Architecture Speaks: Takaharu Tezuka

Every construction deconstructs elsewhere; materials are territories carried into form. The task of architecture is to create a positive balance where structures give back more than they take. Architecture, once born of shelter and survival, must again learn from nature’s cycles of efficiency and renewal. Architecture stands at the intersection of structure and resources, where every act of construction echoes far beyond its site. 

In the eleventh season of the Architecture Speaks lecture series Professor and Head of department of Architecture Jenni Reuter invites six architects to share insights into their design processes and their roles in the world of architecture. The theme of this season is Structures and Resources. The online lecture is free of charge and organized in English.

Architecture Speaks: Takaharu Tezuka, Tezuka Architects

Tezuka Architects was established in 1994 by Takaharu and Yui Tezuka. They set out on a pursuit not just in designing architecture, but in changing the world for the better through the means of architecture; a value they have hold true to this day.

They believe that children are born with the ability to grow, and a well-designed environment can widely enhance their possibilities to grow stronger and smarter. They aim to create schools where children would like to come back and visit, even when they are grown up.

Fuji Kindergarten in Japan, designed by architect Takaharu Tezuka, emphasizing the idea that children do not need to be forced to learn but they naturally cannot stop. The kindergarten is an open-air kindergarten, designed to encourage and facilitate social interaction between students as well as discovery-style learning. Students are encouraged to design their own learning environment through the use of crates to separate classrooms, trees are left to grow within the structure of the kindergarten that students are able to climb, and additional structures within the kindergarten allow for exploration for students to delve into and discover in a collaborative manner.

Tezuka Architects have also completed over 60 residential projects. Each house has been designed with care and attention, spending months on examining every detail. Designing homes is at the heart of their work, as they believe that the home is the basis for every architecture. They claim they design houses where they would like to live themselves.

“Fuji Kindergarten” has been selected as the best school in the world by Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. It has also received the Architectural Institute of Japan Award and the Japan Institute of Architects’ awards.

The online lecture will be held on Zoom Webinar platform. Registration is required, and the registration is open until the lecture is finished. Participation link and instructions for participation are sent in a separate email after registration. Register via this link.