Shigeru Ban Architects

Japan · Architecture & Planning

Shigeru Ban Architects is a multidisciplinary design firm with offices located in Tokyo, Paris, and New York. Founded as a small practice in Japan in 1985, the firm has grown to a global office of 75, with over 150 projects constructed across 6 continents. As a practice with substantial work operating across borders, SBA is inherently diverse. Our unique design approach stems from conceptual clarity supported by spatial and material innovations. SBA is a global leader in contemporary mass timber design, from the Centre Pompidou-Metz (Metz, France, 2010) to the recently completed Swatch and Omega Campus (Biel, Switzerland, 2019), one of the largest hybrid mass timber building projects in the world. Terrace House, a 19-story residential project currently under construction in Vancouver, BC, Canada, will be among the tallest hybrid mass timber buildings in the world. Our holistic design methodology considers carefully tuned approaches to the climate and environment, a necessity for global responsibility, as well as human comfort and building efficiency. The firm also operates the Voluntary Architects' Network (VAN, est. 1995), an NGO dedicated to the design and construction of humanitarian relief projects. Shigeru believes that the knowledge and skills of an architect should not be limited to designing only for the privileged, but rather, architects can raise the quality of living for all humankind by helping those in need.