Re-Thinking Re-Use is a dialogue and collaboration between Dutch and Japanese (building) cultures, where differing perspectives enrich and inspire one another. By learning from each other’s traditions and views on old, new and change, the project seeks a new and guiding balance.
It embraces the reuse and transformation of existing buildings, structures and materials, encouraging an exchange between generations of architects and builders, and between innovation and craftsmanship. At a time when the construction sector faces the ecological impact of its actions, Re-Thinking Re-Use offers a sustainable perspective, rooted in continuity and evolution within the built environment.
Re-Thinking Re-Use is a publication by HOH Architecten, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) and the Japan-Netherlands Architecture and Cultural Association (JNACA).
This publication, including the workshops and research, was made possible with the generous support of the Creative Industries Fund NL, DutchCulture and the International Heritage Cooperation, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Tokyo, Isaac Alfred Ailion Foundation, and is part of the cultural program for the Dutch Pavilion at the World Expo 2025 in Osaka (Japan), curated by Nieuwe Instituut and Studio The Future.
Author & compilation:
Jarrik Ouburg, Andreea-Ioana Pîrvan
Research HOH Architecten:
Freyke Hartemink, Jarrik Ouburg, Andreea-Ioana Pîrvan, Dovilė Šeduikytė
Texts:
Esther Agricola, Jean-Paul Corten, Thomas Dill, Wilma Kempinga, Akihiko Koike, Jikke van Loon, Motoki Moriyama, Hitoshi Narikiyo, Yukiko Nezu, Menno Rubbens, Jacqueline von Santen, Teppei Sugaya, Marta M Roy Torrecilla, Hajime Wilds
Image editor:
Andreea-Ioana Pîrvan
Final editor:
Eleonoor Jap Sam
Design:
Mainstudio (Edwin van Gelder, Ludwig Galla)
Printer:
Tuijtel / Damen Drukkers
Release date:
September 2025
