Collective Intelligence and Matching Transform Both Space and Business —The New Relationship Between the Internet and Architecture ~ Architect Yasutaka Yoshimura

At first glance, the architecture industry might seem somewhat removed from IT trends. Yet, looking back, the 1990s saw hand-drawn design blueprints completely replaced by CAD-based digital technology. As a result, architects who place great expectations on computer-enabled architectural design have emerged, creating a new current within the field. Furthermore, as the internet increasingly takes on the role of aggregating information and connecting people, the fundamental question of what architecture should do is being reexamined. This time, we spoke with a prominent emerging architect about the influence and potential of the internet and digital technology as seen through the lens of architecture.
(Interviewer: Yuzo Ono, Director of Planning and Promotion, Digital Business Bureau, Dentsu Digital Inc.)

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Can the collective wisdom of 1,000 people working for one year realize architecture shaped by a thousand years of time?

──How did you first encounter digital and the internet?

Yoshimura: Around 1992, during my university days, I started using CAD, modeling, and rendering software on a personal computer. I began using the internet around 1995 and even did part-time work creating websites back then. The first time I seriously considered how computers and architecture should interact was during my fourth year of university, working on the Sendai Mediatheque (Note) competition project in my lab. Back then, the architect's role in the relationship between architecture and computers was largely about translating the computer's worldview—think the aesthetic of the movie "Blade Runner"—into architectural space. But we (in Mr. Furuya's lab) believed the essence of computers lay not in the surface visible on the monitor, but in the backend: their archival and database capabilities, their accessibility to anyone. So we debated what would happen to architecture when a world arrived where information could be easily retrieved through search.

(Note) Sendai Mediatheque
A public facility in Sendai City, planned as "Japan's first mediatheque" combining functions like a library, gallery, and video hall. Following a competition, Toyo Ito's design was selected. Its innovative structure and concept made it a landmark building in the architectural history of the 1990s. Although the Furuya proposal, which Mr. Yoshimura also participated in, received an Excellence Award second only to Ito's design and was not actually adopted, the new perspective on architecture for the information age it presented is highly regarded in architectural history.
　
　

──The idea that the backend of computers was important at that time was quite pioneering.

Yoshimura: In that competition, our vision for the Sendai Mediatheque library was that since computers handle the search functionality, the architecture just needed to "be walkable." We scattered the gallery and library spaces throughout the building, so someone who came for the library might start looking at the gallery exhibits. We also stopped arranging books in orderly rows in the library; people would constantly rearrange them. We believed architecture should instead create a chaotic space where people intervene. For example, people who like sunsets often gather on the west side, while those who prefer cooler spots tend to be down below near the atrium's air conditioning. When returning books, people casually place them wherever they like, so books they prefer naturally cluster in those areas. The idea is that the information inherent in the space and the taste inherent in the books connect, resulting in a tendency toward a certain scattered, unorganized quality.

──Since then, you've been involved in many projects deeply integrating architecture and the internet. As an architect, what drives your strong interest in the internet?

Yoshimura: I think it stems from my sense that space and the internet are one continuous continuum. For example, when considering how cities grew larger, it started with walking distance, then carriages, then trains, then high-speed rail—and beyond that ever-expanding scale lies the internet. Beyond physical distance, the internet exists as a space where distance disappears, and I firmly believe it also influences physical space in some way.

──You're involved in the "CC House" initiative, which applies Creative Commons mechanisms to architectural design. This involves publishing design blueprints online, allowing anyone to freely modify them and build based on those designs. What appeal did you find in seeing your own designs spread through the internet in this secondary creative way?

Yoshimura: One reason is that I want to bring architecture back to its orthodox roots. I feel that architects today have become entities focused on creating something special and rare, lacking breadth. I find this environment stressful. Rather, I want to approach something orthodox, like the "minka" (traditional Japanese house). However, this cannot be done alone. The "minka" is a form refined over more than 1,000 years through the accumulated wisdom of many people; it's impossible for a single architect today to reach that level alone. Therefore, when considering a new "folk house," since waiting another 1,000 years is impossible, I thought it might be achievable if 1,000 people worked on it for one year each. I imagined that through repeated processes of rewriting or appropriating what someone else wrote, something closer to the universal might emerge.

──So you're essentially placing your hopes in collective intelligence.

Yoshimura: Yes. But I also hold a completely opposite perspective. Architects may seem to create unique things, but I feel they're actually stuck in a mold, unable to produce truly interesting work. I'm intrigued by the idea that if someone unconstrained by that mold were to touch the blueprints, something entirely unprecedented might emerge.

──You're also working on "App Houses," where anyone can easily design a home using an app.

Yoshimura: This is an extension of what we explored with the CC House. It took us years to realize that unless architects prepare strong templates and narrow down the areas where users can participate, users simply can't get involved. That's why we created this app.

──In the online world, many individuals now create and share diverse content, but some argue this has led to a general decline in the level of creativity.

Yoshimura: Lowering barriers like that is a good thing. It creates the possibility for new things to emerge, so I'm fundamentally in favor. However, as the number of participants increases, the overall quality will naturally decline. Therefore, it's crucial to determine at what stage and how professionals should be involved. For example, with the "App House" mentioned earlier, imposing certain restrictions is necessary to allow users to act freely. We must consider where to draw the line on how much architects should be involved. But even creations by people without specialized skills can be wonderful. I believe the internet has the potential to capture things that were previously filtered out by various gatekeepers before reaching the world.

──In the digital world, big data has recently gained significant attention. Regarding the relationship between big data and architecture, do you have any thoughts?

Yoshimura: I believe architecture itself is big data. For example, "folk houses" can be seen as the crystallization of accumulated behaviors. This relates to the earlier idea of compressing 1000 years into one year. One challenge here is that buildings last 50 or 100 years, so we must judge whether it's correct to create them based on big data accumulated over just one year.

 

Betting on the potential for internet-based matching to transform all kinds of spaces

──Are there other examples you find interesting in combining architecture and the internet?

Yoshimura: My wife runs a service called "Nowhere resort," which rents out entire seaside villas. I see this as another potential application of the internet. Through archives and search functions, we can create a platform that matches available rooms with demand. Traditional architecture, like libraries using the Dewey Decimal System, spatially ensured search functionality. Building types were also categorized as hotels, offices, residences, and so on. However, the internet's search and matching functions create the possibility of transcending these categories and using spaces in different ways. In practice, Nowhere Resort, while a vacation home, is used for various purposes like events. Furthermore, Japan currently has over 8 million vacant homes, yet continues to build 900,000 new homes annually. Optimizing this imbalance through internet matching might resolve such disparities.

──It seems that the relationship between architecture and society could also change through such online matching functions.

Yoshimura: Saying architecture changes society might be overstating it, but using society to change architecture might be possible. I'm interested in how we think about matching through the internet and believe we could expand the scope of what can be matched. Vacant offices, empty government buildings—these could also be matched. We could create systems for that, and I wonder if we could quickly create architectural uses different from traditional ones. Whether that's business or art, I'm not sure, but it's an intriguing field.

──Recently, topics like IoT (Internet of Things) and smart homes have gained attention. What are your thoughts from an architect's perspective?

Yoshimura: What's interesting about smart homes is the shift towards wireless systems. Architecture is inherently tied to the land, with walls filled with intricate wiring. Smart homes offer a way to break free from that, creating an image of architecture gradually liberating itself from massive infrastructure and becoming more self-sufficient.

──In your book, you wrote, "When computers first appeared, I think we got a little carried away, imagining we could create things completely disconnected from any previous context." What did you mean by that?

Yoshimura: Simply put, there was a period when we thought computers could let us create soft, flexible things or bumpy surfaces that eliminated the boundaries of walls and ceilings. I was working on my graduation project in '95, and I myself was deeply immersed in the deconstructionist architecture that was popular at the time. Then the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake struck. Seeing highways collapse, columns protrude, and walls tilt in reality made me feel a strong aversion to what I was doing. Since then, I've shifted my focus from digital as an architectural technique to the potential of networks connecting people.

──Some architects view the digitization of architectural design through tools like CAD positively. On the other hand, there are architects who feel that while digitalization makes design drawings look better, it's an illusion, and that proper thinking isn't possible without hand-drawn sketches.

Yoshimura: People say digital drawings made with CAD aren't subject to skill levels, but I think that's a lie. It's almost entirely linked to hand-drawing ability; first, thinking about how to draw it in your head is crucial. However, I believe the ability to work collaboratively is more important than that. With digital tools, people can work individually, but I still think sharing the process allows for more profound design. Good things emerge precisely because of various side comments and input. The absence of that is a disadvantage of digital. I once held a workshop where we designed using only hand-drawn methods. Participants were delighted, saying they never realized design could be so enjoyable without computers. That's because hand-drawn work allows for sharing and discussion.

──I see. So the work style itself changes between digital and hand-drawn methods. By the way, are you interested in things like computers automatically generating architectural forms through automated calculations?

Yoshimura: Personally, I'm not very interested. I find it hard to accept something that a computer alone declares as the correct solution. However, I do think the ability to generate many variations simultaneously is valuable. It provides a good starting point for discussion.

──Some architects see potential in computers enabling designs previously impossible by hand.

Yoshimura: Some do. It's the idea of "parametric design" or "algorithmic design," where computers spit out designs we've never seen before. But so far, the forms they produce are mostly like barnacles or clouds. To me, they all look pretty much the same; I don't see much diversity.

The potential for future architecture lies beyond zoning and efficiency.

──In your book, you state, "If architecture doesn't sharpen what it can uniquely achieve, most people will become satisfied with online communities, online shopping, and online education." Do you view cyberspace as a kind of threat?

Yoshimura: Precisely because it's a threat, we must coexist with it. Ultimately, I think it's a battle for our 24-hour lives.

──Earlier you mentioned "computers handle searching, architecture handles wandering." Does this mean a functional differentiation between the internet and architecture is emerging?

Yoshimura: Yes, it's about division of labor. The internet, in a sense, only lets you see what you want to see. Architecture, however, is public; things you don't want to see also come into view. I think we should pursue that potential. It's about deliberately showing things people don't want to see, or perhaps moving back towards something more primitive. All modernization has involved breaking things down into components—like separating heat and light from fire—analyzing each part to enhance it. Building types are an extension of that. I think we're moving back from that form to a state of diverse integration.

──In a sense, doesn't that amount to a rejection of architectural modernism?

Yoshimura: That might be true, but I believe we need to pause and reflect.

──The Furuya proposal for the Sendai Mediatheque competition, which you participated in as a member, was precisely an architectural plan aiming for such diversity. Now that information retrieval via networks has become widespread, do you have any renewed thoughts on that proposal?

Yoshimura: I still think it wasn't enough. The proposal involved visitors carrying information terminals while moving through the building, which itself felt rather cumbersome. I believe that proposal could truly be realized when we reach a point where we can enter spaces wearing goggles or wearables without even being conscious of carrying a terminal.

──The online world operates on a system where information becomes increasingly optimized. While this has its benefits, it also leads to information becoming siloed. Do you feel a sense of concern about this?

Yoshimura: I do. Conversely, I believe architecture's potential lies precisely in that aspect. That's why I'm not particularly fond of neatly zoning architectural spaces or efficiently compartmentalizing them through urban planning. The internet can provide that kind of division. Instead, I see architecture's potential in the very mixing of diverse elements. The internet resembles the sense of distance between people in urban areas—you can choose to listen to voices in the crowd if you want, or ignore them if you prefer. In contrast, architecture creates a slightly more intimate feeling, and I believe that has its own merits.

──In your book The Architect's Reading Method, you state that "reading by chance is necessary." Essentially, you argue that while searching online now lets you know a book's contents beforehand, making "reading by chance" increasingly rare, it's precisely this kind of serendipitous reading that's actually essential. I found that perspective fascinating.

Yoshimura: For instance, I mistakenly bought Lawrence Lessig's famous book 'CODE' thinking it was about architecture because of its title (laughs). That "wrong book" actually proved extremely valuable. Expanding your knowledge of the unknown is a fundamental human desire, I believe. Architecture is similar. As babies, we're confined to our homes, but as we grow, our range of action gradually expands. Without that, enjoyment doesn't arise. So, I think reading requires "reading outside one's comfort zone" – reading books beyond one's usual scope.

──How do you think the relationship between digital/internet and architecture will evolve going forward?

Yoshimura: Architecture, once built, inevitably becomes real; it cannot lie. That's both its tedium and its fascination, and that won't change. No matter how much time the internet consumes, it will never become real. However, we are seeing the internet erode architecture's stronghold, so we must carefully consider what that last pillar might be. It's a process of groping in the dark, but I suspect architecture will ultimately return to being just a simple hut. As society becomes increasingly networked, theaters, schools, hospitals, libraries—everything will eventually be contained within huts. Architects should focus on the process leading to that point and how to make those huts as rich and meaningful as possible.