A Message from THE 2024 AIA Japan president

Dear Members, Sponsors, Friends,  

On behalf of the AIAJ Board, I wish you a very happy new year. May 2024 be full of kindness, health, and lots of success.

During the Year End Party at the International House of Japan last December, I spoke about my goals for AIAJ in 2024. I would like to share them with you here.

My first goal is to increase participation and membership. 

We are working hard to organize exciting lectures, tours, and activities for the year. I have one small request from all of our members. During the year, please invite. Please invite your colleague to a lecture; or invite your friend to an event. If your mentee isn’t a member, how about gifting a membership or encouraging them to join? Let’s increase our AIAJ circle and increase our knowledge resource. This will benefit all of us. 

My second goal is to establish a base for AIAJ. 

JIA has a wonderful recurring event on Fridays called Kinyounokai (金曜の会) and it would be so great to have something similar for AIAJ. Starting in February, we will try to organize lectures, events, workshops, and gatherings on Thursdays. If you are looking for something to do on a Thursday, please look us up. 

Lastly, I’d like to share that we are in the process of revamping our website to include an improved calendar and clear membership information. I think these updates will entice more people to join us and facilitate access to information. Please be patient during this upgrade; I am confident it will be worth the wait. 

AIAJ is a small organization but I still believe we have something  to offer everyone. I hope you will join us this year for an event or two and if we haven’t already met, I sincerely look forward to meeting you. 

Yumiko Yamada, AIA

2024 AIAJ President

Yumiko Yamada, AIA is a partner at SANAA, an architectural design office based in Tokyo, Japan. She has 20+ years of experience in design, project management, and construction in Japan, United States, Europe, Australia, Russia, and the Middle East. At SANAA, she headed the design and construction of the Rolex Learning Center in Lausanne, Switzerland (2010), the Louvre-Lens in France (2012); the Sydney Modern Project in Australia (2022). She is currently working on the MIT Music Building in the US (2024). Outside of SANAA, she is involved in preservation and reconstruction works of heritage buildings in Chiba prefecture. 

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American Institute of Architects advocates for the value of architecture and gives architects the resources they need to do their best work. AIA's work drives positive change through the power of design. Founded in 1857 by 13 architects, the organization is now over 95,000 members strong with over 260 chapters around the world.　

AIA International is the broadest geographical region of the American Institute of Architects, providing a collaborative leadership platform to empower members and encourage global success through best practice, innovative thinking and design excellence.

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