Making Host Home

Titled ‘Making Host Home’, my master’s degree graduation thesis was a year-long project composed of two parts: a research component culminating in a 125-page academic paper, and a design proposal presented on fifteen A1 panels.

This research investigated the experience of the Brazilian-Japanese diaspora in both Brazil and Japan, and examined how this group has constructed resilient communities in the face of a century of adversity. It explored the historical context and demographic composition, with particular focus on those enclaves of high concentrations of diaspora population. An analysis of the interplay and cross-influence of Japanese and Brazilian architecture was presented, where, as peripheral nations during the International Modernist movement, each country underwent parallel developments in their post-war architectural corpus and have reinterpreted outside influences through their respective local cultures.

Building upon this knowledge, a design proposal for a cultural and community precinct within the Homi Danchi housing complex of Japan’s Aichi Prefecture was developed. The aim was to address the ingrained divisions between the local Japanese and foreign resident population by enriching the social and structural fabric of the community, and giving opportunities for both spontaneous and organised group activity. Emphasis was placed on strategies to facilitate personal and career development for youth and alleviate social isolation among the elderly.

By enabling the expression of identity and fostering shared cultural experiences, the design drew upon principles of Japanese and Brazilian design, while reflecting upon the landscape design of Shunmyo Masuno and Roberto Burle Marx, and the architectural contributions of Lina Bo Bardi, Paulo Mendes da Rocha, Oscar Niemeyer, Kengo Kuma, and Tadao Ando.