Japan Chapter Of The BIID

The BIID Japanese chapter was founded by Noriko Sawayama.

The BIID Japan Chapter promotes a collaborative and integrated approach between architecture and interior design, inspired by professional practice in the United Kingdom. By reconnecting contemporary design with Japan’s rich traditions of architecture, craftsmanship, and decorative arts, the Chapter aims to contribute to a more culturally rooted and sustainable design environment.

Across the global architecture and interior design industry, the importance of integrated renovation—bringing together tradition, culture, and sustainability within a contemporary framework—is steadily increasing. In Japan, however, where modernist architecture was widely adopted during the post-war reconstruction period, the discourse associated with Adolf Loos that “ornament is crime” has remained influential within professional culture. As a consequence, the status of Japan’s rich heritage of traditional architecture, decorative arts, and fine craftsmanship has often been quietly diminished.

The BIID Japan Chapter seeks to contribute to a revitalisation of the design market by encouraging a closer relationship between architecture and interior design, a collaborative approach long established in the United Kingdom. Acting as an advocate for this philosophy, the Chapter supports a professional community that works alongside architects on equal footing while promoting the cultural value embedded within Japan’s architectural and design traditions.