kengo kuma for architecture based on local materials
Throughout his career, Kengo Kuma challenged architecture’s tendency towards uniformity. While twentieth-century modernism allowed for the rapid spread of standardized building methods around the world, the Japanese architect consistently looks to local materials, local knowledge, and traditional craftsmanship as the foundations of architecture.
For Kuma, craftsmanship is not just about preserving heritage. Rather, it offers a way of understanding the relationship between people, materials and place. Talking to designboomthe architect reflects on the lessons contemporary practice can learn from local building cultures, the continuing relevance of traditional knowledge and why craftsmanship remains essential in an age increasingly shaped by digital technologies.
Kuma traces his interest in craft to his early years working outside Japan’s major urban centers. Shortly after establishing his practice, he spent years designing small-scale projects in rural communities where local building traditions and material cultures remained closely connected to their surroundings. “There was a time when modern architecture was cut off from the soil and local materials,” he says. Referring to the international aspirations of modernism, Kuma argues that architecture is increasingly detached from local character, climate and resources in pursuit of standardization.
Research Center of the Prosthos Museum | image © Daici Ano
evolves through adaptation
“I spent many years designing small-scale buildings in rural areas throughout Japan, far from Tokyo. There I learned about the diversity of land and materials, as well as the craftsmanship cultivated in these places. Prioritizing the uniqueness of a place has become my architectural principle, and never has this experience been more relevant than it is today. the Japanese architect tells us.
This experience continues to shape his understanding of architecture today. Kengo Kuma sees craft as a form of knowledge that emerges through generations of observation and adaptation. Traditional techniques, he suggests, are inseparable from the environment in which they were developed.
“Architecture, by its very nature, has been created by local craftsmen using local materials, after their careful observation,” shared with designboom. “Architecture has its roots in the earth and cannot be moved in the air from one place to another. Therefore, an understanding of local materials and craftsmanship is essential for anyone involved in architecture.”
Kengo Kuma’s work often reinterprets traditional Japanese construction techniques on larger architectural scales, rejecting the notion that tradition and innovation are at odds. In his view, traditions survive precisely because they continue to evolve. “The reason that things called ‘traditional’ have survived is that ‘tradition’ is not a fixed, unchanging assumption, but rather the result of flexible adaptation to the changing times.” explains. “Whether it’s a traditional method or not, we’re just using the techniques that are most appropriate for the architecture of that site.
Research Center of the Prosthos Museum | image © Daici Ano
why craftsmanship remains important in the age of artificial intelligence
This understanding of craft as an adaptive process also informs Kuma’s perspective on contemporary technologies. As artificial intelligence is increasingly integrated into architectural workflows, he remains wary of claims that it will fundamentally transform the industry.
“AI presents us with different options at every stage of the design process. However, it is the people who actually build. emphasizes. “I believe that rather than transforming the very nature of architecture, AI will continue to serve merely as a tool to support our thinking.”
At the same time, Kuma sees signs of renewed interest in material knowledge in younger generations. Through workshops and pavilion construction exercises with students, he observes a strong sensitivity to the physical properties of materials and the possibilities they offer.
“They are amazingly sensitive to materials and come up with amazing ideas to get the most out of them, which I find very inspiring.” the architect points out.
SunnyHills in Minami-Aoyama | image © Daici Ano
sustainability and relationship of architecture with nature
For Kuma, traditional building cultures also offer important lessons as architects grapple with issues of sustainability. Long before sustainability emerged as a modern framework, manufacturers worked within strict geographical, material and technological constraints.
“In the old days, the people and technologies involved in building construction could not move freely, and their available resources were limited — but the great architecture and craftsmanship we admire today was cultivated under such conditions.” Kengo also reflects. “I believe that learning the wisdom of our ancestors is a much more sustainable act than simply conducting sustainability research.”
The value of craftsmanship, however, extends beyond technical expertise alone. Traditional techniques incorporate cultural values, collective memories and ways of understanding the relationships between communities and their environment.
“Behind the craftsmanship and traditional techniques are the vision and culture of the people who created them.” observes the architect. “We must respect the work of our predecessors and create an environment where today’s craft can thrive.”
Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum (read more here) | image © Takumi Ota
returning to earth
Looking to the future, the Japanese architect believes that the growing desire to reconnect architecture with its environment will increase the importance of craftsmanship. As construction becomes increasingly globalized and buildings are often treated as commercial assets detached from their surroundings, he argues that architecture must find ways to rebuild its relationship with the natural world.
“Modernist architecture severed the connection between people and the land, and architecture has become a mere mechanical production process that creates a commercial asset for investment.” Kengo also suggests. “Now more than ever, I feel there is a demand for architecture that reconnects people and nature.”
For Kuma, craftsmanship remains the mechanism through which this reconnection can occur.
“It is only craftsmanship that allows architecture to serve as a mediator.”
Japan National Stadium (read more here) | Image courtesy of Taisei Corporation, Azusa Sekkei and Kengo Kuma & Associates
Nakagawa-machi Bato Hiroshige Museum of Art | image © Mitsumasa Fujitsuka
Yusuhara Community Library / Yusuhara Yusuhara | image ©Kawasumi・Kobayashi Kenji Photography
