Kikuma Watanabe

1971　Born in Nara,Japan
1994　Graduated from Kyoto University（the Department of Architecture,Engineering Faculty)
1997　Finished Graduate Course,Dept.of Architecture,Faculty of Engineerinng,Institute of Kyoto Univ.
2001　Left Dr.Course,Dept.of Architecture,Faculty of Engineerinng,Institute of Kyoto Univ.

■Occupational Career
1998-2006　Appointed as a part-time professor of Kyoto University of Art
2001-2007　Appointed as a Chairman of Kyoto Community Design League
2004-　 Appointed as a part-time professor of Osaka City University
2001-2007　Working at Toyokazu Watanabe Architecture Studio
2007-　　　 Set up D Environmental Design System Laboratory as its chief.
2009-　 Appointed as an associate professor of Kochi University of Technology

■Works+Projects
2005 Town House in Kakunodate town : JAPAN
2007-2010 Community Center in South Shouna : JORDAN
2007- Ecovillage Project in the East African Community : UGANDA
2008- Sun Architecture
2011 "Fluctuaiton"-rest space for the pilgrims : JAPAN
2012 "Shrine in an air pocket of the city" Water and land Niigata art festival 2012 : JAPAN
2012- School for ophans in Thailand
2013 " Reading space between twin tunnels"
" Visceral Sensation- Voice So Far, So Near" 21st Century Museum of Contemporary Art, Kanazawa : JAPAN

■Selected prizes
2012 Category award Design Competition of Wooden works/ 15 Cycle, Japan
2012 Winners for World Architecture Community Awards / 11Cycle
2013 Winners for World Architecture Community Awards / 13Cycle
2013 Winners for 2013 Faith & Form/IFRAA Award , United States
2014 Architecture Asia Awards　FINALIST21, Malaysia　
2014 Winner for AZ AWARD2014(Best Architecture Under 1,000㎡), Canada
2014 Blueprint Awards2014 commended , UnitedKingdom
2014 architectural review2014 Highly commended, UnitedKingdom
2014 designboom　TOP 10 reader submissions of 2014 – architecture , Italy
2014 Winners for 2014 Faith & Form/IFRAA Award , United States
2015 Architizer A+Awards2015 Winner(Kindergartens category) United States
2015 Winners for World Architecture Community Awards / 19th Cycle　
2016 Architecture Asia Awards2016 Winner
2016 World Architecture Community Awards 22th cycle　〈Passive house with Sundial〉
2016 World Architecture Community Awards 22th cycle　〈Self-build Shinto Shrine〉
2017 Architecture Asia Awards2017 Finalist
2017 American Architecture Prize:firm of the year Finalist
2017 Award for Kochi Architecture2017 Winner

Born in Nara Prefecture in 1971. Lives and works in Kochi and Nara Prefectures , Japan.
Graduatied from Department of Architecture, Faculty of Engineering at Kyoto University in 1994,
Left the doctoral program of the same department in 2001.
While employed at Toyokazu Watanabe Architecture Studio, Watanabe served as Chairman for the
Kyoto Community Design League(Kyoto CDL). In 2007, he founded D environmental Design System
Laboratory.
Since 2001, he has undertaken the design and construction of earthbag architecture in Japan and
India in collaboration with Tenri University. In recent years, he has created unique architecture
together with local residents in such locations as Jordan, East Africa, and Thailand by blending
earthbag architecture with local traditional construction methods, contributing in this way to the
alleviation of poverty in these regions.
Watanabe is pursuing something he calls " Glocal Architecture", this being architecture that
conciders the environment of our earth and the related probrems with attention to the special
character of the local climate, natural environment, culture, and customs. Currently, while teaching
as an associate professor at Kochi University of Technology, he is engaged in researh and fieldwork
in various regions, aimed at returning to architecture' s biginnings to discover architecture of a
different dimension.