Kazuyo Sejima

 is a Japanese architect. She is known for designs with clean modernist elements such as shiny surfaces, squares and cubes. Along with and Ryue Nishizawa, she has worked on several projects in Germany, Switzerland, France, England, the Netherlands, United States, and Spain. Many of their designs like the Rolex Learning Center at EPFL the New Museum in the Bowery District in New York City as well as the Glass Pavilion for the Toledo Museum of Art involve large windows and public open space to interact with the world around the architecture. 
In 2010, Sejima was the second woman to receive the Pritzker Prize, which was awarded jointly with Nishizawa.
Early life and education.
Sejima was born on 29 October 1956 in Mito, Ibaraki, Japan. She graduated from Japan Women's University in 1979. She then went on to complete the Master's Degree course in architecture in 1981. In the same year, she began working with the architecture firm Toyo Ito and Associates until 1987.
Career.
After apprenticing with Toyo Ito, Sejima established Kazuyo Sejima & Associates in 1987. One of her first hires was Ryue Nishizawa, a student who had worked with Sejima at Toyo Ito and Associates. After working for Sejima for several years, Sejima asked him to form a partnership. In 1995, the two founded the Tokyo-based firm SANAA (Sejima and Nishizawa and Associates). In 2010, Sejima was appointed director of architecture sector for the Venice Biennale, which she curated for the 12th Annual International Architecture Exhibition. She was the first woman ever selected for this position. In 2010, she was awarded the Pritzker Prize, together with Ryue Nishizawa.
Approach.
Sejima's work tends to incorporate materials such as glass or slick surfaces such as marble. Her buildings mainly display an arrange of curves within the architecture of the building as well as on the surface. Kazuyo successfully combines the building with the surrounding areas. The use of a lot of sheer glasses and clear glass is used, allowing
natural light to enter a space and create a fluid transition between interior and exterior. It lets a person to look at the outdoors, while also looking at themselves and the reflections the outside world creates on the inside of the building.
Sejima intentionally overturns outmoded stereotypical housing models as they are based on assumptions instead of reality. These assumptions include housing models that illustrate the proper living condition for a nuclear family, etc. Her idea is not to initiate a complete rejection to tradition, but rather to challenge the conventional process of design. Instead of unconsciously applying assumptions to a design, she tries to confront them consciously as best as she can. She thinks it is impossible to let a building completely based on a fictional idea or theory of what something should be.
Sejima redefines the "design process" as "process designs". Processes are documented, accumulation of design operations are taken into account rather than gradually refine a single design idea towards the final stage. During the design process of Hokusai Museum in Sumida Ward (Tokyo), sequence of 1:200 scale models were produced for the schematic design phase and photographed. Two periods of proposal production (21 days), materials used, elaboration dates, and the date when meeting were held were all in the record as part of the justification of the design process.
Projects by Kazuyo Sejima and Associates / by SANAA.
Japan
Honors and recognition.
Kazuyo Sejima
SANAA
Professorship.
Sejima teaches as a Visiting Professor, both at Tama Art University and Japan Women's University in Tokyo. In Vienna she leads an architectural design studio at the University of Applied Arts Vienna, where she succeeded Zaha Hadid in 2015. From 2005 to 2008, together with Nishizawa, she held the Jean Labatut Professorship at the School of Architecture at Princeton University, where she also served on the advisory council for several years. Kazuyo Sejima has also taught at the Polytechnique de Lausanne and Keio University.