– A Platform for Learning –

“Cognosco” derives from Latin, meaning to know or to understand, while also implying to perceive together and to comprehend through relationship.

This project was conceived as an attempt to reframe learning and support—not as one-directional acts, but as processes of relational formation.

The client was the architect Hayashi’s former rugby coach, whose long-standing dialogue on guidance and learning became the conceptual foundation of the project.

The space began from the reunion of a former teacher and student, reconnecting through the act of learning itself.

At the center stands a small yatai—a booth-like structure for study and consultation—positioned as a node mediating between individuals.

Along the window facing the park, a continuous counter traces the edge of the room, linking the interior tone with the greenery outside.

By softening the gradation of light and material, the boundary between inside and outside dissolves into a calm continuity.

Cognosco is not a place for transmitting knowledge, but for exploring the landscapes where learning is generated through relationships.

It serves as a small “platform for learning”, a space where people can think, wander, and share moments of realization.

Yasumasa Hayashi