Within Kume Sekkei Co., our Fellow, Mr. Saburo Iseya and others conducted a three-part lecture series —— Covering everything from Practical knowledge of glass to the Philosophy of facade engineering.

In July 2025, our Fellows, Saburo Iseya and Yasuaki Iwasaki, Head of the Proposal Department, delivered a three-part lecture series at Kume Sekkei’s offices. These lectures were held as part of Kume Sekkei’s internal technical development program. They received significant positive feedback from the very first session, with a total of 99 participants across all three sessions. Each session covered a different theme — “Glass that Captivates”, “The World of Glass”, and “Facade Engineering” — sharing insights on architectural exteriors from distinct perspectives.

・Session 1｜The Challenge of Glass: Enhancing Architectural Appeal, Structural Appeal, and Captivating Details – The Ultimate Supporting Role – (Lecturer: Saburo Iseya)

The talk focused on glass as a “Transparent presence” supporting architecture from behind the scenes, intertwined with Iseya’s own journey. His origins: captivated by the Palace Side Building in the 1960s, which led him to architecture. His days at Asahi Glass (now AGC), developing materials and conducting experiments. His involvement in establishing wind pressure resistance, water tightness, and seismic testing for Japan’s high-rise buildings. This lecture, unraveling the evolution of glass as a building material through history, experimentation, and aesthetics, conveyed the weight of the practical knowledge AGB has built over time.

・Session 2｜The World of Glass: Endless Possibilities (Instructor: Saburo Iseya)

The second session delved deeper, covering the material properties of glass itself, manufacturing techniques, processing methods, and the cutting edge of architectural applications. It explored the wide-ranging possibilities of glass and the physics, history, and sensibilities behind it, spanning from the concept of “Transparency” exemplified by Mies van der Rohe to contemporary expressive techniques like dichroic coatings and chemically strengthened glass.
Participants reportedly commented, “It’s rare to find an engineer who can discuss a material in such depth.”

・Session 3｜The World of Facade Engineering Using Diverse Building Materials (Lecturer: Yasuaki Iwasaki)

In the final session, Yasuaki Iwasaki, Head of our Proposal Department, took the stage. Drawing on diverse façade projects in urban spaces, he lectured on the practice and significance of façade engineering from a technical perspective, covering material selection, structural innovations, and detail design.
The content widely shared with attendees emphasized the importance of an engineering perspective that considers both design and construction aspects in planning and realizing exterior finishes—the “Face” of architecture.

We are grateful for the opportunity to stand in these valuable places of learning.

This three-part lecture series was an opportunity for Kume Sekkei to host our engineers as part of their internal learning program. To address the perspectives demanded at the forefront of design practice, Saburo Iseya and Yasuaki Iwasaki spoke about materials, details, and the philosophy of facades, drawing on their respective experience and practical knowledge.
We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to share our perspectives in this dialogue, which sheds light on the practical “Intersection” between design and construction.
AGB will continue to sincerely engage in such learning opportunities, aiming to contribute to exploring the possibilities of architecture together.

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