Hisako Ichiki

Hisako was born in the ancient city of Kamakura and immigrated to Los Angeles in 1998.  Her experiences growing up in Japan relive in her warm and simple design style, a style that is both unique and surprisingly compatible with Los Angeles' lifestyle and design needs. Whether her design is large, medium, or something so small that it can fit inside the palm of your hand, Hisako is committed to making ideas that are simple, effective and unheard of. 

Hisako graduated in 1998 with a Bachelor of Arts in Policy Management from Keio University in Tokyo Japan and in 2001 with Masters of Architecture from SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture). Since giving her thesis “Serendip(city)” at SCI-Arc on public space and art she has been investigating the relationship between creativity and found space.  Her interests in urban research and experiential public art are whimsically portrayed in her book “Extraordinary” published by Rockport. Hisako’s thesis also caught the eye of artist Doug Aitken with whom she has had a long standing professional relationship. For Doug Aitken Workshop  Hisako consults as a project designer/ and manager for selected exhibitions and installations. Museums and galleries include MoMA in New York, INHOTIM in Brazil, and Kunsthaus Bregenz in Zurich. Hisako has taught Architecture Studios at UCLA, SCI-Arc and USC.

Teaching

2013, Design Studio with Niall McLaughlin, UCLA

2012, Design Studio with Wonne Ickx, UCLA

2011, Design Studio with Akihisa Hirata, UCLA

2010, Design Studio with Sou Fujimoto, UCLA

2009, 1B Design Studio, SCI-Arc

2008, Design Studio with Atelier Bow-wow, UCLA

2007, Design Studio with Mark Lee & Atelier Bow-wow, UCLA

Publication

Published ‘extra ordinary’ by Hisako Ichiki and Takao Umehara, Rockport Publishers, 2005
Published ‘Children’s Architecture Workshop’ by Hisako Ichiki, Public Access Press, SCI-Arc, 2002

Bo Sundius

Bo grew up on a farm outside Nashville. He likes to credit his early design aspirations to the fact that he could fish from the living room of the family house. After college he was called west to Los Angeles where he met Hisako at SCI-Arc. A literature major before studying architecture, Bo is interested in the narrative power of places. He sees design as a woven relationship between people, space and their actions. When brought together in a thoughtful and beautiful way, the new relationships can be fluid, visceral and electrically charged.

Bo graduated in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from Brown University in Rhode Island and in 2001 with a Masters of Architecture from SCI-Arc (Southern California Institute of Architecture) where he won a National AIA Merit Award. He is a licensed architect in the state of California and has worked for Jerde, Gensler and Roto Architects before founding Bunch Design.

Naho Tsutsui

Naho was born and grew up in Japan. Because of her father’s job, her family moved around the country quite often and even abroad.  These relocations taught her importance of a home, especially that of her personal room to be always welcoming and comfortable.

Naho graduated from St. Margaret’s Junior College in Japan and studied Horticulture in Sparsholt College Hampshire in England. After working for several years in Tokyo, she moved to Los Angeles and graduated with a Bachelor of Architecture from SCI-Arc where she first met Hisako and interned at Bunch. She briefly worked with a friend to design Japanese restaurants in Los Angeles before joining Bunch in 2014.