Architecture Book
Project Overview
The prompt was to follow the philosophy of any chosen contemporary architect. The architect who inspired me was Tadao Ando, a minimalist in his way of life. He emphasized negative space, allowing visitors to be in their deep thoughts and reach Zen. All his buildings have a certain natural element, so I created a book jacket with moss on the outside to symbolize the connection between the two.
Timeline
Aug. - Oct. 2025
Course
Intermediate Typography
Theme
Tadao Ando
Description
I utilized type to express the impact of Tadao’s buildings, which played with light, water, grass, and stone. Although there are many layouts, I’ve kept the alignment consistent throughout the pages.
Research
Studying Japanese architecture, I learned how common the structures of engawa (縁側) are in buildings. It’s a wooden platform surrounding the building for leisure activities and to move to different rooms. In Japanese culture, it’s important to connect with nature, and the structure of the engawa serves as a seamless transition between the interior space and nature. I implemented it on the spine of the book jacket to represent the connection.
Book Spreads
The theme of the book is to showcase the different natural elements Tadao Ando used to convey zen in his projects. Using geometric shapes, he shaped the elements to take up negative space in a minimalistic way: using light, water, grass, and stone. In my book, I used type and negative space to replicate Tadao Ando’s vision.
