Hewlett Packard 5ZY59A Product Data Sheet

BRIDGING THE DIVIDE

How award-winning Japanese architecture rm, Kengo Kuma and Associates

(KKAA), is using modern technology to bridge the divide between traditional

Japanese architecture and digital innovation.

In 2011, the Great East Japan Earthquake and subsequent
tsunami obliterated much of Minamisanriku, decimating the area
and leaving gaping reminders of the tragedy. In 2013, award­winning architectural practice, Kengo Kuma and Associates (KKAA),
worked with the mayor and residents’ plans to design and build a
brand-new retail village away from risk zones.

It was crucial for KKAA, based nearly 500km away in Tokyo, to
utilize to utilize traditional Japanese craftsmanship, alongside
contemporary architectural techniques to build the Sun Sun
Shopping Village. It was also vital to safely incorporate the
city’s historical relationship with the sea.

“Disaster prevention was paramount and a huge hurdle,” explains
chief of design, Toshiki Meiji. “If you can see the ocean that normally
would mean you would be at risk of tsunami. So, we raised the
ground and when it was stabilized we embarked on the
retail complex.”

DECEMBER 2018, KKAA CASE STUDY

The initial step says Meijo was to develop a master plan of the
shopping complex. This required a model of the entire site –
achieved through a blend of both physical models and 3D
modeling technology.

“The mountains are very close to the site so we had to do tons of
printouts, cut them out and then assemble them together by hand.
After that, we worked out the volume of the buildings and adjusted
the physical model this way and that. At the same time, we

created data with 3D modeling. For eye-level conrmation, 3D

is vastly superior.”

“THE MOUNTAINS ARE VERY CLOSE TO

THE SITE SO WE HAD TO DO TONS OF

PRINTOUTS, CUT THEM OUT AND THEN

ASSEMBLE THEM TOGETHER BY HAND.”

BRIDGING THE DIGITAL DIVIDE WITH PAPER

Paper sits at the heart of all processes and one key issue KKAA
faced was communicating vital information between their studio
architects and their onsite contractors.

“In Japan, architects may be using digital technology but the
craftspeople and others that we hire for our projects are not.
This became very challenging for us and bridging this divide had,

up until now, been a diicult dilemma to resolve,” Meijo explains.

“In the area of site supervision, we used a tremendous amount

of paper. So for the team doing nal inspections, for example,
everything was conrmed on paper. The reason is that while we

can make general checks using digital platforms when we need to

check the ne details we must make A1 or A0 printouts. Looking at

them, we can take in everything, every detail with our eyes.

“Paper is great as a base when going back and forth with a client,
because you can make adjustments. But you don’t lose the
changes. It’s a record of changes and sketches. It’s a record of
meetings, too. It’s a huge advantage. With digital, making

changes is eortless but it won’t leave a record.

“PAPER IS A RECORD OF

CHANGES AND SKETCHES. IT’S

A RECORD OF MEETINGS, TOO.

IT’S A HUGE ADVANTAGE.”

DECEMBER 2018, KKAA CASE STUDY