Biography
Kuma was born in Kanagawa, Japan, and attended Eiko Gakuen junior and senior high schools. After completing a major in architecture at the University of Tokyo in 1979, he worked for a time at Nihon Sekkei and TODA Corporation. He then moved to New York for further studies at Columbia University as a visiting researcher from 1985 to 1986. In 1987, he founded the "Spatial Design Studio". In 1990, "Kengo Kuma & Associates", his own studio was established. During the 1998–1999 academic year, he was a visiting professor on the faculty of environmental information at Keio University. In 2008, Kuma earned his Ph.D. from Keio University, and he is currently a professor on the faculty of science and technology there, in the department of system design engineering.
Kuma's stated goal is to "recover the tradition of Japanese buildings" and to reinterpret it for the 21st century. In 1997, he won the Architectural Institute of Japan Award. Kengo Kuma is still designing architectural buildings with the inspiration of light and nature to achieve his goals such as the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy) Group's Japan headquarters as well as one of the largest spas in the Caribbean for Mandarin Oriental Dellis Cay.
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