Nomadic Identities

Having started our practice as two foreign architects based in Japan and developing projects in diverse countries different from our places of origin allowed us to grow what we call a ‘nomadic identity’. Through our experience, we regard identity and nomadism as two terms that have become closer in our contemporary culture.  

If related to places, both emerge from opposite relationships. Identity sprouts from the roots we grow after being exposed to a place for a long period of time, while nomadism is a given condition that arises from the impermanence of a person in only one place. If related to individuals, nomadism can be a choice but identity is not possible in a placelessness scenario. Hence nomadic identities are becoming a common ground for practitioners within the architecture discipline. 

Metabolist architect Kisho Kurokawa coined a term during the 60’s foreseeing the rapid intensification of movement for future societies: Homo-Movens. If well not all the aims and aspirations of Metabolism came to be tangible, still this particular idea of nomadism introduced by Kurowaka is valid today to rethink contemporary urbanism as a theory of networked cities. John Moravec would coin more recently the term ‘know-mad’ to identify a group of individuals capable to work with anybody, anytime and anyplace.  

Our practice STUDIO WASABI started very informally before 2013 when a Latvian and a Mexican architect studying at the University of Tokyo collaborated in different projects ranging from graphic design, mapping and writing texts for different architectural publications. It was not until that year that a large commission in Jakarta triggered the need for a more formal establishment. We aimed for a name that could enable us to portray a playful spirit within our practice. We embraced what appears to be a non-sensical name out of the design discipline since it enshrines a riddle; should we name an architecture practice based only on ideas that are architectural?

We felt the urge to transgress orthodox thinking by using a communication technique; something Japanese designer Kenya Hara refers as ‘empty vessels’ where the user is free to add meaning to what is presented as unintelligible. Moreover, wasabi had other material connotations as being a root and whose green color could be easily associated to a ‘greener architecture’ (from a more relevant approach in our sustainable agenda).