Kengo Kuma on Craftsmanship as Architecture’s Connection to Place

In an interview with designboom, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma argues that craftsmanship remains essential for architecture to reconnect people with place and nature. He critiques modernist architecture for severing ties with local materials and climates through standardization. Kuma emphasizes that traditional techniques are not fixed but evolve through adaptation, and that understanding local materials and craftsmanship is fundamental. Regarding AI, he views it as a tool that supports human thinking, not a transformative force. He observes that younger generations show strong sensitivity to materials in workshops. Kuma also links craftsmanship to sustainability, noting that historical builders worked within constraints to produce outstanding architecture, and that learning from predecessors is more sustainable than mere research on sustainability. He calls for respecting past work and fostering today’s craftsmanship to rebuild architecture’s relationship with the natural world.