This drug discovery research facility, on Port Island in Kobe, required a design that would express the corporate culture of a company known for its venturous spirit. In a compact space we arranged the necessary pharmacological, research and drug synthesis facilities needed to create a top-of-the line drug discovery facility. The northern facade features 230 extruded louvered cement panels designed to block the view from the building across the street and reduce the glare of the late-afternoon sunlight. The interior evoked features of Kobe: a large flower basin on the first floor suggests the sea; the fruit-colored palette of meeting areas on other floors reflects local mountains; and the color-scheme of the top-floor lounge is reminiscent of the sky. Outside, additional fill was brought in to create three-dimensional landscaped contours and counter the salinity of local coastal soils.