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JOURNAL


Interview: Yuichi Kodai Discusses ‘Clearing’ on Swiss National Radio, SRF2 Kultur
December 2025 | From the forest to the church: Yuichi Kodai talks to SRF2 about "Clearing," a collaboration with Michel Comte that transforms forgotten lifeless tree into a shimmering symbol of life.


Exhibition: CLEARINGS in Wasserkirche opened in Zurich.
December 2025 | An architectural intervention within Zurich’s Wasserkirche. CLEARINGS brings the natural rhythm of the Limmattal forest into dialogue with sacred Gothic geometry, tracing the cycles of growth, decay, and renewal.


News: CLEARINGS Installation Enters the Wasserkirche
December 2025 | We are honored to present CLEARINGS, a site-specific installation that holds a dialogue between the Limmattal forest and Gothic church of Zurich’s Wasserkirche. Artwork is produced Michel Comte & Yuichi Kodai, curated by Christoph Doswald in collaboration with Artflow, this installation reimagines the forest within the heart of the city, tracing the natural cycles of growth, decay, and persistent renewal. "A clearing is not merely a lifeless tree, but a moment


Publication: The Monocle Book of Designers on Sofas
November 2025 | Featured in the Monocle Book of Designers, Yuichi Kodai reflects on the role of seating as a spatial anchor within contemporary residential architecture. The curated spread explores how minimalist furniture operates not merely as an object, but as an architectural element—structuring space, guiding movement, and quietly shaping domestic experience. About the sofa The Sumo sofa, designed by Milan-based Piero Lissoni for Living Divani in 2020, exemplifies cont


Publication: Contemporary Interior Design
October 2025 | A study on alpine minimalism and the haptic qualities of Willow wood. Our project in Crans-Montana is featured in the latest volume by Braun Publishing, exploring the balance between traditional chalet structures and contemporary spatial tailoring.


Publication: Interviewed on a magazine Traumhaus Sonderausgabe Baeder Magazine
September 2025 | Reflecting on the bathroom as a private sanctuary and a space of ritual. In conversation with Geberit for Traumhaus magazine, we discuss the atmospheric role of light and materiality in our project, Dawn at the Lakeside.


Congress: The 500-Year Dialogue of Yoshino Wood's Sustainable Cultural Heritage
June 2025 | Beyond sustainability: a fresh perspective on tree preservation as heritage culture. At the International Congress in Merano, we presented the 500-year forestry tradition of Yoshino Wood and its role in modern architectural continuity.


Press: Interview on Zen and Space for Geberit
May 2025 | Beyond minimalism: a reflection on the inner self through space. In this interview with Geberit, we discuss the role of 'Ma', the Naguri technique, and the bathroom as a personal sanctuary of stillness.


Publication: Room to Breathe - Kohtei Zen meditation pavilion featured in Monocle Magazine
May 2025 | A space for thoughts to drift. Featured in Monocle Issue 183, the Kohtei Art Pavilion uses traditional kokera-buki roofing and contemporary art to create a meditative 'ocean of consciousness.'


Press: Global Perspectives - A Dialogue with JETRO on Japanese architecture and Swiss craftsmanship
November 2024 | From Kyoto to Zurich: A dialogue on heritage, nature, and the power of wonder. Discover the story behind May 2025 | KODAI AND ASSOCIATES and our vision for a global architectural harmony.


Press : Yoshino Wood, 500 years of history and its future on Baublatt journal
March 2024 | Bridging cultures through timber. A reflection on the 160th Anniversary event at the University of Zurich, exploring the technical fusion of Yoshino Wood with Swiss woodworking traditions.


Talk: Cultural Fusion in Architecture: Yoshino Wood Lecture at the University of Zurich
February 2024 | Beyond sustainability: a 500-year dialogue on heritage and craft. Join Yuichi Kodai at the University of Zurich as he presents the history and future of Yoshino Wood, exploring the technical and cultural fusion of Japanese woodworking within a contemporary Swiss context.


Publication: New Dawn - A Varnacular Transformation of a Concrete Home by the Lake Zürich
Feburary 2024 | A glint of Japan on the Gold Coast. Featured in Monocle, our Stäfa project transforms a concrete home into a meditative sanctuary using clay plaster, Naguri floors, and a Hinoki retreat.


Event: Architecture on a Plate - Winner at Archichef Night Zurich
March 2023 | When design meets the palate. Celebrating our victory at Archichef Night Zurich 2023, where we translated our architectural philosophy into an award-winning culinary experience.


Publication: The Tangibles of Place: Photo Essay Featured in Monocle Magazine
February 2023 | Architecture as a distilled environment. In Monocle Issue 160, Yuichi Kodai explores the "tangibles of place" through the shaded terraces of Miami’s Pérez Art Museum.


Publication: The Chalk Garden at Kew Featured in NIWA Magazine
June 2022 | A landmark in landscape design. Our Chalk Garden at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, is featured in Japan’s leading garden publication, NIWA Magazine, exploring the harmony between geology and heritage.


Talk: The Space Around Art - A Conversation with Sophie Richard in Asia Society Switzerland
April 2022 | Beyond the white cube. In this Asia Society feature, Yuichi Kodai explores how Japanese museums use materials, nature, and visitor flow to conceptually design the space around art.


Webinar: Designing the Dialogue - The Chalk Garden with Garden Masterclass
January 2022 | Beyond the cliché. Yuichi Kodai and Otis Roberts join Garden Masterclass to reveal the architectural and philosophical narrative behind the Chalk Garden at Kew Gardens.


Publication: Contemporary Japanese Architecture: KOHTEI Featured by Taschen
December 2021 | A global benchmark. KOHTEI is included in Taschen’s 'Contemporary Japanese Architecture,' celebrating the synthesis of art, architecture, and Zen craftsmanship.


Press: The Chalk Garden Featured by the Embassy of Japan in the UK
October 2021 | Cultural Exchange We are honored to have our project, the Chalk Garden (白亜庭) at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, officially recognized and featured by the Embassy of Japan in the United Kingdom. As part of the Japan Festival 2021 at Kew, the Chalk Garden served as a contemporary bridge between Japanese spatial philosophy and British geological materials. The Embassy highlighted the installation as a key cultural contribution, showcasing the enduring strength of


Press: Islands in a Gravel Sea - A Taste of Japan at Kew featured in The Daily Telegraph
October 2021 | A thrilling collaboration." Discover the philosophy behind the Chalk Garden at Kew, featured in The Daily Telegraph as the high point of the Japan festival.


News: The Chalk Garden opens at Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
October 2nd – October 31st, 2021 | Japan Festival We are delighted to announce that KODAI AND ASSOCIATES, in collaboration with Otis Landscape Associates, has been commissioned by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, to participate in its flagship Japan Festival 2021. Our task was to design a contemporary response to the traditional Japanese garden, situated within the breathtaking architectural skeleton of the Temperate House —a UNESCO World Heritage site and the world’s largest


Publication: The Monocle Book of Japan. Art pavilion at Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens.
September 2020 | We are delighted to discover that the KOHTEI Art Pavilion at the Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens has been included in The Monocle Book of Japan . A chance visit to the Monocle Café in Zurich led us to this beautiful volume, which celebrates the very best of Japanese culture, craftsmanship, and architecture. We were touched by the warm reception from the Monocle team in Zurich, whose open and inspiring atmosphere perfectly mirrors the spirit of the publica


Publication: A Journey into Zen - KOHTEI Featured in CREA Traveller
Autumn 2020 | Special Publication We are delighted to see the KOHTEI Art Pavilion featured in the Autumn 2020 issue of CREA Traveller. As a publication renowned for its focus on sophisticated travel and curated cultural experiences, CREA Traveller offers a beautiful perspective on the intersection of architecture, art, and the spirit of Zen. The article explores the pavilion at the Shinshoji Zen Museum and Gardens , emphasizing its unique ship-like form and the traditional ko
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