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Following a two-year journey in South-East Asia and the Middle East regions in 1958-1960, I published a book entitled Investigations in Collective Form describing and illustrating three approaches to collective [...]

In this article, the author talks about his conception of group form and his efforts to put the idea of collective form into practice. He cites two reasons for establishing group form which include his opportunity to receive a fellowship from the Graham Foundation of Chicago in Illinois in 1958 and the decision made by Metabolism Group members to participate in the World Design Conference that was held in Japan in 1960. He also offers information on his book "Investigations Into Collective Form," which identifies several types of collective form including compositional form, mega-form or megastructure, and group form.

The article presents architectural details for Hillside West, an urban complex located in Daikanyama, Tokyo, Japan, facing Old Yamate Street, on a site 500 meters to the west of Hillside Terrace. Designed by Fumihiko Maki, of Maki & Associates, the building is divided into three low- and medium-rise wings which are matched to the surrounding scale. It states that the semi-public space between the wings connecting the two streets can be passed through, and in this space small courts and planters are laid out.

The article presents a historic overview of public architecture in Japan. During the Meiji restoration, the government dealt with public architecture within the context of urban development. After World War 2, the building of public housings, primary and secondary schools and social welfare facilities became the focus of reconstruction in the nation. In the 1980s, the quality of public architecture was seen as a means of expression. Moreover, the author presents the works of two local governments in Japan which have taken noteworthy and unique approaches to public architecture. The first one is the Kumamoto Prefectural Government program called Art Polis and the second, is the committee established by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to select architects.

The article describes the design concept and architectural plan for the Kaze-no-oka crematorium in the suburbs of Nakatsu City in Kyushu, Japan. The project was handled Maki and Associates and was completed in February 1997. The three buildings in the facility include the funeral hall, the crematorium, and a waiting area for passing the time between ceremonies. Several considerations when the facility was designed. These include the grounds, the need to incorporate an existing cemetery and the unearthed ancient burial mounds which are planned to be preserved.

The article features the architectural design of the Kanagawa University Auditorium, located in Japan. The building is built on a triangular site located at the entrance to the university. Except for the lecture room, the building's facilities are located in the triangular base which comprises the first and basement floors of the building. It also features a terrace that allow access to the three floors of the building. The article also presents illustrations and blueprints of the site and the building itself.

This article features the architectural design of Fukuoka University, Helios Plaza, in Japan. It is a memorial hall that forms an extension to an existing campus, considered as a multi-functional building comprised of a student's lobby, concert hall and exhibition gallery, among others. The lobby occupies the first and second floors and contains a two story space. The approach route to the facility's hall begins as a spiral at the first floor lobby, passing through the atrium before reaching the foyer at the third floor.

The article shows the architectural plan of the crematorium project of the city of Nakatsu and the village of Sanko in Oita Prefecture in Japan. This collaborative project is made up of three buildings. The funeral hall where vigils and funeral services are held. The crematorium where the ceremonies connected with the cremation itself take place. The waiting area where the time between ceremonies is spent. The site of the crematorium is on the outskirts of Nakatsu. A tranquil and spacious site was secured to maintain the character of building.

The article describes the architectural design and structure of the Maki House in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan designed by architect Fumihiko Maki and Maki and Associates in 1978. This house, owned by Fumihiko Maki, is situated in an old residential area of central Tokyo. It has been built in the style of a courtyard house. Other features of the house are described including rooms and the stairway. To introduce and control natural light, several devices have been employed on the surface of the house and designed to cast varied patterns of light and shadow.

The article features Japanese architect Yoshio Taniguchi and his work. His first project was House at Yukigaya, a court house in a suburb in Tokyo, Japan which has a two-story high wall that encloses a variety of spaces. The aim of the architect is said to have consistently been to provide visitors with a fresh, variegated experience by means of carefully devised spatial stratagems within a framework created using simple elements. Taniguchi majored in mechanical engineering at a Japanese university before receiving his architectural education at Harvard University.

The article presents information on the architecture of the Isar Büro Park in Munich, Germany. The office complex is part of an office park planned to be developed beside an international airport. The office complex was built with the aim to offer flexible spaces and office rental. Some of the buildings have glass roofs. Architect for the office complex is Maki and Associates while Schmitt-Stump & Fruhauf is the structural engineer. Construction of the office complex was completed in May 1995.

In this article, the author explores the representation of space, image and materiality in Japanese architecture. The author reflects on a number of architectural projects in the country. He analyzes a formalized relationship between space and form in the projects. He also looks at the presence of the ideas of ma and oku in the character of Japanese architectures. In addition, the author explains the observation that space can accommodate diverse functions. He notes that determining what sort of space is desired in the initial stage of design makes it possible to establish a desirable relationship between form and function.

The article describes Maki and Associates' architectural design of the YKK Research and Development (R&D) Center in downtown Tokyo, Japan. The R&D center is located in one of the mixed-zoning areas in downtown Tokyo. The two major issues that confronted Maki and Associates were the creation of a structure which formed an aggregate space while retaining certain individual characteristics; and how best to extend the urbanism of the architecture into the chaos of the street. Two separate towers divide the accommodation and office functions. On the western side of the garden on the central third level, a glassed atrium is located.

The article describes the architectural design of the Nakatsu Obata Memorial Library in Japan. Designed by Fumihiko Maki of Maki and Associates, the library is situated in a tranquil residential area. The floor plan is divided into different zones. The library room zone is located on the southern side, the training and audio visual zone on the north and the office and management zone is located in the center. Since openness is very important to public architecture, there is a direct access to the terrace from the front garden by the outdoor stairs.

The article reviews the architectural design of the Hillside Terrace Complex project in Tokyo, Japan by Fumihiko Maki.

The article reviews the architectural design of Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium in Japan, designed by Fumihiko Maki and Maki Associates.

The article focuses on the driving force of the Japanese architecture in the 1990s. It implies that the history of its modernization has also been a history of westernization, not only with respects with design, but also to other aspects of architecture. It assesses that westernization provided the direction and goals toward which civilization was to progress. However, it contends that the country's geographical isolation had nurtured a distinctive culture, even as it imported Western architecture. It adds that it had developed a style known as the pseudo-western style. .