About NAF

NAF has been shaped by successive generations of student leaders. Past executive committee chairs include Morimoto Soichiro (NAF2018), Kagami Ryota (NAF2017), and Yamada Kodai (NAF2016). Each brought a distinct perspective to the event while maintaining its core identity as a student-driven platform for architectural discourse in the Chubu region.

— NAF Student Executive Committee

The Nagoya Architecture Festival brings together the best of graduation design work from across the Chubu region, transforming what is often a private academic exercise into a public celebration of emerging architectural talent. By consolidating projects from multiple universities into a single, shared venue, the festival enables students to see their work in dialogue with peers from other institutions. This cross-institutional exchange is at the heart of the event's concept, fostering a sense of community among young architects who might otherwise never encounter one another's ideas. For visitors, the festival offers a rare window into the future of the built environment, as seen through the eyes of the region's most promising design students.

Each year, the festival is organized by a dedicated student executive committee that takes on the full weight of production responsibilities. From venue coordination and sponsor outreach to jury selection and exhibition layout, the committee members gain hands-on experience that mirrors the professional demands of architectural practice. This organizational dimension is intentional: the festival is not merely a display of finished student work but also a training ground for the logistical, curatorial, and communication skills that architecture schools rarely teach in the studio. The committee's involvement ensures that the event remains fresh and responsive to the concerns of each graduating cohort, keeping the festival closely tied to the students it serves.

The selection of jury members reflects the festival's commitment to bridging academic and professional spheres. Practicing architects, critics, and educators are invited to review the exhibited projects, offering students direct feedback from voices active in the wider architectural community. This feedback loop is valuable not only for the individual students whose work is being assessed but also for the audience, who gain insight into the criteria that shape professional judgment. The jury process also raises the stakes of the exhibition, giving student work a level of scrutiny and recognition that is often absent in university-only reviews, and helping to identify emerging voices worth following as they move into practice.

Beyond the exhibition halls, the festival functions as a gathering point for the broader architectural public in the Nagoya area and beyond. Local firms, educators, students from younger cohorts, and members of the general public all come together around a shared interest in how the next generation is thinking about space, material, and urban life. The event encourages conversations that might not otherwise happen — between students and practitioners, between different schools, between the academy and the city. In doing so, the festival positions itself as a recurring fixture in the regional cultural calendar, one that strengthens the architectural community's sense of identity and continuity year after year.