Representing a new generation of designers in Japan, Kenya Hara (born 1958) pays tribute to his mentors, using long overlooked Japanese icons and images in much of his work. In Designing Design, he impresses upon the reader the importance of “emptiness” in both the visual and philosophical traditions of Japan, and its application to design, made visible by means of numerous examples from his own work: Hara for instance designed the opening and closing ceremony programs for the Nagano Winter Olympic games 1998. In 2001, he enrolled as a board member for the Japanese label MUJI and has considerably moulded the identity of this successful corporation as communication and design advisor ever since. Kenya Hara, among the leading design personalities in Japan, has also called attention to himself with exhibitions such as Re-Design: the Daily products of the 21st Century of 2000.

Aires Mateus House in Alentejo Coast Aires Mateus House in Ajuda Alberto Kalach La Platanera Masahide Ikuyama Reblo Katsufumi Kubota FU-House Casey Brown Jodie’s House Casey Brown Crackenback Stables Masahiro Miyake Folding wall, Stepped floor Keisuke Maeda casaneiro Wiel Arets Jellyfish House — Highlight of Villages and Towns #1 Aegean Sea

Peter Stutchbury Pirramimma Peter Stutchbury Tourmaline Pavilion Daniel Alvarez La Casa en El Bosque Daniel Alvarez Casa Paracaima Wespi de Meuron Romeo Architects + Weberbuess Architects New Concrete House in Füllinsdorf Tadao Ando House in Malibu III Sou Fujimoto House in Normandy Koji Aoki House in Abiko Fran Silvestre Balint House Kiyoshi Sey Takeyama T-House — Highlight of Villages and Towns #2 Adriatic Sea

Nineteen new projects, from Hawaii to New York City. Kundig's award-winning houses, known for their rugged yet elegant and welcoming style, are showcased in lush photography with drawings and sketches, and appear alongside his commercial work—from multistory complexes to the Tacoma Art Museum to a line of hardware (handles, door pulls, hinges, and more).