Kikuma Watanabe

PM001665

Japan ／ Architectural Design

1971 Born in Nara,Japan
1994 Graduated from Kyoto University (the Department of Architecture, Engineering Faculty)
1997 Finished Graduate Course, Dept.of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Kyoto Univ.
2001 Left Dr.Course, Dept. of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering, Institute of Kyoto Univ.

■ Occupational Career
1998-2006 Appointed as a part-time professor of Kyoto University of Art
2001-2007 Appointed as a Chairman of Kyoto Community Design League
2004- Appointed as a part-time professor of Osaka City University
2001-2007 Working at Toyokazu Watanabe Architecture Studio
2007- Set up D Environmental Design System Laboratory as its chief.
2009- Appointed as an associate professor of Kochi University of Technology

■Works+Projects
2007-2010 Community Center in South Shouna : JORDAN
2007- Ecovillage Project in the East African Community : UGANDA
2011 “Fluctuaiton”-rest space for the pilgrims : JAPAN
2012 “Shrine in an air pocket of the city” Water and land Niigata art festival 2012 : JAPAN
2013 School floating in the Sky: THAILAND
2013 “Reading space between twin tunnels”
“ Visceral Sensation- Voice So Far, So Near” 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa : JAPAN
2015 Passive House with Sundial: JAPAN
2016- Self-built Shinto Shrine Project for Depopulated Village in JAPAN

■ Selected Prizes
2012 Category award Design Competition of Wooden works/ 15 Cycle, Japan
2012 Winners for World Architecture Community Awards / 11 Cycle, United States
2013 Winners for World Architecture Community Awards / 13 Cycle, United States
2013 Winners for 2013 Faith & Form/IFRAA Award , United States
2014 AZ Awards (Best Architecture Under 1,000 ㎡ ) :Winner, Canada
2014 AR+d Awards for Emerging Architecture :Highly commended, UK
2014 Blue Print Awards 2014 :Commended, UK
2014 Faith & Form/IFRAA Award : Merit, United states
2015 Architizer+ A Awards 2015: Winner, United States
2015 World Architecture Community Awards : Winners/19Cycle, United States
2016 World Architecture Community Awards : Winners/22Cycle, United States
2016 World Architecture Community Awards : Winners/23Cycle, United States
2016 Architecture Asia Awards 2016 : Winners

Born in Nara Prefecture in 1971. Lives and works in Kochi and Nara Prefectures , Japan. Graduated from Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University in 1994,Left the doctoral program of the same department in 2001. In 2007, he founded D Environmental Design System Laboratory. Since 2001, he has undertaken the design and construction of earthbag architecture in Japan and India in collaboration with Tenri University. In recent years, he has created unique architecture together with local residents in such locations as Jordan, East Africa, and Thailand by blending earthbag architecture with local traditional construction methods, contributing in this way to the alleviation of poverty in these regions. Watanabe is pursuing something he calls “ Universal Locality in Architecture ”, this being architecture that considers the environment of our earth and the related problems with attention to the special character of the local climate, natural environment, culture, and customs. Currently, while teaching as an associate professor at Kochi University of Technology, he is engaged in research and fieldwork in various regions, aimed at returning to architectureʼ s beginnings to discover architecture of a different dimension.