Design Collaboration in the Space of Cross-Cultural Flows

Abstract

This article examines the development and outcomes of a collaborative design studio involving two groups of landscape architecture students in Japan and the United States. Through both virtual (online) and real (face-to-face) interactions, participating students jointly developed urban design proposals for two respective local neighborhoods in Matsudo and Seattle. The challenges for the studio included communicating across cultural, geographic, and technological barriers, as well as more subtle differences in design culture and approach. These barriers and challenges present a stark contrast to the seamless space of flows that often characterize the globalized network of transactions and communication. In analyzing the studio outcomes and pedagogical lessons, the article explores the complementarities of online collaboration and cross-cultural learning. Specifically, it examines the mechanisms of cross-cultural learning in an online environment and the processes through which cross-cultural learning open the windows for a critical understanding of the socio-cultural processes of design in the digital and network age.