From Yacademy to the Venice Biennale: Yuka Imada’s Journey Through Wood and Design

Hello Yuka, thank you for accepting this interview. We are curious about what happened in your life after attending Yacademy’s course in Wood Architecture, a project by Klimahouse, last year. How did it evolve?

Thank you for this opportunity. Yes, so, YAC allowed me to connect with people from all over the world. During the Wood Architecture course, I built strong bonds with my cohort, and those relationships became one of the most valuable parts of the experience. Beyond the technical knowledge, what I gained most was the exchange of perspectives with my course mates. Since then, I have continued my studies as a master’s student at Columbia University’s GSAPP program, where I am sharpening both my design skills and my sensitivity toward architecture.

This year, you participated in the Venice Biennale with your team, where you exposed your installation Inosculae. Can you tell us more about the project and your experience at the Biennale?

I participated in the Venice Biennale 2025 with the team I had previously worked with during my undergraduate studies at the University of Cincinnati, under the direction of Professor Christoph Klemmt. Our installation, Inosculae, examined the structural and material potential of novel binders and aggregates. Through a series of compression and tension tests, we evaluated their performance, and these results directly informed the project’s formal development as well as its fabrication strategies.

It was an amazing opportunity to experience work from all over the world and to have conversations with the designers themselves.

We know that the installation was visited by Sejima-san and Ishigami-san from SANAA. How does it feel? 

It was an incredible experience. Having the chance to explain our project to Sejima-san felt almost like a dream. 

The project you have presented at the Venice Biennale focused on natural materials, and at Yacademy you deepened your knowledge in mastering wood for architecture. What kind of role had this experience in shaping your architectural vision?

I learned to understand not only which types of wood can be used, but also their strengths and limitations. More importantly, what sustainability truly means in the practice of Architecture. While wood is increasingly celebrated in architecture as a sustainable material, the reality is far more complex. Its impact depends on the specific project, including its relationship to the site, the economy, and the transportation logistics. Through this process, I sharpened my sensitivity toward materiality, focusing on what is most appropriate for a given project rather than making choices based solely on aesthetics.

Where does your interest in such resources come from and what potential do you see in them?

My interest in wood comes from childhood memories. I grew up in a traditional Japanese house where wood formed the main structure. The house was built by a carpenter, and I lived surrounded by Japanese joinery and spatial typologies of connection, though at the time, I didn’t fully realize their significance. Now, as the world turns its attention to wood as a sustainable material, I hope to approach it not merely as an industrial product, but as something deeply tied to nature and to our connections with living beings.

What kind of future do you envision for yourself? Is there a particular goal you would like to pursue or a dream you wish to achieve?

My lifelong dream is to establish my own firm together with close collaborators and to travel around the world, immersing myself in different cultures. For now, my immediate goal is to become a licensed architect in the United States.