RHWhen reading your essays I noticed, you often define your work by first explaining what is not possible. Are you a sculptor in front of a stone block chipping off what’s unnecessary?

JAThis is not quite correct. I put the priority on searching for the most important aspects. By doing so, I can identify all the lesser issues. These too should be included, but within the framework of the most important parts. So it’s not just carving out. I tell the client everything I feel and think.

RHArchitecture appears to be one continuous problem with constant solutions. How much do you let the client tell you what to do?

JAI usually make a master plan first without choosing materials and I present it to the client. I don’t want to compromise or push my ideas either. I take a patient approach by negotiating and suggesting changes until we find a common ground. The most important thing is to have a basis for mutual understanding. The project usually takes a long time and involves a lot of money. For example, if I design a house and the client says, “I don’t have a lot of money, but I want a solid, strong building,” then this alone could turn into a fortified ruin, because there’s not enough budget left to furnish it inside properly. I explain to them my feelings about this conflict, and then we restart and modify.

RHIs there something like a typical Japanese style in contemporary architecture?

JAThe style of architecture is no longer different from one country to another. There are two categories. One is architecture in countries where modernization has already taken place and the other is in countries where modernization is still happening. So when I speak with architects from other Asian countries their priority is mostly building up the country itself, which is not the case anymore in Japan. In that sense I feel closer to the architecture in Europe and the US. Based on style alone you cannot differentiate any more.