Satoshi Isono
Satoshi Isono is an Architect, furniture and interior designer, and Associate of London-based creative design consultancy Universal Design Studio. He teaches on ADS6 at the Royal College of Art.
Satoshi Isono studied Furniture and Interior Design in Tokyo before graduating from the Architectural Association in London. During his study, he has been awarded several scholarships, including the Alvin Boyarsky Scholarship, as well as grants from the EU-US Government Fund for research projects in Europe and United States.
Isono taught at the University of East London from 2011 to 2015. He has also been invited as a visiting critic by the Architectural Association, Sir John Cass Faculty of Art, Architecture and Design, and lectured at the AA and ANCB, Berlin.
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Research interests
Satoshi Isono’s research centres on material culture in relation to industry and architecture. Together with Clara Kraft and Guan Lee, in ADS6 at the RCA, he is interested in investigating how advancements in material and fabrication technology can influence architecture.
Practice
Prior to joining Universal Design Studio, Satoshi was an associate at London-based architectural practice, dRMM. Satoshi has worked on a diverse range of projects, including the pavilion restaurant for Moshimo, and the music and sports buildings at Kingsdale School. While at dRMM he focused on art and culture sector projects, including the award winning MK Forty Tower for Milton Keynes Gallery, Mobile Tate Project, the Yard Gallery, Modern Art Oxford, The Future is Here exhibition at the Design Museum and Hasting pier redevelopment.
At Universal Design Studio, he has led a variety of projects including a large retail commission and Life on Foot, Camper at the Design Museum.
Current and recent research
With the support from the Daiwa Foundation, ADS6 travelled to Japan in January 2015 to examine a particular culture in production set within the recurring nature of gain and loss narratives of its post-industrial islands.
Investigations traced the effect of economic upswings and downturns, technological innovation and shifts on the manufacturing landscape. Taking an interdisciplinary approach involving cultural history and human geography, the research focused on the islands of Naoshima and Gunkanjima in Japan.
The research was published in The Industrial Revolution, Island and completed in collaboration with graphic designer Irobe Yoshiaki of Irobe Design Institute, Japan. An exhibition to accompany the publication is planned at the Japanese Embassy in early 2016.