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“Architecture. Possible here?” was a theme Toyo Ito had in mind even before he was appointed as the commissioner for the Japan’s Golden Lion-winning Pavilion at the 2012 Venice Biennale’s Architecture Exhibition. After the devastating earthquake and tsunami disaster on March 11 in 2011, some Japanese architects realized how much their work depended on technology and economic resource, but took for granted the natural environment which could, in a matter of a few hours, wipe out the man-made environment. Mr. Ito worked with younger architects – Kumiko Inui, Sou Fujimoto, and Akihisa Hirata – for about ten months, asking them and himself the above question. After making 200 models, holding weekly discussions at Mr. Ito’s office, and visits to the tsunami-hit city, the community house “Home for All” is currently under construction in Rikuzentakata, Iwate Prefecture. … Read More

It has been a year and a half since the Tohoku Earthquake devastated Northeastern Japan. Many architects have visited and worked with locals in the affected region to think about what architecture can do to help local people rebuild their lives and communities. The latest issue of Shinkenchiku (New Architecture) introduces four small projects built to lift spirits and overcome desperation and isolation left in the tsunami’s wake. … Read More

One year after the Great East Japan Earthquake, mid- and long-term planning for the recovery is underway in the stricken regions through cooperation between government organizations, the private sector, architects, and many others. This special issue looks at the effort from the viewpoint of cities, architecture, and people. … Read More

The Motoyoshi-cho area is located on the coast of Kesennuma, Miyagi Prefecture. It was inundated by the tsunami on March 11th, 2011, destroying most of the buildings. When Hirokazu Toki, Professor of Environmental Architecture Design at the University of Shiga Prefecture, visited the town soon after the disaster hit, he became aware of an immediate need for a space where residents could gather. With a limited budget and technology, he decided to build a temporary structure from local bamboo. … Read More

With an eye to rebuilding tsunami-ravaged Tohoku, Atelier Tekuto sought the ultimate building material—easy to source anywhere, robust, organic, and very low-cost. In this small experimental house they may have found the answer: bricks made from earth. … Read More