Japan

Japanese construction, proportion and repair.

6 entries

Modern concrete interior with a deep blue reflective water feature and tall vertical windows.

Materials & Makers

SANAA: Water, Light, and the Fluidity of Form in Tokyo

SANAA challenges conventional architectural boundaries by dissolving solid forms into fluid spaces. Their work in Tokyo explores water and light as integral building elements.

6 Sept 2026

Close-up, worm's-eye view of an illuminated timber soffit with dark metal framing and glass windows at night.

Construction Diaries

Kikuchi Kengo: The Georgian Retreat and Anodised Aluminium

This piece examines Kikuchi Kengo's Tokyo studio retreat, a Georgian-era project integrating anodised aluminium rainscreen and principles of circularity for future adaptability.

9 Aug 2026

Verdigris metal portal leading to a courtyard with moss-covered stone walls, dark reflecting pool, and green wall plants.

Sustainability & Climate

Bayou Caravanserai: Water, Wood, and the Byzantine Echo

A conceptual exploration of how the Silk Road caravanserai typology, with its emphasis on enclosure and water features, could be reinterpreted for the unique environmental challenges of the Louisiana bayou.

4 Aug 2026

Close-up of a doorway with rammed earth walls, dark timber paneling, and a floor of polished concrete and raw earth.

ARCHITECTT Cases

Casa de Piedra: Thermal Mass and Precision Joinery in a Caribbean Fisher’s Home

Casa de Piedra, a fisherman's cottage in Cartagena, Colombia, integrates colonial thermal mass principles with precise Japanese joinery for passive climate control.

30 Jul 2026

A timber trellis with climbing ivy, a patinated copper door, and a moss-covered stone wall, from a close-up angle.

Details That Matter

Rainwater and Joinery: Japanese Machiya Hydrology in Renaissance Marrakech

Exploring the adaptive architecture of the Japanese machiya, this piece examines its advanced hydrological strategies and intricate joinery. We recontextualize these within Renaissance Marrakech to reveal cross-cultural design ingenuity.

2 Jul 2026

Wine archive with dark timber paneling and black metal racks filled with bottles, from a first-person perspective.

Transformation Logic

Kyushu in Sydney: The Subterranean Soundscape of a Wine Archive

This article explores the transformation of a cavernous Sydney space into a sophisticated subterranean wine archive, integrating Edo-period Japanese joinery techniques with cross-laminated timber for unique acoustic performance.

25 Jun 2026

Nearby topics

Nordic British Isles France Iberia Italy Central Europe Low Countries Greece & the Balkans