inherent qualities of materials, fabrication methods and processes, modes of use, and their broader relationships with environmental and social contexts. This attitude of judgment—where what is reasonable and what is beautiful are inseparable—is what we refer to as aesthetic rationality.

We observe the phenomena inherent in materials and the characteristics of technologies, discerning what should be clarified through design and what should be accepted as it is. Rather than determining form in advance, we carefully design the conditions from which form can emerge. Working across scales—from products to spatial design—we ground our proposals in insights gained through prototyping and testing, aiming to create outcomes that operate within reality rather than speculation. Experimentation is not an end in itself, but part of a design process that connects to society and industry. We do not treat design as self-expression alone, but continue to seek states in which reason and beauty naturally coincide.

STUDIO COHAKU is a design studio founded by Kunikazu Hamanishi and Tatsuo Kuroda, working primarily across interior and product design.
Through hands-on exploration of materials and technologies, we translate insights gained from prototyping and testing into practical, real-world projects. Rather than separating research from implementation, or thinking from making, we work through an iterative process of judgment and design across a wide range of practices.