Wood architecture is the theme of this edition, wherein David Adjaye espouses the versatility of timber and the challenge of building with wood is addressed in an essay by Pekka Heikkinen, professor of wood construction at Aalto University. Other contributors include Kengo Kuma, writing about interlocking wood joinery, and Shigeru Ban, who expresses views on how the Japanese can learn form Europe’s timber construction technology. A number of fascinating projects and concepts are detailed throughout, with notable works by Kengo Kuma, Shigeru Ban, Atelier Bow-Wow, Sou Fujimoto, NKS architects, Jun Igarashi, Mount Fuji Architects Studio, and several others.

Essay
4 The Versatility of Timber | David Adjaye
6 The Challenge of Wood Architecture | Pekka Heikkinen
24 Interlocking Wood Joinery —From Small Buildings to Large | Kengo Kuma
32 What the Japanese Can Learn from Europe’s Timber Construction Technology | Shigeru Ban
108 Why Build “Core House” Using the Itakura Method? | Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, Momoyo Kaijima

Works
10 Sunny Hills Japan | Kengo Kuma and Associates
16 Cidori | Kengo Kuma and Associates
18 United Nations University Wisdom Tea House | Kengo Kuma and Associates
20 Starbucks Coffee at Dazaifutenmangu Omotesando | Kengo Kuma and Associates
26 Tamedia New Office Building | Shigeru Ban Architects Europe
33 S Residence | Shigeru Ban Architects
36 Shore House | Mount Fuji Architects Studio
42 Mother's House | Mount Fuji Architects Studio
48 Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Park Community Hall | Hiroshi Nakamura
54 Sayama Lakeside Cemetery Park Chapel | Hiroshi Nakamura
58 Geometric Forest/Solo House Project | Sou Fujimoto Architects
64 Summer House | Jun Igarashi
70 Corridor Project | Jun Igarashi
72 Space Lab, The University of Tokyo | Kohki Hiranuma Architect & Associates
78 Onigiri House | NKS architects
84 Wooden Block House | Tadashi Yoshimura Architects
90 Shelf-pod | Kazuya Morita Architecture Studio
96 BMW-Guggenheim Lab | Atelier Bow-Wow
102 Minimum House for Local Revitalization in Oshika Peninsula  | Core House Working Group in Archi-Aid Peninsula supporting Seminar
110 Hoshinoya Okinawa  | Azuma Architect&Associates/Rie Azuma | Studio on Site
116 Passage in Imabari port | Taira Nishizawa Architects
120 Mido-suji Rooftop Woodification Project | Takenaka Corporation
122 Shimouma Apartment | KUS

This special yearbook edition of ‘The Japan Architect’ gathers 34 notable projects by Japanese architects; ones which offer critical, globally-oriented perspectives on the state of architecture in the country today, almost two years after the Great East Japan Earthquake. It takes a look at reconstruction efforts by architects, along with new research processes, high-rise developments, methods of craftsmanship and new approaches to living. Includes essays by Shoko Fukuya, Paolo Baratta, Peter Cachola Schmal, Bijoy Jain, Hannes Rössler, and others, plus an interview with David Chipperfield about this year’s Japanese Pavilion at the Venice Biennale.

Continuous Reconstructing Efforts by Architects
Essay: "Statement, Two Years after the Earthquake and Tsunami" by Shoko Fukuya
Timeline for Works of ArchiAid 2012
Essay: "Think Global, Design and Build Local" by Hiromi Tabei
Highly-Evaluated Process
Interview: "Made not so Much of the Result but of the Process of Research" with Paolo Baratta
Report on Venice Biennale 13th InternationalArchitecture Exhibition
Interview: "A Constant Willingness of the JapaneseArchitects to be Found in the Japanese Pavilion" with David Chipperfield
World’s High-Rise Architecture
Essay: "High-rise Developments Today" by Peter Cachola Schmal
Report on International High Rise Award 2012
Methods of Making
Essay: "Methods of Making" by Bijoy Jain
Studio Mumbai Exhibition in 2012
Essay: "Transparent Communication, Transparent Architecture" by Takuma Tsuji
Ideas for New Ways of Living
Essay: Ghosts and Skeletons by Hannes Rössler

34 Works
D. T. Suzuki Museum by Taniguchi and Associates
Zendai Himalayas Center by Arata Isozaki & Associates
Ao-re Nagaoka by Kengo Kuma & Associates
Daikanyama Tsutaya Books by Klein Dytham Architecture / RIA
Kyoai Commons by Office of Kumiko Inui
Uto Elementary School by Kazuhiro Kojima + Kazuko Akamatsu / CAt
Kogakuin University 125th Memorial Education Center by Chiba Manabu Architects
Asahi Kindergarten by Takaharu+Yui Tezuka / Tezuka Architects + Norihide Imagawa / TIS&PARTNERS
Kokoro Shelter Fire Fighter’s House by Takasaki Architects
Home-for-All in Heita by Riken Yamamoto & Field Shop
Home-for-All for Kamaishi Shopping Street by Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects + Ito Juku
Home-for-All for Rikuzentakata by Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects + Office of Kumiko Inui + Sou Fujimoto Architects + Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office + Naoya Hatakeyama
Asahikawa Station by Naito Architect & Associates + Hokkaido Railway Company + Japan Transportation Consultants
Hitachi Station and Free - Corridor by Kazuyo Sejima & Associates + The Environmental Development Around Hitachi Station Department + East Japan Railway Company Mito Branch Office + JR East Design Corporation
Restration and Preservation of the Tokyo Station, Marunouchi Building by East Japan Railway Company + JR East Design Corporation + JR East Consultants Company
JP Tower by Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei + Murphy/Jahn + Kengo Kuma & Associates
Shibuya Hikarie by Nikken Sekkei and Tokyu Architects & Engineers Project Consortium
Jingumae Building by ChuoArchi
Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center by Kengo Kuma & Associates
AKASAKA K-TOWER by KAJIMA DESIGN
Shimizu Corporation Head Office by Shimizu Corporation
TOKYO SKYTREE®, TOKYO SKYTREE TOWN® by Nikken Sekkei
Otaki Town Hall by Chiba Manabu Architects
The Third Stir Factory of Kamoi Kakoushi by Makoto Takei + Chie Nabeshima / TNA
Kiya Ryokan by Yuko Nagayama & Associates
Toyosakinagaya (Minaminagaya+Kitahatenagaya) by Osaka City University, Takehara and Koike Laboratory
The Difference of Ebitsuka by 403architecture [dajiba]
Residential Complex Stock Renewal at Kangetsukyo by UR + Open A + Itsuro Hoshida Architect’s & Urban Planner’s Office DG Communications
SHAREyaraicho by Satoko Shinohara + Ayano Uchimura / Spatial Design Studio
Sugoroku Office by Met Architects + Nawakenji-m
House in Rokko by Yo Shimada
Daylight House by TAKESHI HOSAKA architects
Coil by Akihisa Hirata Architecture Office
Tsuchihashi House by Kazuyo Sejima & Associates
Winning Entries of the Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition 2012
Announcement: the Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition 2013

This special monographic issue of ‘Japan Architect’ features Kumiko Inui, who is perhaps best known for her facades, each one a visual pun or optical illusion. It is the first time that almost all of her work has been collected in book form. The magazine “carefully traces Inui’s reference and study process with the idea of conveying the joy derived from the creative process,” exploring 26 of her projects in chronological order, from early proposals and competition entries to high-profile projects such as Dior Ginza, Louis Vuitton Taipei Building and the Shin-Yatshushiro Monument. Includes essays by Tom Heneghan, Taira Nishizawa and Kumiko Inui.

This issue covers each of the 42 houses designed by Atelier Bow-Wow, a practice established by Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima. To illustrate the idea of House Genealogy, all projects since 1990 are accompanied by sketches, which together with the texts, are intended to form a single narrative. Produced especially for this issue, the sketches allow the architects to reflect on how changes in the environment have inspired their work. They become critical representations that show the development of a new line of inquiry, revealing as much about their practice as it does about the Japanese city.
The cover is a collage of Atelier Bow-Wow's houses, all brought together with a consistent orientation. Though not real, the image could just as well be that of the contemporary city.
 
House Genealogy, Atelier Bow-Wow: All 42 Houses
 
Dialog:
Strangely Orthodox
Andrew Wilson Yoshiharu Tsukamoto Momoyo Kaijima
 
Faade
 
136Data/Profile
 
 
42 Works
 
Suburban House
Ani House
Mini House
Das House
JIG
Gae House
Loco House
Juicy House
Gaku House
Nora House
Ikushima Library
Terrace House
 
Urban House
Shallow House
Kus House
Aco House
House & Atelier Bow-Wow
House Tower
Sway House
Bokutei
 
Machiya: Townhouse
Machiya Guest House
Tread Machiya
Tower Machiya
Split Machiya
 
Villa
PALETTE
Kawanishi Camping Cottage B
Moth House
House Asama
House Saiko
Log Saiko
Izu House
Black Dog House
House Crane
Double Chimney
Pony Garden
Mountain House
Beach House
Izu Book Cafe
 
Concept House
Articulatior's House
House without Depth
Eco-System Apartment
House of Weeds
Small Case Study House
House Jungle-gym

• Dům & ateliér Bow-Wow, Tokio, 2005

• TSUKAMOTO, Yoshiharu
• KAIJIMA, Momoyo

First publication to cover nearly all of the works of Hiroshi Sambuichi (b.1968). After studying for four years at Tokyo University of Science, Sambuichi established his own office in Hiroshima. The majority of his work has been concentrated around the prefectures of Hiroshima and Yamaguchi. Sambuichi has remarked that to think about architecture is to “consider the details of the earth”. With four distinctive seasons, mountainous terrain, and a narrow geography extending in the north-south direction, Japan is an aggregation of extremely diverse microtopographies and microclimates. His design process involves a detailed year-long survey of the topography and climate of each of his building sites. Projects include his renowned Base Valley, the Running Green Project, the Air House, the Kakuda Dental Clinic, the Sloping North House, the Rokko Shidare Observatory, the Nonoyama Orthodontic Clinic, the Inujima Art project and more.

JA81 is a special issue on Hiroshi Sambuichi, one of the most inventive architects in contemporary Japan. With the accurate reading of topography and climate of the site, Sambuichi creates an architecture integrated with environment, through understanding air and water as moving materials, and composing them with nonmoving materials such as steel and timber.
As the first collection on Sambuichi's works, this issue includes his early projects such as RUNNING GREEN PROJECT and AIR HOUSE and most recent ones INUJIMA ART PROJECT SEIRENSHO, ROKKO SHIDARE OBSERVATORY and MIWA-GAMA (FUSO-AN).

ESSAY
THE EARTH'S DETAILS
READING MOVING MATERIALS
FORM AND APPEARANCE OF ARCHITECTURE

WORKS
MIWA-GAMA (FUSO-AN)
ROKKO SHIDARE OBSERVATORY
MIYAJIMA OFFICE
ENERGY PENTHOUSE
WOOD EGG
NONOYAMA ORTHODONTIC CLINIC
INUJIMA ART PROJECT SEIRENSHO
BASE VALLEY
PROJECT WEST
SUN HOUSE
BROOD
STONE HOUSE
FARMER'S HOUSE
KAKUDA DENTAL CLINIC
SLOPING NORTH HOUSE
MIWA-GAMA
ANCORA
CLINIC
TERRACE HOUSE
LESS
AIR HOUSE
CASE STUDY HOUSE
RUNNING GREEN PROJECT

JA79 is a special issue devoted to the works of Junya Ishigami. Still in his thirties, architect Ishigami has already begun to attract attention from all over the world.
With their astounding design, his works always exhibit the new possibilities of architecture; a thin, large, and bouncing table, a workshop consists of 305 slender columns, a massive balloon floating in the space, greenhouses made up with columns as slender as plants, and so on.
Including his latest projects such as "Architecture as air" won The Golden Lion of the best project at the 12th International Architecture Exhibition at Venice Biennale, JA79 fully express Ishigami’s architectural philosophy.

Feature:
Statement
Concerning pure architecture

Transparency and Scale
Architecture as air　Venice 2010

The Potentiality of Towers

Forest-like Architecture——KAIT workshop on July 21, 2010
facility of kanagawa institute of technology KAIT workshop

The Proportions of the landscape
Cafeteria in university

Creating Ground
lake project / Observatory of the mountain
A municipal hall of mountains / A museum on a cape

Garden and Terrace
House h

A Villa in the City
T project

Greenhouse designing with Yoshizaka
Venice Biennale : 11th International Architecture Exhibition 2008
Japanese Pavilion

A new scale of architecture

Architecture as landscape
Group home

Excavating Space
yohji yamamoto New York gansevoort street store

Pureness
table

An Experiment Involving Space
balloon

• ISHIGAMI, Junya

The city is, an assemblage of a multitude of elements. And if we think architecture as that kind of collection, not as single building, there seems to be a potential towards a shift in the relationship between architecture and the city. Then if architects design building with such attitude, architecture would contribute much to create better urban environment.
We feature such a trend in architecture within the framework of “collective forms” and present the endeavors of 14 Japanese architects with a focus on the process of design. We also included two interviews with Fumihiko Maki & Hiroshi Hara

Works by:
Fumihiko Maki, Hiroshi Hara, Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA,
Jun Aoki, Ryue Nishizawa, Kazuyo Sejima, Osamu Nishida + Erika Nakagawa / ON DESIGN, Ryuji Nakamura, Akihisa Hirata, Junya Ishigami,
Sou Fujimoto, Go Hasegawa, Hirokazu Suemitsu + Yoko Suemitsu / SUEP., Kazuhiro Kojima + Kazuko Akamatsu / CAt

Feature:
Interview with Fumihiko Maki
50 Years Since Group Form

Fumihiko Maki
Republic Polytechnic Campus, Singapore

Interview with Hiroshi Hara
Mathematics, Discreteness, Architecture

Hiroshi Hara
Habor Regeneration Project

Images of Collectivity (photo essay by the architects)

Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa / SANAA
Louvre-Lens

Jun Aoki
Omiyamae Sports Facility, Suginami

Ryue Nishizawa
Towada Art Center

Kazuyo Sejima
Inujima Art House Project

Osamu Nishida + Erika Nakagawa / ON DESIGN
Village and drawing style of the map

Ryuji Nakamura
Colorful / Cornfield

Akihisa Hirata
prism liquid

Junya Ishigami
Little Gardens / Kanagawa Intsitute of Technology KAIT workshop

Sou Fujimoto
Tokyo Apartment

Go Hasegawa
Town House in Asakusa

Hirokazu Suemitsu + Yoko Suemitsu / SUEP.
House of Cave

Kazuhiro Kojima + Kazuko Akamatsu / CAt
Uto Elementary School

This issue is about contextualism and Algorithms between architecture and cities. These architects are observing cities with severe vision and create unique algorithmic method or utilize algorithmic method for threir architectural design process. Their challenge will show us another possibility of architecture itself.

Works by:
Yoshiharu Tsukamoto, Ahikisa Hirata, Toyo Ito, Hiroshi Hara, Kazuhiro Kojima, Sou Fujimoto, Hiroya Tanaka, Tomohiro Tachi, Hitoshi Abe,
Ryuji Fujimura, Koji Tsutsui, The HTA Association, Shohei Matsukawa, Yuusuke Karasawa

CONTENTS

Dialogue
Considering the City and Architecture from the Perspective of Contextualism and Algorithms
Yoshiharu Tsukamoto×Akihisa Hirata

Akihisa Hirata
Atelier Bow-Wow
Toyo Ito + Essay
Algorithms Are Nothing More Than an Opportunity to Create Architecture that Respires
Hiroshi Hara
Kazuhiro Kojima
Sou Fujimoto
Hiroya Tanaka
Tomohiro Tachi
Hitoshi Abe
Ryuji Fujimura
Koji Tsutsui
The HTA Association
Shohei Matsukawa
Yuusuke Karasawa

This issue features most-specific Architectures of 2009. In 2009, there were world recession since end of 2008, under such circumstance, what architecture are required? We selected 50 works of 2009. Also there are dialogue of Kazuhiro Kojima and Taira Nishizawa

Works
Kumiko Inui, Hideyuki Nakayama, Sou Fujimoto, Taira Nishizawa,Atelier Bow-Wow, Toyo Ito, Yasuhiro Yamashita, Go Hasegawa, Hiroshi Sambuichi, Yoshiteru Sato, Terunobu Fujimori + Kiyotaka Hayami, Kazuhide Doi, Makoto Takei + Chie Nabeshima, / Maki Onishi + Yuki Ogawa + Tomohiro Kumazawa + Yuki Hyakuda + You-ki Minakata, Hirokazu Suemitsu + Yoko Suemitsu, Jo Nagasaka, Yasutaka Yoshimura, Akihisa Hirata, Tadashi Saito, Kazuyo Sejima + Ryue Nishizawa, Yasushi Horibe, Nobuaki Furuya, Akiko Takahashi + Hiroshi Takahashi, Kohyama Atelier, Shikoku Chapter, Architectural Institute of Japan, Kouichi Wada, Kazutomi Takechi, Hidetoshi Ohno + Akihiro Yoshida, Hiroshi Naito et al, Noriaki Okabe, Susumu Uno + Kazuko Akamatsu + Kazuhiro Kojima + Yasuyuki Ito, Atelier-BNK, Kengo Kuma, Kazunari Sakamoto + Nikken Sekkei, Workvisions Architects Office, Tadao Ando, MIKAN + Yasuaki Onoda, Kiyoshi Sakurai + Takuji Hiroshige / Nikken Sekkei + Sanshin Sekkei, Tomohiko Yamanashi / Nikken Sekkei + Takeyuki Katsuya / NSD, Riken Yamamoto, Kazuo Watabe | Hiroyuki Kimura, Toru Murakami, Atsushi Kitagawara, Arata Isozaki, Research Institute of Architecture, Takenaka Corporation, Ito | Takenaka | RLA Kaohsiung Main Stadium for 2009 World Games Design Team, Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei, Mori Building, Kohn Perdersen Fox and Associates PC, Irie Miyake Architects & Engineers

Winning entries of the Shinkenchiku Residential Design Competition 2009 Jury: Jun Aoki

Winning Entries of the Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition 2009

Announcement: the Central Glass International Architectural Design Competition 2010

The introduction of the use of high-strength steel in residential architecture has expanded the range of design possibilities that has at the same time been limited without a proper understanding of its physical properties and its application. JA charts the history of the use of steel in small-scale Japanese houses, starting with Kenji Hirose’s ‘SH-1’ built in 1953 and concluding with the celebrated projects of today. Illustrated throughout with a generous array of technical drawings and photographs, the edition also features houses from Shoei Yoh, Toyo Ito, Waro Kishi + K. Associates, Sejima, Nishizawa, Masaki Endoh, Kazuhiko Namba and TNA.)


CONTENTS

Dialogue
Detail Considered in the Context of Steel Houses
Shin'ichi Okuyama × Sotaro Yamamoto

SH-1
Kenzi Hirose / Kenzi Hirose, Architect & Associates

Takaoka House
Seike House Ⅱ
Kiyoshi Seike+Design System

Essay
Why Steel Frame is the Mainstay of Prefab Homes in Japan
Shuichi Matsumura

Stainless Steel House with Light Lattice
Shoei Yoh / Yoh Design

Silver Hut
Toyo Ito / Toyo Ito & Associates, Architects

House in Higashi Osaka
Waro Kishi+K.ASSOCIATES / Architects

House in Koto
Mitsuhiko Sato / Mitsuhiko Sato Architect and Associates

House in a Plum Grove
Villa in Hayama
Kazuyo Sejima / Kazuyo Sejima & Associates

Crystal Brick
Yasuhiro Yamashita / Atelier Tekuto

HOUSE A
Ryue Nishizawa / Office of Ryue Nishizawa

ICH House
Toshiaki Ishida / Toshiaki Ishida Architect & Associates

Natural Patches
Masaki Endoh / EDH Endoh Design House

The Box House-128
Kazuhiko Namba + KAI Workshop

Plaster House
TNA / Makoto Takei+Chie Nabeshima

Steel Truss
Hiroaki Kimura+Ks Architects

A basic element of architecture, the window, aside from providing ventilation and light, can provide a positive physiological and psychological influence, regulating and mediating relationships between the inside and the outside. This collection of architectural projects with innovative windows and accompanying spaces provides a diverse and inspired collection of solutions from an outstanding group of Japanese architects. These include: Atelier Bow-Wow, Sou Fujimoto, Manabu Chiba, SANAA, Jun Aoki, Go Hasegawa, Jun Igarashi and Takaharu Tezuka + Yui Tezuka. Accompanied throughout with colour photographs and technical drawings along with a short illustrated history of the window in Japanese architecture.


CONTENTS

The Precedent of Window Use in Japanese Architecture

Dialogue
Windows, Interior, Exterior
On the Question of What Should Decide Window Character
Yoshiharu Tsukamoto × Sou Fujimoto

Atelier Bow-Wow

Sou Fujimoto
final wooden house | house N | House before House

Manabu Chiba
Essay: Deep Window
MESH | Villa in Yatsugatake | studio Gotenyama

SANAA
Zollverein School of Maganement and Design

Jun Aoki
J

Go Hasegawa
Nerima Apartment

Kumiko Inui
House K

Mutsue Hayakusa
Green shadow house

Ken Yokogawa
Villa J in Yatsugatake

Yasushi Horibe
House in Higashiyama

Makoto Takei+Chie Nabeshima
Figured Glass House

Osamu Nishida / ON DESIGN
House at Momijizaka

Hiroshi Kikuchi
Oizumi House

Yuichiro Kodama
House in Motoyamacho, Kochi

Takaharu Tezuka+Yui Tezuka
Clipping Corner House

Jun Igarashi
ANNEX

• Škola v Zollverein, Essen, 2006