Interviews with Shigetaka Mohizuki
Designer profileDesign Legend Interview
5 January 2025
I have been a temple carpenter for 28 years, so I was not professionally trained in design, but I have been working on architecture that combines structural beauty and utilitarian beauty in both design and construction based on my long experience and inspiration. I have also been involved in design awards to pass on my skills to younger generations.
As a professional who is mainly engaged in building, it is fun to realize that traditional techniques can be stylishly reconstructed and given shape in a more enjoyable way.
I think that I naturally came to be called a designer because the beauty of the structure and the beauty of use that I create have been highly evaluated by the public.
From architectural design, we pursue “attractive structural beauty” and “beauty of use.
Breaking out of the mold is breaking out of the mold when you have a solid foundation.
Doing this and that without having a good foundation or anything is shapeless.
I want you to keep learning more basics over and over again.
Doing this and that without having a good foundation or anything is shapeless.
I want you to keep learning more basics over and over again.
I believe that great designers design designs that will move many people and leave a lasting impression.
I think that a design that combines form and utility is an excellent design.
I think it is an inspiration and a sense of privilege for the design.
We design to give more excitement to the owner.
change of mindset
wooden framework
Designs that take advantage of 120% of the characteristics of wood are possible.
Designs that take advantage of 120% of the characteristics of wood are possible.
change of mindset
carpenter specializing in temple, shrine, etc. construction
Exciting things
Master shrine carpenter
It was to continue to pass on the techniques to university students.
Difference in perspective between the designer and the builder
I believe that entering design awards is one of the ways to increase exposure to more people.
Design an architecture of evolution of tradition that will be the inheritance of new traditional techniques.
Architectural design that will surprise and inspire you
I hope that architecture that expresses the Japanese sense of beauty with extremely high design quality will be open to those who study, manage, and use architectural technology, that it will function as a place to learn its knowledge, that it will greatly contribute to the development of future human resources, and that it will bring together in one space the high aspirations for the future of “culture,” “environment,” and “people. I hope it will be possible to do so.
Evolution of Tradition
"Hoshino Shrine Covered Shrine"
The "Ishiba-building" employed in this building has the aptitude to resist earthquakes and typhoons without damaging the earth. In addition, the "penetration," which demonstrates the characteristic "penetration" strength of wood, was calculated and planned using the "Limit Strength Design Method" so that it can attenuate force by "frictional force" in combination with the "joints and joints" of the members. It is truly an innovative architecture that utilizes "traditional Japanese construction methods" and "new technologies.
The "Ishiba-building" employed in this building has the aptitude to resist earthquakes and typhoons without damaging the earth. In addition, the "penetration," which demonstrates the characteristic "penetration" strength of wood, was calculated and planned using the "Limit Strength Design Method" so that it can attenuate force by "frictional force" in combination with the "joints and joints" of the members. It is truly an innovative architecture that utilizes "traditional Japanese construction methods" and "new technologies.
That the design of traditional techniques will be recognized again and lead to succession.
1-5 years
We visit the proposed building site many times to envision the architecture that will be built there.
To be egoistic in one's approach to manufacturing.
I think design is what sets the trend.
Basic axis role in all
Color 3, Material 3, Atmosphere 4
Production process from awareness raising
Master shrine carpenter
diligent study、practice
I would like to have discussions, etc., but the truth is that I am not good at talking to people.
I am happy to think of it as recognition for my colleagues with whom I worked on the construction, but I don't feel that I have become so famous.
During the past two years, we have entered several architectural design awards in Japan, and it was a great experience to talk with world-renowned architects during the judging process, and we were happy to receive high evaluations.
To find something new from the morning meeting with the craftsmen.
There wasn't.
I hope that the architecture I design and build will continue to be seen as an architecture that brings together high aspirations for the future of “culture,” “environment,” and “people,” and will lead to a number of inheritances.
Designer Interview
5 July 2024
We pursue not only shrine and temple architecture, but also [attractive structural beauty and beauty of use], and respond to our customers by building houses that specialize in the non-standard, rather than the standardized housing.
Our design houses are an evolution of tradition, breaking down the stereotypes of the anachronistic image of the palace carpenter's house and stylishly transforming our own traditional skills and techniques into a one-of-a-kind architecture that combines design and construction that no other company can match.
Our design houses are an evolution of tradition, breaking down the stereotypes of the anachronistic image of the palace carpenter's house and stylishly transforming our own traditional skills and techniques into a one-of-a-kind architecture that combines design and construction that no other company can match.
Fascinating Structural Beauty
The Beauty of Use
The Beauty of Use
Design for the inheritance of technology and the evolution of tradition
Wood
Traditional Methods
Traditional Techniques
Traditional Methods
Traditional Techniques
When the evolution of tradition is realized
You can see the joy on the client's face.
The Art of War by Sun Tzu
If you know your enemy and know yourself, you will never be in danger of a hundred battles
If you know your enemy and know yourself, you will never be in danger of a hundred battles
This is a serious situation, as the number of professional craftsmen has declined to a critical level in today's construction specifications.
Great progress cannot be made by passing on skills only on the practical side.
Unless the government, media, design, forestry, and the practical side work hand in hand, traditional skills will truly disappear.
From the perspective of wood mileage, the company will actively work to revitalize the forestry industry for local production for local consumption.
Great progress cannot be made by passing on skills only on the practical side.
Unless the government, media, design, forestry, and the practical side work hand in hand, traditional skills will truly disappear.
From the perspective of wood mileage, the company will actively work to revitalize the forestry industry for local production for local consumption.
We pursue not only shrine and temple architecture, but also [attractive structural beauty and beauty of use], and respond to our customers by building houses that specialize in the non-standard, rather than the standardized housing.
Our design houses are an evolution of tradition, breaking down the stereotypes of the anachronistic image of the palace carpenter's house and stylishly transforming our own traditional skills and techniques into a one-of-a-kind architecture that combines design and construction that no other company can match.
Our design houses are an evolution of tradition, breaking down the stereotypes of the anachronistic image of the palace carpenter's house and stylishly transforming our own traditional skills and techniques into a one-of-a-kind architecture that combines design and construction that no other company can match.
Japan
Current construction specifications have reduced the number of professional craftsmen to below critical levels, and this is a serious situation.
Great progress cannot be made by passing on skills only on the practical side.
If the government, media, design, forestry, and the practical side do not work hand in hand, traditional skills will truly disappear.
Current construction specifications have reduced the number of professional craftsmen to below critical levels, and this is a serious situation.
Great progress cannot be made by passing on skills only on the practical side.
If the government, media, design, forestry, and the practical side do not work hand in hand, traditional skills will truly disappear.
To master the fundamentals thoroughly and then show one's individuality is called breaking the mold, but to do things on one's own before one has even mastered the fundamentals is called being shapeless.
Individuals
Shrines and Temples
Shrines and Temples
When we see the joy on our clients' faces
Please use the contact form on the web page.
Grand Interview
23 November 2024 · Fuwaku Residential
In order to change the anachronistic image of traditional technology handed down from the past as an evolutionary form of tradition, we create architecture that gives people spiritual comfort by allowing them to feel the harmony of materials and wood with all five senses through “the beauty of attractive structure” and “the beauty of use” based on traditional techniques and skills.
We wanted to change the anachronistic image of traditional techniques that have been handed down from generation to generation. We designed this product to convey the delicacy of traditional techniques to a wider audience in the modern age, with the hope that it will lead to the inheritance of traditional techniques that have been in decline for centuries.
By expressing traditional techniques that had been seen as horizontal surfaces in three-dimensional form, a visual element from an angle was added, giving the viewer a three-dimensional thinking and creating a myriad of possibilities.
The original mixture of natural materials that have remained unchanged for decades, based on the traditional techniques and knowledge of plastering with sand, sandy soil, bamboo grass, and straw, enables countless architectural expressions with a few different materials.
The building is small in scale, taking into consideration the limited space that does not interfere with the large garden.Without compromising the style of the main buildingThe new house and the main house are designed in the evolution of tradition, while creating an appropriate distance between the two households, who will spend their new lives on the same site, and yet allowing the buildings to follow each other's lives and create a spatial relationship that connects their lives and bonds.
The energy consumption of transporting lumber is also reduced, emitting only about 1% of CO2 compared to the amount of carbon stored in the lumber, and the construction of the building has the potential to contribute to the revitalization of the local forestry industry through local production for local consumption and to local traditions, culture, and industry.
This building, where the harmony of materials and wood can be felt with all five senses, was designed to be a detached house that provides spiritual comfort and accompanies the time spent in the main house, and like the main house, responds to its environmental impact and responsibility for long-term maintenance.
The situation surrounding the local mountains remains challenging, as traditional crafts are no longer professionalized due to the decline of traditional techniques and the difficulty of maintaining them.This architecture contributes to the succession of skills and the revitalization of local industry by evolving traditional techniques and design, and by being publicly recognized both nationally and internationally with architectural and design awards.
We convey the evolution of tradition, from the inheritance of skills to a new form using unique traditional techniques. - Deep eaves made with a HANEBARI, one of the skills of the miya carpenter. - The “hipped eaves” are constructed without using any metal hardware for the shaft assembly.-Combination of six-story coffered ceiling and vertical members- Plastering: A unique plastering method is used to plaster the walls.
In recent years, the use of standardized, mass-produced construction methods and construction methods that rely on new building materials and laminated wood have increased, and traditional techniques have been declining. The building has become a place where people can learn about the traditional techniques, and it has also become a building that is connected to tradition, culture, industry, and the environment by continuing to educate people about the durability, strength, and delicacy of wood, as well as local production for local consumption.
Grand Interview
23 November 2024 · Hoshino Jinja Shrine
The covered hall plays an important role in protecting the main shrine from the elements. The plan to rebuild the main shrine building began because it was difficult to maintain the main shrine building due to the close proximity of the old and new buildings. The shrine officials hoped that the new covered hall would be a structure that would continue to protect the main shrine for another 100 to 200 years, while being preserved in this location for generations to come. In addition, the main shrine, which is designated as a cultural asset by the city, will be investigated, renovated, and restored.The new covered hall will be an architecture in which traditional construction methods and technologies are not antiquated but state-of-the-art through a fusion of high-dimensional clarification of traditional construction methods and technologies using modern structural analysis technology and traditional construction methods and technologies that are the work of the modern age. We hope that the building will be a landmark in the community, and at the same time, it will be an architecture that preserves the strength and comfort of wood and its traditions for future generations.
In addition to the structural beauty that is inevitably created by the axial structure of “pillars” and “penetrations” of the traditional construction method, which has been handed down for hundreds of years, the addition of “penetrations” calculated by modern structural calculations creates more horizontal and vertical continuity in the structure, resulting in a design that combines the traditional and modern scientific perspectives. The result is a design that fuses the traditional viewpoints of the past with the scientific viewpoints of the present.
The government-subsidized project, “Creation of Design Methods and Performance Verification Experiments for Traditional Construction Methods,” conducted from 2010 to 2014, makes it possible to incorporate safety and versatility into traditional buildings from a scientific perspective based on structural mechanics clarification.This will ensure the safety of traditional buildings through modern structural calculations.
The design of the building has once again become a landmark in the community, as it has retained the design of the old covered hall that was built more than 100 years ago and was well known in the community.
This architecture contributes to the succession of technology and the revitalization of local industry by evolving traditional techniques and designs, both old and new, and being publicly recognized both domestically and internationally with architectural and design awards.
The government-subsidized “Design Method Development and Performance Verification Experiments of Traditional Construction Methods” conducted from 2010 to 2014 will make it possible to incorporate safety and versatility into traditional buildings from a scientific perspective by clarifying structural mechanics.The inheritance of traditional technology is not an old-fashioned business, but rather, by turning the scientific scalpel to the technology and construction methods in recent years, we believe that the buildings will be at the cutting edge of technology.
The recent trend toward standardized, mass-produced construction and construction methods that rely on new construction materials and laminated wood has led to a steady decline in traditional techniques, which is difficult to maintain.This building will function as a place for universities, technical colleges, and other professional organizations in the prefecture to learn about traditional techniques, and to train future generations to carry on these techniques.
The two main goals were to nurture young craftsmen who would be the next generation to build and preserve traditional architecture for a long time, and to secure human resources for the severe conditions of the mountains in the exhausted region.
Instead of designing, the shrine carpenter and designer himself was a craftsman who conveyed the importance of traditional techniques and wood as well as education and the sanctity of the shrine through on-site practical work.
The covered hall of the shrine has an important role in protecting the main shrine building from the elements. This reconstruction plan was based on the request of a sustainable structure for another 100～200 years to serve in a community so that traditional construction methods, *Ishibadate, and the calculation method of response and limit strength, are adopted. The main hall is designated as Cultural Asset by the city and will be renovated and restored. This main hall inherits ancient techniques, and the covered hall is new architecture that combines traditional and modern structural analysis techniques*Ishidatea setup where pillars stand on stones instead of being fixed deep into the ground