Founded by Kengo Kuma in 1990, Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA) is an internationally acclaimed architecture practice based in Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan. The studio is recognised for its sensitive integration of architecture, landscape and culture, creating buildings that respond to their environment through natural materials, craftsmanship and a refined sense of place.
Born in Kanagawa, Japan, in 1954, Kengo Kuma graduated from the University of Tokyo’s School of Architecture in 1979 before undertaking postgraduate research at Columbia University in New York as a visiting scholar. In 1987 he established Spatial Design Studio, which evolved into Kengo Kuma & Associates three years later.
Rejecting the monumentality often associated with modern architecture, Kuma’s work explores lightness, transparency and the relationship between people and nature. His architecture frequently employs timber, stone, bamboo and other traditional materials, interpreted through contemporary construction techniques to create buildings that are deeply rooted in their cultural and environmental contexts.
Today, Kengo Kuma & Associates has offices in Tokyo, Paris, Shanghai and Beijing, delivering projects that range from museums, cultural institutions and transport infrastructure to hospitality, commercial developments and private residences across Asia, Europe, North America and Australia. Among the practice’s best-known works are the Japan National Stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, the V&A Dundee in Scotland, and the Portland Japanese Garden Cultural Village in the United States.
Banff National Park Visitor Centre competition-winning design by Paul Raff Studio and Kengo Kuma & Associates. KKAA, internationally recognized for its light, permeable architecture and refined use of timber, brings a complementary sensibility grounded in the dissolution of boundaries between building, landscape, and atmosphere. Their work consistently privileges porosity, environmental responsiveness, and spatial openness
Qapital Tower in Quito, Ecuador, offers breathtaking views. Building design by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Textured façade draws inspiration from the Andes’ rich geology, mirroring the mountains
Wedyan Dubai Canal waterfront residence design by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. Ultra-prime residential property landmark Apartments – originality and craftsmanship
Architects Kengo Kuma and Associates design Qatar Pavilion building at Expo 2025 Osaka, Japan, in form of a dhow. World Exposition architecture news
Designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma the £80m V&A Museum of Design is now open to the public. Located alongside RSS Discovery on the waterfront it will host major exhibitions and celebrate design heritage. The building emulates Scottish cliffs.
Kengo Kuma has designed 100 villas for the Ummahat Al Shayk island off the West coast of Saudi Arabia, some of which will be overwater, as well as two restaurants, a spa and a reception pavilion
Rolls-Royce Bespoke Dawn by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma. One-of-a-kind creation bridges luxury automotive and architectural worlds, created for unique Japanese residence, The Kita Tea House
Kengo Kuma & Associates, in team with Cornelius Vöge, Søren Jensen engineers and Niels Sigsgaard, wins architect competition for New Aquatics Centre on Copenhagen’s Waterfront.
Japanese architect Kengo Kuma’s design submitted in collaboration with Portuguese architecture firm OODA, has been named the winner in a competition to Renovate and Expand Porto City Old Matadour
So much for the sustainable building claims: urgent investigation required as use of plywood likely linked to tropical forest destruction and human rights abuses found at construction site of new Tokyo Olympic Stadium by Design: Kengo Kuma & Associates.
Design: Kengo Kuma & Associates, architects. Alberni by Kuma is a 43-storey residential tower at Alberni and Cardero designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma for Westbank Projects Corp in Vancouver.
