A single tree metaphor unifies 6,000 square meters of brand expression.
When a global outdoor brand headquartered in Tokyo committed to authenticity across every interior surface, designers at Good Place and Maf embraced an extraordinary approach: exclusively natural finishes throughout 6,000 square meters. The resulting Goldwin Headquarters, recognized with a Silver A' Design Award in Interior Space and Exhibition Design for 2025, transforms three abstract brand concepts into tangible experience across six floors unified by a single metaphor. Rammed earth walls in the entrance carry striations like geological time, while veneer panels cut from single trees appear in harvest order, preserving grain continuity impossible to replicate through mass production. The design team imagined the entire building as one growing tree, with dense materiality at ground level lightening toward upper floors where creative discussions happen, each floor expressing distinct character while remaining connected to the unified organism.
The project demonstrates something practical for enterprises evaluating workspace investments: brand philosophy documented in presentations remains distant from daily experience until materials make values physical. Good Place and Maf conducted site visits to Goldwin stores and labs, observing production processes before proposing spatial solutions, then reused over eighty percent of furniture collected from various company offices, transforming potential aesthetic chaos into narrative richness through careful arrangement. Press rooms and coworking spaces occupy adjacent positions to facilitate conversation flow, while upper floors feature minimalist interiors with exposed LGS framing and lower floors showcase abundant wood for psychological warmth during sustained focused work. The tree metaphor grows differently at different heights yet remains one organism, producing harmony across large floor plates through unified conceptual vision.
Physical environments either confirm or contradict brand communications, and employees and visitors notice the alignment even when they cannot articulate the source of their impression. The Goldwin Headquarters offers a specific lesson for enterprises: traditional craftsmanship techniques and natural materials create authenticity that manufactured finishes cannot replicate. What story does your workspace tell when nobody explains the values hanging on the wall?
