Author: Sidsel Sander, Cand. arch., Associate Professor
EM4FIT secondment in August 2025
In August 2025, I conducted fieldwork in Japan as part of my research project Leveraging natural elements for climate-resilient architecture: Insights from sustainable practices (2025). The project is funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 872618 and forms part of EM4FIT’s broader research framework.
The fieldwork focused on the architectural practice of Hiroshi Sambuichi in the Setouchi region, where his architecture is conceived as responsive systems embedded in their environmental and cultural context. Rather than relying on mechanical conditioning, Sambuichi’s work engages directly with natural elements—wind, water, light, and terrain—through spatial calibration and material adaptation.
Empirical investigations were carried out on several architectural projects due to their typologies, settings, e.g. The architecture employs passive strategies such as deep eaves, open timber frames, and hydrological buffers to modulate climate and reinforce continuity through locally embedded design. They operate as porous structures, responding to seasonal variation and local flows rather than imposing a closed building design and envelope.
Sambuichi’s approach aligns with theories such as Critical Regionalism and architectural phenomenology, which emphasise the relationship between place, construction, and perception. His architecture makes environmental performance legible through constructional clarity and sensory engagement, rather than through concealed technological systems. His design process is based in long-term observation and iterative reading.
The research indicates that Nordic architecture could benefit from a shift in emphasis: away from sealed envelopes and standardised comfort metrics, towards adaptive systems that accommodate climatic variability and local identity. This would require adjustments in both design practice and regulatory structures, including support for iterative design processes, full-scale prototyping and evaluation methods that combine technical data with experiential analysis.
Morever, the research explored how Sambuichi’s principles might be translated to Nordic contexts. Although climatic conditions differ, the underlying design strategies—permeability, thermal mass, and site-specific adaptation—are relevant to current architectural agendas focused on resilience, reuse, and circularity. Particular attention was given to sensory dimensions of climate mediation, including tactile and atmospheric qualities that are often absent from technical documentation.
Lastly, this research contributes to the development of climate-responsive architectural strategies that integrate ecological awareness with spatial and cultural specificity. The next phase will focus on applying these insights to Nordic conditions through experimental design, performance assessment, and retrofit approaches that reconnect architecture with its immediate environment.