PRP Now! Ko Kuwabara // Tezuka Architects
PRP Now! aims to showcase the great experiences students encounter within the Professional Residency Program. PRP offers upper-level architecture students a unique opportunity to expand their education through work experience in the architectural profession. Over the past twenty years, our students have been linked with 260 firms in 29 countries.
We will feature a handful of students within each session, graduate and undergrad, domestic and international firms. PRP staff mostly recently had the pleasure to speak with Ko Kuwabara [M.Arch. '15] about his experience:
PRP: I understand that you are currently doing your PRP internship. Where are you working?
I am working for Tezuka Architects in Tokyo, Japan. It is a small to medium size firm with about 20 full-time, mostly Japanese staff and 4 interns from all over the world. They have historically been known for domestic, simple, beautiful, and highly livable residential work, but their more recent projects include domestic and international civic projects, such as schools and museums. Much of the staff is quite young, but they are all given lots of responsibilities. The owners, Yui and Takaharu Tezuka, are quite busy teaching, lecturing, and raising their family, but they remain very active in the design process of each project.
PRP: Do you enjoy the city you’re working in? Favorite aspects?
I moved to Tokyo a week before my internship started. I love living in Tokyo! Life here is still quite new to me, so even going to the grocery store is an adventure; I have never seen so many kinds of fish!. One of my favorite aspects is the combinis (convenience stores) where I can get a quick bite to eat, pay my bills, and use wifi. Living in such a big city has some drawbacks, but I enjoy walking or taking public transportation to buy or see about anything, I also appreciate how safe it is here (people leave their wallets and cell phones to save a seat at Starbucks!).
PRP: What is currently on your desk? What are you working on?
I currently have my computer and a pile of basswood on my desk. I am editing a project description for an Architectural Record article and working on a detailed, 100:1 scaled model of an elementary school in New Zealand. Everything gets modeled by hand: the structure, scaled figures, fences, etc. They love their models!
PRP: Can you describe the firm culture? The office atmosphere?
The firm culture is quite a bit different from anything I have experienced before. People work hard and for very long hours. Most of the staff work from 10 am until midnight and on Saturdays (at least they get to go home at 5 or 6 on Saturdays...). But overall, things are pretty calm and quite. The office has a strong sense of working together. whether it is helping each other with deadlines, cooking and eating meals in the office, and taking office trips to sites and even mini-vacations.
PRP: What is the first thing you'll tell your classmates upon your return to UT?
I have never seen so many beautifully crafted and detailed models!
PRP: As you’re finishing up the week, what are your plans for this weekend?
Every weekend is different! I'll start off Saturday going to an office open house in Atami, about 2 hours southwest of Tokyo. The project is a residence that the Tezuka designed 14 years ago and was recently renovated and restored for a new owner. On Sunday, I will go to Shinjuku Gyoen to see some cherry blossoms. The Japanese love Hana-mi, to picnic under some cherry blossoms. If the weather is good, hopefully I can enjoy a bento in the park.