Japanese architecture is traditionally based on wooden structures that need renovating on a regular basis.

It consists of three equally sized rectangular volumes: two enclosed volumes of interior spaces separated by an open courtyard. However in the perspective of Japanese culture the most significant concept of the shrine is to be able to spread the divine spirit from the interior and being able to eternalize it through the architecture. The designs for Rokko Housing One (1983) and for Rokko Housing Two (1993) illustrate a range of issues in the traditional architectural vocabulary—the interplay of solid and void the alternatives of open and closed the contrasts of light and darkness.