In Paris, Kengo Kuma & Associates (KKAA) has designed a wood-clad housing complex for REI Habitat, a climate-conscious French developer that specializes in timber and low-carbon construction. The project received its name, Yama-Tani—a conjunction of the Japanese words for mountain and valley—from its unique facade, composed of ridged chestnut panels. This latest project builds upon motifs in KKAA’s previous work, which often utilize timber, drawing upon the folded forms of origami as well as traditional Japanese architecture.
