More often than not, buildings are designed, and then landscape components are added. But Kiyo Takeda, 41, doesn’t differentiate between the two. “All natural elements are architectural elements,” he explains. For this young Tokyo architect, integrating trees, shrubs, soil, and rocks with concrete, glass, and steel is, well, second nature.

Takeda’s stance is an outgrowth of early exposure to architecture, followed by his professional training. As a youngster, he often spent time in his architect father’s studio and visited buildings with him. That segued into an undergraduate architecture degree from Tokai University, and a master’s degree from the University of East London. Reasoning that Japanese schools are “more conceptual,” Takeda opted to go overseas, where he encountered a greater emphasis on making things and materiality. His studies included research in Urbino, Italy, where he examined the area’s dilapidated buildings to observe how architecture falls apart when it is disused. “It was really interesting to see buildings with forests growing inside them,” Takeda recalls. “Though originally for people, this architecture had become a place for plants.” Following graduation, Takeda joined the Tokyo office of Kengo Kuma, who often focuses on materials and environmental awareness. Working on a variety of projects, such as the Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center in Tokyo and the Tomioka City Hall in Gunma Prefecture, Takeda remained in Kuma’s firm for 10 years before launching his own practice.