Kichi Archi

Founded in 2025 and based in Gakuenmae, Nara, Kichi Archi is led by principal architect Shiro Kameoka. The practice takes its name from its original 25-square-metre studio, a deliberate starting point that continues to inform the firm's ethos of extracting spatial richness from constraint.

Kameoka brings over two decades of professional experience to the practice. Born in Nara in 1978, he graduated from the Graduate School of Science and Technology at the Kyoto Institute of Technology in 2003 and subsequently joined Asai Ken Architectural Research Inc., where he spent 22 years contributing to a technically and typologically diverse portfolio spanning hospitality, large-scale commercial, collective residential, and office projects across Japan and Vietnam. Major projects include Kobe Suma Sea World Hotel, Kirarito Ginza, and Roygent Parks Hai Phong.

Positioning itself at the intersection of local identity and international sensibility, Kichi Archi pursues a practice it defines as Glocal Design, channelling the cultural depth of historic Nara while actively engaging with global architectural discourse. The firm offers comprehensive architectural services encompassing programming, schematic design, construction documentation, and site supervision, alongside interior design commissions. Every project is approached as an opportunity to embed meaning, utility, and quiet delight into the fabric of everyday life.