Architecture, design and living
between the Mediterranean and Japan
with a lecture by Kengo Kuma, Kengo Kuma & Associates, “The Dwellings of Comfort: Biophilic Architecture from the Mediterranean to Japan”
At the meeting on East and Mediterranean organised by Diasen, the Japanese master of contextual architecture invites us to rediscover the value of natural materials and of harmony between people and the environment
Milan, 8 October 2025 – Diasen hosted Kengo Kuma, one of the most influential contemporary architects, at the meeting “Dwellings and Well-being: architecture, design and living between the Mediterranean and Japan”, devoted to the relationship between architecture, design and the culture of living. The event, organised by Diasen in collaboration with the School of Design and the Department of Design of the Politecnico di Milano, took place on 6 October at the School of Design of the Politecnico di Milano – Bovisa Campus.
The meeting opened with welcome addresses by the Rector of the Politecnico di Milano Donatella Sciuto, the Vice Dean of the School of Design Anna Meroni and Diego Mingarelli, CEO of Diasen, followed by talks from Gian Pietro Simonetti, Marketing & Communication Manager at Diasen, and Giuliana Salmaso, owner of Studio Giuliana Salmaso.
Reflection on living comfort, understood as a balance between form, materials and well-being, was at the heart of a round table that brought together two design traditions, the Mediterranean and the Japanese, united by harmony with the context, the use of natural materials and biophilic principles. Taking part were Kengo Kuma (Kengo Kuma & Associates), Diego Mingarelli (CEO of Diasen), Francesco Zurlo (Dean of the School of Design), Andrea Campioli (Dean of the School of Architecture, Urban Planning and Construction Engineering) and Gilda Bojardi (Editor-in-Chief of Interni magazine). The discussion, moderated by Alessandro Cannavò, looked at the role of physical contexts and architectural forms, and showed how curved lines and natural materials can create regenerative spaces and improve quality of life.
“The event with Kengo Kuma was an extraordinary moment of reflection on the relationship between East and Mediterranean in architecture. A generous figure of great depth, who allowed us to put the theme of natural materials and their transformation back at the centre as a new horizon for research and experimentation” said Diego Mingarelli, CEO of Diasen. “It was an opportunity to focus better on our reason for being, our corporate ikigai: building a beauty that lasts, generating well-being and leaving a mark of regeneration and authentic sustainability.”
Kengo Kuma, master of contextual architecture, gave a lecture, “The Dwellings of Comfort: Biophilic Architecture from the Mediterranean to Japan”, in which, through an engaging account of his most emblematic works, he shared his vision of architecture as an act of listening, empathy and subtraction, able to restore balance between people and the environment.
