Detail: Your architecture is characterized by a great variety of forms and materials. What are its specific qualities? Kengo Kuma: Since I founded my office, my?architecture has changed fundamentally. In 1986, I returned to Japan after studying at?Columbia University in New York City. At that time, the economy was overheated, and?it was possible for a small office like mine?to obtain a major assignment like the M2?building in Tokyo. I used concrete for the construction, because concrete seemed suitable for the creation of a kind of chaos, and chaos was the chief characteristic of Tokyo. In the 1990s, my field of activities changed. I gained more and more assignments in rural areas. As a result, I had to change my basic attitude, because concrete is too heavy for the natural environment. I developed new design concepts and did without this material. Concrete leads to the creation of sculptural forms. In the open landscape, however, I wanted to create light, transparent structures that would be less singular and object-like. Wood and other natural materials seemed better suited for this?purpose.