Archinect - News 2024-12-22T05:00:56-05:00 https://archinect.com/news/article/150309722/kengo-kuma-hopes-to-blur-the-line-between-outdoor-activity-and-office-work-in-san-jose Kengo Kuma hopes to 'blur the line' between outdoor activity and office work in San Jose Josh Niland 2022-05-12T13:45:00-04:00 >2024-10-25T04:07:38-04:00 <img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/60/60767642b81524662d8ced32fc37eb55.jpg?fit=crop&auto=compress%2Cformat&enlarge=true&w=1200" border="0" /><p><a href="https://archinect.com/firms/cover/6132/kengo-kuma-and-associates" target="_blank">Kengo Kuma and Associates</a> has unveiled plans for a new biophilia-laden office complex in downtown <a href="https://archinect.com/news/tag/434692/san-jose" target="_blank">San Jose, California</a>.</p> <p>Under the monicker &ldquo;Park Habitat,&rdquo; the massive new 1.3-million-square-foot development offers 20 stories of office and retail spaces which are beset by a network of internal and external parks and gardens.</p> <p>In a new <a href="http://westbankcampus.com/park-habitat" target="_blank">manifesto</a> published by the group <a href="http://westbankcampus.com/" target="_blank">Westbank Campus</a>, the international development group&rsquo;s founder Ian Gillespie outlined his reasoning for choosing the <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150281719/kengo-kuma-has-been-named-one-of-time-magazine-s-100-most-influential-people" target="_blank">influential Japanese architect</a> for a design whose scope purportedly entails a focus on user wellness and local environment.</p> <figure><p><a href="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/4f/4fab48bde3125cf08a57210e518ddc47.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=1028" target="_blank"><img src="https://archinect.gumlet.io/uploads/4f/4fab48bde3125cf08a57210e518ddc47.jpg?auto=compress%2Cformat&amp;enlarge=true&amp;w=514"></a></p><figcaption>Previously on Archinect: <a href="https://archinect.com/news/article/150262500/big-kengo-kuma-and-studio-gang-tapped-for-westbank-s-san-jose-masterplan" target="_blank">BIG, Kengo Kuma, and Studio Gang tapped for Westbank's San Jose masterplan</a></figcaption></figure><p>&ldquo;I chose Kengo for a very deliberate reason: Kuma-San has risen to the pinnacle of his profession by blurring the lines between nature and the built environment. His practice is dedicated to making buildings less definitive or solid and more ephemeral. In essence, creating a particular co...</p>