LEGACY BEYOND ASIA - INDEX_ Vol.3 - Architecture & Spatial Design Studio

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INDEX_ Vol.3 - Architecture & Spatial Design Studio

#Index #Architecture #Kengo Kuma & Associates #MAD Architects #BambuBuild #Japan #China #Vietnam

01/02/2026

INDEX offers a more dimensional view of the design landscape across Asia by introducing design studios and companies that demonstrate clear design philosophies and notable achievements. Spanning graphic design, branding, spatial design, product, digital, and motion, INDEX focuses on emerging practices and looks beyond portfolios to examine how they work, where their ideas come from, and what they stand for. Rather than cataloguing projects, INDEX documents the design language and attitudes shaped by local identity, industry, and cultural environments across Asia.

“Kengo Kuma & Associates, MAD Architects, and BambuBuild work in different parts of Asia, yet share a clear focus on architecture shaped by sensory experience, material thinking, and a closer relationship with nature. In Japan, KKAA pursues anti object architecture, blending buildings into their surroundings through craftsmanship and tactile materials. In China, MAD imagines architecture as a future landscape, using expressive forms to bring emotion and nature back into dense cities. In Vietnam, BambuBuild redefines bamboo as a contemporary structural and cultural language, creating climate responsive spaces grounded in local resources. Together, these studios show how Asian architecture today moves beyond iconic form toward ecological, cultural, and experiential value.”

JAPAN

Studio: Kengo Kuma & Associates

URL: https://kkaa.co.jp

Profile: Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA) is a Tokyo-based architecture studio led by Kengo Kuma, known for architecture that prioritizes nature, local context, and craftsmanship. The studio practices “anti-object architecture,” creating buildings that blend into their surroundings rather than stand apart as icons. KKAA is recognized for its material-driven design, often using wood and other tactile materials to shape light, texture, and atmosphere across cultural, public, and commercial projects worldwide.

CHINA

Studio: MAD Architects

URL: https://www.i-mad.com

Profile: MAD Architects is a Beijing-based architecture studio led by Ma Yansong, known for visionary architecture that blends organic form, advanced technology, and Eastern sensibilities. The studio challenges rigid modernist cityscapes by creating buildings that feel fluid, emotional, and nature-connected, often expressing architecture as a “future landscape” rather than a static object. MAD is recognized for iconic cultural, public, and mixed-use projects worldwide, using sculptural silhouettes and immersive spatial sequences to shape atmosphere and imagination in dense urban contexts.

VIETNAM

Studio: BambuBuild

URL: https://www.bambubuild.com

Profile: BambuBuild is a Vietnam-based architecture studio specializing in bamboo architecture and sustainable construction. The studio is known for reinterpreting traditional bamboo craftsmanship through contemporary structural engineering, creating lightweight, expressive spaces that respond to climate, community, and local resources. BambuBuild’s work spans cultural, public, and hospitality projects, positioning bamboo not only as a material, but as a cultural and ecological design language for contemporary Asian architecture.