[On-campus only] Ochanomizu University 150th Anniversary Lecture “Urban and Architectural Design and Gendered Innovations” (June 13,2025)

On June 13, 2025, IGI hosted an international lecture titled “Urban and Architectural Design and Gendered Innovation,” in which the students and faculty members of Ochanomizu University participated. The lecture was part of a series of events celebrating the 150th anniversary of the university. Following the symposium held on May 9, “How Innovation is Created: Reflecting on the History of Ochanomizu University,” this lecture focused on the achievements of one of the graduates of the Mihoko Hamaguchi who is known as the first female architect in Japan and alumna of the university, to explore how female architects contribute to the social ecology of architectural design.

In her opening remarks, President Yasuko Sasaki explained that Mihoko Hamaguchi’s introduction of stainless-steel sinks in housing projects undertaken by the Housing Corporation after World War II aimed to transform gender norms within the home by changing the kitchen as a gendered innovation. She also expressed her ambition to accelerate efforts to create gendered innovations by building on the succession of innovative initiatives from the past to the future, as a responsibility of the university. Additionally, President Sasaki introduced Dr. Noemi Lobo, mentioning that while searching for papers on Mihoko Hamaguchi, she came across Lobo’s work and learned a lot from her research outcomes.

Dr. Lobo’s lecture explored critical perspectives on gender in urban and architectural design, Hamaguchi’s architectural philosophy embodied in the G House design, and her trans-cultural design project “Casa Marisol” (Kaiyo Club) in Spain.

Architectural practice is influenced by gender, and social gender norms are embedded in urban and architectural design. For example, cities are divided into central areas where male breadwinners commute to work and residential areas where women who provide care spend time. Within a house, there are also male-dominated spaces, such as the study, and female-dominated spaces, such as the kitchen, where gender power dynamics are sometimes reflected. Furthermore, the male dominance in the profession has also been a gender-based practice in architecture. Within this intertwining gender power dynamics, female architects have expanded their professional boundaries by creating new values, incorporating new subjects into the design process, and developing diverse practices. Hamaguchi’s 1949 publication, “The Feudalism of Japanese Houses,” was a manifesto of her commitment to achieving gender equality through such practices.

Completed in 1965, the G House represents the culmination of Hamaguchi’s exploration of “livability.” While incorporating the client’s request for a mountain cabin-style home, Hamaguchi created a prototype for a “house” where a family of six (grandparents, parents, and two girls) could live together while respecting individual privacy and valuing family connections. The bold residential design, with the dining kitchen at the center of the house, reflects Hamaguchi’s vision of a democratic home.

In the late 1960s, Hamaguchi began working on a personal project and built the “Casa Marisol” in Costa del Sol, Spain. Designed as a lodging facility for Japanese tourists, the facility combines Japanese and Spanish architectural styles. However, it was not originally conceived with this purpose in mind; initially, it was envisioned as a second home for Hamaguchi and her husband, without incorporating Japanese elements. Later, she added Japanese-style elements such as tatami rooms, transforming the space into an international exchange venue where Japanese visitors could enjoy the Mediterranean landscape while experiencing Spanish culture. However, this attempt was not about pursuing experimental or unique designs, but rather about creating a simple yet richly interconnected, trans-cultural design that seamlessly blends two cultures within an exterior that naturally blends into the local landscape.

In the lecture, Lobo showed many photos taken for her research of the G House, known as “Tsuda-yama no Ie” since its renovation in 2022, and the Casa Marisol in Spain. Along with the detailed explanation, the photos helped the audience learn the characteristics of Hamaguchi’s houses. Lobo concluded the lecture by expressing her joy at encountering Mihoko Hamaguchi as a role model through this research.

Dr. Noemi Lobo

Through this lecture, the participating students may also have discovered Mihoko Hamaguchi as a role model. Some may also find Dr. Lobo a role model to follow in pursuing a career in urban and architectural design. What we gained from the lecture was not only knowledge about Mihoko Hamaguchi’s achievements but also the innovative spirit inherited from pioneering female architects.

Kumi YOSHIHARA (URA, IGI)

[Number of Participants] 47