I met my mentor Cesar Pelli when I was studying for my masters at Yale University and I saw the post-modern architecture of 1980s America right in front of me in Cesar’s office, which became the foundation of my design activities. Being able to open my own office in Japan began from when I met him.

What is the purpose of architectural design? —

The purpose is to make towns joyful and affluent, and give them a pleasurable quality and security. It’s based on my mentor Cesar Pelli’s philosophy of “DESIGN ON RESPONSE” and is what I aim to create; drawing from the architectural education I received from him and the work collaborations from before. DESIGN ON RESPONSE is responding to the local culture and township, and create designs which grow with the town like a living entity. With this philosophy in mind, design is carried out with accurate insights into the surrounding natural environment, township, culture, history, people using the building and various other design conditions. Just as the design philosophy was passed from Eero Saarinen to Cesar Pelli, I was also passed the philosophy from Pelli and would like to expand, develop and pass it on in my own way to the next generation. I think getting involved in creating towns and architecture which last for many generations is the mission of all architects.

Opportunities to get involved in a lot of projects outside of Japan have increased in recent years. I have been able to see that there aren’t many differences in the basic conditions relating to what makes people feel happy beyond the frame of culture and tradition. Abundant and beautiful nature, lively towns and architecture with secure and rich expressions, can continuously provide universal value beyond the country’s borders and generations. We, as specialists in creating cities and architecture, would like to respond to our clients’ needs and the expectations of the society with our best efforts.