we+

we+ is a contemporary design studio based in Nihonbashiyokoyamacho, Tokyo, founded in 2013 by Toshiya Hayashi and Hokuto Ando. Working through what it calls ‘artistic research’ — environmental and historical study combined with fieldwork and material experimentation — it develops self-initiated projects and commissioned work spanning R&D, branding, installations, product development, spatial design and art direction.

Its research strands include Nature Study, on the history of human coexistence with nature; Urban Origin, which reads urban waste as an indigenous material; and Hidden Layers, on overlooked materials and processes. The team brings together designers, engineers, researchers and writers, and works by the studio are held in permanent collections including the Vitra Design Museum.