2003 Interior Architecture
Interference and Urban Condensers: Vectorized and Concentric Interiors in Japan

Japan is a particularly unique country in that many of its citizens embrace change in every aspect of life. The built environment is no different, a prime example of which is the Grand Temple in Ise that acts as a symbol for the beliefs of the entire country. It is destroyed and rebuilt every twenty years exactly as it was in an act of renewal and rejuvenation. Japan takes the same attitude toward many of its other structures in major cities with most existing for no more than a quarter century before being knocked down and resurrected anew. Japan’s obsession with such a dynamic environment has helped to make it one of the most productive, innovative, and trendsetting countries in the world, however this extreme form of culture will soon begin to decelerate. With the birth rate decreasing, an increasing tax on land parcels, an economy that can no longer handle such rapid change, and a shortage of new land, Japan will eventually find itself “stuck” with what it has. It is in this new climate that Japan will truly be tested. Will they continue to evolve and explore new territories or will their cultural ideals change to meet the static situation? I believe that evolution is inevitable and that the new revolution will be in the exploration of what constitutes an interior environment. My proposal is to document current conditions in Japan and explore how they have begun to implement their dynamic nature into the increasingly static fabric of their cities. This research will then provide a detailed synopsis of the inevitable change coming to many cities resulting in the adaptive reuse/interior redesign of existing structures. Japan being a place to set the latest trends and develop the most innovative ideas will undoubtedly provide the best breeding ground for such development.

The final report provides a visual and contextual diary of the ninety-nine-day journey.

This traveling fellowship has fundamentally changed the way I view the world. The experience has been invaluable in allowing me to reconsider the distribution of architectural space, especially what constitutes an interior environment. The ability to travel and view in person different means of handling a fundamentally similar process, building, is essential for all students of architecture. Without that jarring experience of discomfort and confoundment, it is impossible to envision what is truly attainable.

My journey to Japan was nothing less than everything I had hoped for, and it has impacted every aspect of my architectural career. Beyond that, it was more than a lesson in Japanese architecture; it was a lesson in discovery. A journey that time will never allow me to repeat but memory will never permit me to forget.