Architecture as a Medium for Creating Experiences and Communities
"「最も重要なのはユーザーエクスペリエンスです。良い建築とは、その場所での経験を増幅できるものです。"
“The most important thing is the user experience. Good architecture is architecture that can amplify the experience of being in a place.”
As Vietnam’s urban landscape transitions from a phase of expansive development toward a deeper pursuit of value, architecture is no longer simply about creating new buildings. It has become a tool for shaping experiences, behaviors, and social relationships. From the perspective of architect Takashi Niwa, contemporary architectural practice calls for a fundamental shift in thinking: from form to experience, from physical objects to a medium for conveying value, and from individual buildings to sustainable community ecosystems.
User Experience at the Heart of Design Decisions
In his professional practice, Takashi Niwa believes that the factor most strongly influencing design decisions is neither budget, technology, nor even sustainability, but user experience. From this perspective, architecture is not merely about creating spaces for living, working, or everyday use; it is about amplifying the experiences connected to people's memories and emotions in a particular place.
Good architecture is architecture that makes people remember the time they spent there. It should activate a range of activities, from social interaction to deeply personal moments such as standing still, observing, or reflecting. These almost “theatrical” experiences lie at the deeper essence of architecture, elevating it beyond the role of a mere built object.
Throughout the design process, Takashi Niwa often places himself in the position of the user, continuously “walking through” the imagined space to examine the sensations of movement, sightlines, rhythm, and changing views. More importantly, he seeks to create moments of “friction”-details that make people pause, become curious, and ask questions. Space, therefore, is not simply something to look at; it is a catalyst for action, where imagination leads people toward real-world experiences.
Form and Spatial Depth as Tools for Creating Memories
In Takashi Niwa’s approach, architectural form is not an end in itself, but a tool for guiding experience. Strong forms, even those that may initially feel unfamiliar, only become meaningful when they help people move through, explore, and experience space more naturally.
Projects that incorporate curves, three-dimensional spaces, and changing light are not designed merely to create visual impact. Instead, they seek to generate moments of surprise-moments when people instinctively change their direction, pace, or viewpoint. As daylight changes throughout the day and shadows shift across material surfaces, the space becomes dynamic and unique, creating experiences that cannot be replicated.
Beyond form, spatial depth plays an important role in creating a sense of movement. In overly rigid and linear spaces, each step produces almost no perceptible change. By contrast, when space is organized in multiple layers, with openings, curves, and overlapping material surfaces, movement becomes more dramatic. Every step reveals a new view and evokes a new sensation, transforming architecture into a continuous sequence of experiences rather than a static backdrop.
“Harvest and Share” and the Future of Community Spaces in Vietnam
Looking ahead to the next five to ten years, Takashi Niwa believes that the most sustainable direction for architecture and urban development in Vietnam will not lie in any particular style or technology, but in designing spaces that nurture communities, grounded in the concept of “Harvest and Share.”
Throughout decades of economic growth, Vietnamese cities have prioritized speed and physical expansion. However, as quantity becomes sufficient, questions about the quality and long-term value of spaces are becoming increasingly urgent. Which buildings will eventually become part of our collective heritage, and which spaces will be forgotten? According to Niwa, the answer lies in their ability to foster community and social connection.
Vietnamese culture has long been closely associated with sharing-from small gardens and narrow alleys to communal courtyards and semi-outdoor spaces. As urbanization increases the emphasis on private spaces, the need for shared environments that foster connection becomes even more important. Community gardens, courtyards, semi-outdoor areas, and spaces for sharing resources-from physical resources to energy and time-can serve as foundations for sustainable communities in emerging urban environments.
From a broader perspective, “Harvest and Share” extends beyond the sharing of tangible resources to encompass intangible ones such as renewable energy, underutilized spaces, and individual skills. In this context, architecture becomes a means of organizing and activating the circulation of resources, playing an important role in sustainable development and the cultivation of urban identity.
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Architecture from an “Object” to a “Medium for Conveying Value”
One of the most significant shifts in Takashi Niwa’s professional thinking has been the transition from viewing architecture as a physical product to understanding it as a medium for conveying value. Architecture is not simply a fixed place, but a form of “media”-a medium that preserves, disseminates, and connects memories, culture, and social relationships over time.
Iconic architectural works around the world demonstrate architecture’s ability to create turning points in people's perceptions and experiences, much like books have served as vehicles for transmitting knowledge across centuries. In the context of a rapidly developing Vietnam that is increasingly open to experimentation, architecture has a significant opportunity to become a catalyst for positive changes in both the built environment and social thinking.
Guided by the philosophy “Visualize the Values,” each project goes beyond addressing functional or technical requirements. It also raises fundamental questions: What is this building communicating, and what lasting impact can it have on people and society? This shift in the way questions are framed has helped shape a new direction in Takashi Niwa’s architectural practice.
Takashi Niwa is an architect and the founder of Takashi Niwa Architects, with practices in Japan and Vietnam. He is a first-class licensed architect in both Japan and Vietnam. He was formerly a partner at Vo Trong Nghia Architects, where he served as the representative of the Hanoi office. Takashi Niwa is currently a Professor at Kyoto University of the Arts, while also contributing to teaching, research, and international architecture competitions as a lecturer, researcher, and jury member at various universities and institutions. His practice focuses on the relationship between architecture, human experience, community, and sustainability within the context of contemporary Asia.
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