Tag: traditional-architecture | ArchDaily

"Artisans of the Reiwa Era" Documentary Showcases Traditional Japanese Wood Construction and Craftsmanship

Antonia Piñeiro — Mon, 13 Apr 2026 05:30:00 +0000

Rinshunkaku is a notable example of early Edo-period residential architecture. Originally built in the Wakayama Prefecture by the Kishu Tokugawa family, the villa was relocated to Sankeien, a traditional Japanese garden in the city of Yokohama, during the Taisho era (1912-1926). The garden was created in the early 20th century by businessman and art patron Sankei Hara and features a number of historic buildings relocated from Kyoto, Kamakura, and other areas of Japan. Rinshunkaku, one of the garden's gems, is a prime example of traditional Japanese architecture and wood construction. Its historical value motivated a large-scale restoration project in 2019, documented in the film Artisans of the Reiwa Era (Reiwa no Shokunin-tachi), filmed and edited by Katsumasa Tanaka and Hiroshi Fujiki. The documentary offers a close, detailed view of Japanese craftsmanship and wood expertise, highlighting rare traditional techniques and paying tribute to the artisans who preserve them.

Deep Tones and Natural Roots: 22 Shou Sugi Ban Homes Across the US and Canada

Hadir Al Koshta — Fri, 06 Feb 2026 07:30:00 +0000

Shou Sugi Ban is a traditional Japanese technique for wood preservation that involves charring the surface of timber to create a protective layer. While its origins are rooted in practical durability, the method has been widely adapted into the modern built environment and shapes a unique and distinctive aesthetic. It is a material of contradiction: it remains bold in its visual language due to its dark tones, yet it simultaneously borrows from and complements its natural surroundings, allowing houses to settle quietly into their sites.

Circular by Tradition: India’s Vernacular Building Practices for a Warming World

Ananya Nayak — Fri, 28 Nov 2025 04:00:00 +0000

Across India's varied geographies, from coastal backwaters to desert fortress cities, architecture evolved with a deep, instinctive connection to climate. These were not isolated craft traditions but complete ecological systems in which material cycles, thermal comfort, and community knowledge were interdependent. As COP30 turns global attention toward the links between heritage and climate resilience, India's vernacular practices appear less as historical artifacts and more as climate technologies refined over centuries.

Ancient Wisdom Meets Urban Reality: Vastu’s Role in Contemporary Indian Cities

Ankitha Gattupalli — Tue, 07 Oct 2025 04:00:00 +0000

India carries an ancient lineage of tradition that has long shaped the very conception and crafting of its cities. Vastu Shastra is one such tradition, more a science than a belief, intimately woven into the principles of architectural design. The practice remains widespread and highly regarded, with 93% of homes designed to align with Vastu principles. As India urbanizes at an unprecedented pace, projected to add 416 million city dwellers by 2050, Vastu Shastra continues to influence billions of real estate decisions amid the trials of modern city living. How might an 8,000-year-old spatial science evolve to guide the design of cities housing millions?

Inhabiting a Layered Past: How Contemporary Design Is Transforming Colonial Houses in Mérida, Mexico

Agustina Iñiguez — Sat, 06 Sep 2025 07:30:00 +0000

In the pursuit of connecting with the architectural traditions of cities and integrating their natural environments into design projects, the contemporary reinterpretation of colonial homes in Mexico faces the challenge of enhancing the contrast between the old and the new. Through the conservation of historical elements, the reuse of materials, and the fusion with contemporary design, the architecture of Mérida recognizes in its original colonial configuration new opportunities to create spaces in line with today’s demands. From achieving a direct connection with nature to naturally lighting and ventilating interior spaces, numerous ancient constructions, whether in ruins or not, choose to highlight their architecture by giving them a new life.

The Korean Hanok: Exploring Traditional Architecture's Environmental Principles

Moises Carrasco — Sun, 20 Jul 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Vernacular architecture often utilizes locally sourced materials and construction practices honed over centuries. This approach raises questions about its potential relevance for contemporary design challenges. The prevalence of high-rise developments globally, often relying on sealed envelopes and mechanical climate control, contrasts with historical architectural practices. Traditionally, regional architectures emerged from local communities, fostering distinct cultural identities and integrating passive systems for ventilation, cooling, and heating, often utilizing natural elements. The Hanok, traditional Korean houses, serve as a case study. Beyond their current role in tourism, they are also an example of how vernacular knowledge can provide passive climate-response strategies that align with the current principles of creating environmentally friendly buildings.

Inside the Japanese Style Room: History, Design, and Modern Practice

Moises Carrasco — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 07:30:00 +0000

When examining photos of Japanese houses, one frequently notices a recurring space with tatami mats, often slightly elevated and integrated into the public areas of the home. This is the washitsu, or Japanese-style room: a traditional, multipurpose space still commonly found in modern residential architecture. Used for activities ranging from reading and sleeping to hosting a family altar, its versatility is central to its continued relevance. This article explores the Washitsu's layout and meaning, beginning with its historical origins to better understand its role and interpretation in contemporary Japanese homes.

Vernacular Building and AI: Can Data Alone Bridge the Gap?

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 20 May 2025 07:30:00 +0000

As artificial intelligence (AI) becomes increasingly embedded in society, it's essential to pause and reflect on the foundations that sustain it—and the dimensions to which it extends. At the heart of AI's learning are datasets, whose structure and content shape how these systems interpret and respond to the world. This reliance creates a deep interdependence—one that not only informs AI's capabilities but also defines its potential blind spots. In light of this, we must ask: What forms of understanding might this process exclude, especially those not easily captured in digital form?

Liu Jiakun: Get to Know the 2025 Pritzker Winner's Work

Hana Abdel — Tue, 04 Mar 2025 09:59:00 +0000

The 2025 Pritzker Prize has been awarded this year to Chinese Architect Liu Jiakun. Born in Chengdu in 1956, he grew up in the densifying city, before attending and graduating from the Chongqing Architecture and Engineering College (Chongqing University) in 1982 with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Architecture, and becoming one of the first college graduates to be tasked with rebuilding the country during the Chinese transition period. However, it wasn't until many years later that the architect understood that "the built environment could be used as a medium for personal expression". It was then that his endeavors and career took off, with Liu Jiakun starting his practice in 1999, and participating in more collaborative works across China and Europe. Based on his experiences, his works are anchored in his understanding of reality and a respect towards China's multi-traditional history and internal diversity; all while achieving a seamless balance between architecture and nature, tradition and modernity.

"You Have to Leave Some Space for the Future People to Interpret": In Conversation with Zhu Pei

Vladimir Belogolovsky — Thu, 23 Jan 2025 07:30:00 +0000

Over the last eight years, I have interviewed Beijing-based architect and educator Zhu Pei several times. His persistent quest to combine traditional planning and construction principles with innovative formal and spatial sensibilities intrigues me. His latest projects, including Zijing International Conference Camp (2022) and Jingdezhen Imperial Kiln Museum (2020), are widely published and represent his most mature works. Yet, he is convinced that his best building is in the making. "This is going to be amazing! I feel so excited!" the architect told me, referring to his now under-construction Majiayao Ruins Museum and Observatory in Gansu province in Northwestern China. "I hate column-beam solutions. I want column-free spaces for the public building," he continued. Our conversation took place earlier this year on a video call, complete with dozens of relevant illustrations.

RCR Arquitectes Unveils Muraba Veil Skyscraper in Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Nour Fakharany — Tue, 22 Oct 2024 05:30:00 +0000

Muraba and RCR Arquitectes, recipients of the 2017 Pritzker Prize, have collaborated on Muraba Veil, a modern architectural project in Dubai that aims to incorporate traditional elements alongside contemporary innovation. This 380-meter-high tower is the latest result of a decade-long partnership between Muraba, a Dubai-based developer, and RCR Arquitectes, a Spanish architectural firm. The project introduces a skyscraper designed to engage with the local environment and culture, seeking to combine modern architectural techniques with regional heritage.

Heritage in Mud, Stone, and Reeds: Rediscovering Ancestral Construction Techniques

Enrique Tovar — Tue, 24 Sep 2024 07:30:00 +0000

Reflecting on the past is often viewed as nostalgia or, from a more critical standpoint, as a sign of regression. However, looking back can offer valuable insights into a society that sometimes appears overly focused—if not obsessed—with the future and technology. In architecture, this reflection allows us to reconnect with our roots and appreciate the knowledge accumulated over generations. It invites us to explore how our ancestors designed durable structures adapted to their environment. Refined through centuries of observation, experimentation, and likely even errors, these systems demonstrate a profound understanding of local materials and building techniques.

Climat de France: Colonial Social Housing in Algeria by Fernand Pouillon

Paul Yakubu — Fri, 08 Dec 2023 07:30:00 +0000

The Climat de France is a French colonial social housing project in Algeria designed by Fernand Pouillon and currently renamed Oued Koriche. Located approximately 8km west of the country’s capital, Algiers, it was built from 1954 to 1957, right in the middle of the Algerian War of Independence. The project has several buildings with different scales. Its most prominent structure is a large rectangular building that houses 3000 dwellings, along with a spacious interior square similar to a Roman forum and exterior windows inspired by the mosaics found in Islamic architecture.

When Old Meets New: JK-AR's Reinvention of the Traditional East Asian Bracket System through Digital Carpentry

Hana Abdel — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 05:00:00 +0000

By imagining an alternative reality and rediscovering his cultural background, architect Jae Kyung Kim of JK-AR established his identity as an architect when creating his practice, selected as one of ArchDaily’s New Practices 2023. After studying and working in South Korea and the US, he’d noticed an absence of traditional Asian architecture, which had peaked his interest. He began to thoroughly look at a possibility where the traditional timber buildings of East Asia had still been relevant and continued to evolve.

How to Challenge the Design Brief? An Interview with ATELIER XI

韩爽 - HAN Shuang — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 04:00:00 +0000

ATELIER XI has been selected for ArchDaily's 2023 New Practices and is one of the few firms still rooted in traditional architectural design. Founded in 2017, ATELIER XI began their practice in Shenzhen, one of the fastest-growing and urbanizing cities in China. Their work represents the current state of a generation of architects, with major projects in small-scale urban architecture, exhibition design, interior design, renovation, and rural architecture. While they may not become urban landmarks, they can still influence the lifestyle of the community through small-scale design.

The Polish Pavilion at Expo Osaka 2025 Resembles Spreading Wave of Creativity and Innovation

Nour Fakharany — Fri, 15 Sep 2023 05:30:00 +0000

Commissioned by the Polish Investment and Trading Agency, Poland's Pavilion at the World Expo in Osaka is designed by Interplay The project is responding to the theme of the upcoming Expo, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives" and was born from the Interplay's fascination with spirals, specifically the shape's use in different scales, from "protein molecules to the structure of galaxies." Serving as a symbol of Polish ingenuity, the geometric-patterned pavilion aims to extend its influence beyond national boundaries.

Motifs and Ornamentations: Inspirations Behind the Colors of African Traditional Architecture

Paul Yakubu — Fri, 11 Aug 2023 07:30:00 +0000

African societies' cultures are intrinsically linked to color. From fabrics to clothing, products, sculptures, and architecture, various societies explore rich and vibrant colors that are vivid, expressive, and joyful. Through different shades, hues, contrasts, motifs, and ornamentations, colors are embraced as an unspoken language, a palette for storytelling, and a sense of cultural identity. Although the use of color in African societies may seem decorative on the surface, it is extremely symbolic, with a deep sense of history behind it. Traditional African architecture is a prime example. Ethnic societies have endowed their homes with color through ornaments and motifs, expressed it with religious and cultural patterns, employed it on facades to tell familial stories, and created labyrinths of communal architecture that not only celebrate color but explore its ethnic meaning.

The Painted Houses of Tiébélé: A Model for Communal Collaboration

Paul Yakubu — Fri, 23 Jun 2023 04:00:00 +0000

In the south of Burkina Faso, sharing borders with the northern environs of Ghana is Tiébélé; a small village exhibiting fractal patterns of circular and rectangular buildings, housing one of the oldest ethnic groups in West Africa; the Kassena tribe. With vernacular houses dating back to the 15th century, the village’s buildings strike a distinctive character through its symbol-laden painted walls. It is an architecture of wall decoration where the community uses their building envelope as a canvas for geometric shapes and symbols of local folklore, expressing the culture’s history and unique heritage. This architecture is the product of a unique form of communal collaboration, where all men and women in the community are tasked with contributing to the construction and finishing of any new house. This practice serves as a transmission point for Kassena culture across generations.