TOTO ARCHITECT TALK 2025 – AN ANNUAL DESTINATION FOR THE ARCHITECTURE COMMUNITY, FEATURING THE FIRST-EVER APPEARANCE OF ARCHITECT KUMIKO INUI
TOTO Architect Talk 2025 will officially take place on December 13, 2025, in Ho Chi Minh City, with the participation of Japanese female architect Kumiko Inui. As one of the most anticipated and trusted academic forums of the year, the program promises to introduce fresh perspectives on contemporary architecture and continues to be a familiar “destination” for Vietnam’s architecture – design community at the end of the year.
Seven-year journey of spreading Japanese architectural philosophy
Over the past six years, TOTO Architect Talk’s journey of spreading the humanistic architecture sprite has gathered many leading figures from Japan’s architectural scene: architect Shigeru Ban with “Work & Humanitarian Activities” (2017), architect Hiroshi Naito with “Body & Soul of Architecture” (2018), architect Takaharu Tezuka with “Nostalgic Future” (2019), architect Akihisa Hirata (2022), architect Yoshiharu Tsukamoto (2023) and architect Junya Ishigami (2024).
Each year, TOTO Architect Talk not only delivers knowledge but also inspires and connects the Vietnamese architectural community in a spirit that honors the past while creatively shaping the future. Through each theme, the event opens up lateral perspectives on architecture and society, connecting tradition and modernity, making TOTO Architect Talk a highly trusted and anticipated annual event within the architectural field.
TOTO Architect Talk 2025 will be held in Ho Chi Minh City on December 13, 2025
Kumiko Inui, a speaker with architectural philosophy as an “answer” for the Vietnamese architect community
Following six successful seasons, TOTO Architect Talk 2025 continues to mark a notable milestone by welcoming its first-ever female speaker – Architect Kumiko Inui. Her presence promises fresh and inspiring perspectives for this year’s activities. Architect Kumiko Inui is a Professor at Yokohama National University, Founder of Inui Architects, and will serve as a guest lecturer and honorary judge for the TOTO Design Contest 2025.
Kumiko Inui – The first female architect speaker at the TOTO Architect Talk.
Trong buổi diễn thuyết ngày 13/12, bà sẽ chia sẻ cách áp dụng nghiên cứu địa phương và đối thoại cộng đồng để biến những khoảng trống nhỏ thành chất xúc tác cho sự gắn kết xã hội. KTS. Inui luôn hướng đến việc tạo ra những không gian không chỉ phục vụ con người, mà còn khuyến khích gặp gỡ, chia sẻ và cùng nhau kiến tạo giá trị chung.
In the talk on December 13, she will share how to use local research and community dialogue to transform little spaces into catalysts for social cohesion. Architect Inui always aims to create spaces that not only serve people but also encourage meeting, sharing, and creating shared values.
One of architect Kumiko Inui’s defining design philosophies is creating seamless connections of architecture with the urban context and the surrounding flows. This approach is demonstrated clearly in the Kyoto University of the Arts project (constructed under the concept of “Under One Roof”). When developing the design, Inui and her team conducted in-depth research on Kyoto’s urban fabric, allowing the entire campus to be unified and continuously linked horizontally with the city.
The project follows the “Under One Roof” concept, featuring expansive eaves and open courtyards that create spaces for community interaction.
Another notable example is the Miyajimaguchi Passenger Terminal – The gateway to the Miyajima World Heritage Site. The project is distinguished by its sweeping curved roof and semi-outdoor spaces, creating a harmonious connection between architecture, landscape, and the urban flow.
The system of “spatial boxes” within the Miyajimaguchi Passenger Terminal is arranged to create a seamless flow between the architecture, the surrounding landscape, and urban life.
In the Nobeoka Station District Development project, by combining station and people’s activities together like a sprinkled sushi rice (Chirashi Sushi), a resonance effect and a bustling, lively scene are created.
The Nobeoka Station Area project is designed to be open, connecting the activities of the station with the everyday life of local residents.
Tōni School in Kamaishi City is a symbol of recovery after the tsunami disaster. By utilizing the sloped terrain and a network of bridges – pathways – courtyards, the project creates an open learning environment that harmonizes with nature and inspires the spirit of freedom of exploration for children.
The project bringing together the schools in Kamaishi City is expected to become a symbol of reconstruction after the tsunami disaster.
With the Kyoai Commons project at Maebashi International University, Inui expresses the idea that “a little space can be used in many different ways.” Through a structure of column–wall systems and open corridors, the building encourages interaction, learning, and creativity, becoming a natural and vibrant environment for study.
Kyoai Commons, Maebashi International University – A flexible space where students and lecturers can meet, learn, and create.
The participation of architect Kumiko Inui at TOTO Architect Talk 2025 not only introduces new perspectives on “Little Spaces and Architecture,” but also opens up deeper dialogue on the role of architecture in shaping humanistic communities in rapid urbanization. Accompanying the Vietnamese architectural community for the past seven years, TOTO Architect Talk continues to affirm its mission of connecting international knowledge with local creativity.
The winners of the “Commoning Space – Gradience of Livings” design contest are about to be announced.
Kicking off the annual TOTO Architect Talk 2025 series is the TOTO Architectural Design Contest 2025. This competition creates opportunities for young architects to explore and innovate around the relationship between people, space, and community within the context of modern urban life. Inspired by the philosophy of architect Kumiko Inui, TOTO launched the 2025 competition under the theme “Commoning Space – Gradience of Livings,” encouraging participants to examine how little spaces can become connections between individuals, communities, and the environment.
Alongside the prestigious support of the Vietnam Association of Architects, the competition is accompanied by an experienced architect on the jury: architect Lưu Hướng Dương (Standing Vice Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Association of Architects), architect Đàm Vũ (Founder of Kientruc O), and architect Nguyễn Anh Cường (Co-founder and Architect at Nhabe Scholae). Notably, this year’s competition also benefited significantly from Architect Mai Hưng Trung (Founder of Hanoi Ad hoc & Ad hoc Practice), as the program’s Professional Advisor, who played an important role in shaping the theme and directly supporting contestants throughout the competition’s promotional activities.
To date, the competition has attracted strong interest from the architecture community, with nearly 500 registrations and almost 300 submissions received by the end of Round 1 on November 3, 2025. The award ceremony will take place just before the main talk on December 13, marking the end of this meaningful annual event series.
With the theme “Commoning Space – Gradience of Livings,” which is both intriguing and challenging, this year’s submissions have introduced many unique and creative ideas, promising an exciting and surprising award ceremony. Models of the Top 10 outstanding entries will be exhibited as part of the TOTO Architect Talk 2025 event. The final results will also be announced during the Award Ceremony, including one Special Prize (Speaker’s Choice), one First Prize, one Second Prize, and one Third Prize, with a total prize value of up to VND 90 million.
Through the competition, TOTO Vietnam and the Vietnam Association of Architects encourage students and practicing designers not only to focus on creating new architectural forms, but also to actively observe, reinterpret, and organize existing physical and non-physical conditions. By reconfiguring functions and adapting spaces to different contexts, generating new architectural possibilities that reshape the urban fabric. In doing so, they contribute to addressing urgent issues related to nature, the environment, and the preservation of cultural and historical values in contemporary Vietnamese architecture.
Event information on Architectural Talk and Award Ceremony
Time: 13:30 – 17:30, December 13, 2025
Venue: Thrisky Hall, Skylar Ballroom
5th Floor, 10 Mai Chí Thọ Street, An Khánh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City
Free Registration:
https://toto.topon.tech/totoinformationcenter/toto-architect-talk-2025/
