A Decade of Work redefining How Nature can Shape the Future of Urban Architecture

Japanese-Australian architect Koichi Takada has released Naturalizing Architecture, a new monograph published by Rizzoli New York that charts the evolution of his studio’s work over the past decade. The book examines Takada’s ongoing mission to reintegrate nature into urban environments through architecture that prioritizes wellbeing, sustainability, and emotional connection.

Naturalizing Architecture
Photo credit: Urban Forest (Brisbane, Australia). CGI by Binyan

Now nearing two decades as founder and principal of Koichi Takada Architects in Sydney, Takada has gained international recognition for projects that merge organic forms, natural materials, and contemporary design. His buildings aim to recreate the restorative effects of nature within dense city contexts, responding to both ecological challenges and the growing sense of disconnection in modern urban life.

Timber Studio (Tokyo, Japan)
Photo credit: Daici Ano

Urban Forest (Brisbane, Australia) designed for Aria Property Group.
Photo credit: CGI by Binyan

Mamsha Palm (Saadiyat Island, Abu Dhabi, UAE)
Photo credit: CGI by Bucharest

The volume presents a curated selection of recent projects from across the globe, including Upper House in Brisbane, the Palm Frond Retreat at Balmoral Beach, the Solar Trees Marketplace in Shanghai, and Mamsha Palm in Abu Dhabi. Through photography, diagrams, and visual references to natural phenomena, the book reveals how each project is shaped by Takada’s distinctive design philosophy.

Norfolk (Burleigh Heads, QLD Australia)
Photo credit: Scott Burrows

Norfolk (Burleigh Heads, QLD Australia)
Photo credit: Scott Burrows

Solar Trees Marketplace (Shanghai, China)
Photo credit: Eiichi Kano

Solar Trees Marketplace interiors
Photo credit: ZY Architecture Photography

Takada’s work is characterized by a balance between Japanese restraint and a willingness to challenge architectural conventions, inviting reflection on the role nature can play in contemporary cities. As he notes, architecture must move beyond pure utility to inspire, connect people, and restore balance between the built and natural worlds.

Sunflower House (Le Marche, Italy)
Photo credit: CGI by Doug and Wolf

Upper House (Brisbane, Australia)
Photo credit: Scott Burrows

Upper House (Brisbane, Australia) rooftop amenities shaded by a timber canopy.
Photo credit: Scott Burrows

Spanning 240 pages, Naturalizing Architecture includes text by architecture writer Philip Jodidio, a foreword by Béatrice Grenier of Fondation Cartier, and an afterword by Takada himself. The publication positions this latest body of work as a significant milestone, reinforcing Takada’s status as one of the most original and influential voices in global architecture today.

Koichi Takada

Koichi Takada
Photo credit: Nic Walker

Koichi Takada graduated from the Architectural Association School of Architecture, London, and established his own practice, Koichi Takada Architects, in Sydney, Australia in 2008. He belongs to a new generation of architects who strive to bring nature back into the urban environment — an approach he matured after living in Tokyo, New York, and London.

Takada has brought a Japanese sensibility to Australian architecture, each project embodying his commitment to organic form and consideration for human experience. Through a series of award-winning designs, the growing practice is gaining an international reputation, with projects across Australia, Japan, China, the Middle East, Europe, and the USA.

Takada’s emphasis is on a connection to nature; on humanising and naturalising the urban environment. He has invested himself in forms of architecture that speak to local landscapes, heritage, and traditions. Takada accepts and encourages a sensitive connection to nature and elicits an emotional response from users. Koichi Takada clearly sees a new beginning in a post-Covid time, when naturalising architecture will be the way forward, empowering the next generation that follows.