Suzuko Yamada

Japan

This boutique office with a team of just three is led by Tokyoite architect Suzuko Yamada. A Berkeley and Tokyo Art University graduate, Yamada set up her studio in 2013, having previously been at Sou Fujimoto Architects. Her work is distinctly experimental, and she has scooped up a range of awards for her projects that push the boundaries of domestic space. Particularly striking is Daita2019 (pictured), a home with a scaffolding-like composition on an urban plot. ‘When we start any project, we always wonder if the architecture we create has the same sense of rationality and beauty as other vernacular expressions such as music or language,’ says Yamada. ‘We seek to propose a new vernacular architecture that is rooted in the times we live in.’