On July 1st, 2019, Toyota Research Institute - Advanced Development, Inc. (TRI-AD) opened its Head Office in the newly constructed Nihonbashi Muromachi Mitsui Tower, which was completed in March 2019. The new TRI-AD office is located on the 16th through the 20th floors with a total floor area of 21,500㎡.
The new office space was built with an innovative design and layout optimized for engineering teams embracing the “scrum” agile development style. In addition, there is a unique "street" feature that connects each team area facilitating cross-functional collaboration and efficient interactions between teams and individuals. Around the corner junctions of the scrum workspaces, there are special "stage" spaces customized by employee volunteers and adapted to best suit team needs and provide a joyful work environment.
In July, the main work spaces will be operational. The remaining facilities, including the new main entrance, cafeteria, assembly hall, and employee refresh and relaxation spaces will be fully operational in December 2019.
Innovative design
All TRI-AD employees were invited to participate in the design of the new office through “Hello New Office Workshops” held over the past year. The workshop volunteers were involved in novel design considerations from an early stage, and are contributing to many exciting novel office concepts to support a creative and happy work environment.
One of the guiding themes underlying the new office design is the AI PALETTE concept - cutting edge technology that is centered around people (AI=Artificial Intelligence & “love” in Japanese), and diverse teams all working together (PALETTE=collaboration). In order for this vision to become a reality, the following elements are embraced:
Inspiration
High Productivity
Happy Work
A workspace derived from the above;
1. Inspiration
Street: A street connects all of the working areas together, providing ample opportunity for people to get together and exchange ideas.
Each team will be able to freely express its unique ideas using a “Dashi Board” as though each team is producing ”Dashi (山車),” a Japanese festival float. In addition, people will be able to gather around the Pit Stops that are fully movable, to discuss each-other's ideas.
There are twenty personal mobility devices, such as Toyota’s Winglet* that will enable riders to experience with ease the convenience and fun of getting around the office “circuit”, while at the same time, having a better grasp of the end user experience and lead to the discovery of new needs.
Showcase / School: Along with having a fully usable kitchen, there is also a relaxed environment that will be conducive to the dreaming up of fresh ideas.
2. High Productivity
Scrum: The working area consists of Honeycomb-style and standing desks. It enables for the casual gathering of team members and the speedy generation of ideas on the spot that promote agile innovation that will lead to high productivity and transparency.
3. Happy Work
Stage: A space where everyone can decide on the theme and collaborate with other members to realize dreams and ideas.
*Perspective image of completion
Moving into the new office means better support for the healthy development of each and every one of our staff members, along with the fostering of agile innovation, which in turn will mean the realization of both superior quality and speedy technological development in the field of automated driving.
Outline of the new office
Opens on: | July 1st, 2019 |
Floor space: | 21,500㎡ |
Address: | Nihonbashi Muromachi Mitsui Tower, 3-2-1 Muromachi, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo |
Access: | Shin-nihonbashi Station (JR Sobu Line, Express Train) directly connected with the exit Mitsukoshi-mae Station (Ginza Line or Hanzomon Line) directly connected with A7 and A8 |
Design and construction: | Basic design / interior design / concept makeup - Nikken Sekkei Ltd. / Nikken Space Design Design implementation / supervision / construction - Kajima Corporation |
About Toyota Research Institute - Advanced Development
Toyota Research Institute - Advanced Development, Inc.(TRI-AD) focuses on the advanced development of software for automated driving efforts. Its mission is to build the world's safest automated driving car, as well as strengthening coordination with the research results of Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and research and advanced development within the Toyota Group. Activities include developing automated driving software, leveraging data-handling capabilities and creating a straight line from research to commercialization.