Overview
Overview
Global Symposium and Course: Human Sciences and The Future of Architecture
August 2026 Japan
DATES
Option 1: August 3-7, 2026
Part 1: 5 Days in Kyoto
More Affordable
Hosted at Kyoto Seika University
Option 2: August 3-11, 2026
Parts 1 + Part 2: 5 Days in Kyoto + 4 days on
Teshima/Naoshima Art Islands
SPACES ARE LIMITED (2 remaining as of May 19)
HOW TO REGISTER
Option 1: Kyoto
5 Days Lectures/Tours/Immersive Experiences
+ Social Events in Kyoto; Regional Discount for Limited Time
Option 2: Kyoto + Art Islands Teshima and Naoshima
9 Days Lectures/Tours/Immersive Experiences
+ Social Events in 3 locations; Regional Discount for Limited Time
Submit your deposit $180 now to secure your spot; Later send remainder of tuition in 2-3 months (may be in installments)
Submit your deposit $180 now to secure your spot; Later send remainder of tuition in 2-3 months
Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, Sociology, and Environmental Psychology applied to Architecture and Design:
A Global Symposium
and Course in Japan
Produced by Moving Boundaries
Exploring Life-Centered Architecture and Landscape Design in Kyoto and on the Art Islands: Teshima and Naoshima, Japan
Who is this program for?
Architects, interior designers, urban designers and landscape architects, environmental psychologists, sociologists, neuroscientists and cognitive scientists, psychoanalysts, philosophers, health professionals, consultants, artists, scholars, community builders, policymakers, educators and graduate students interested in interdisciplinary topics investigated at MB and practical applications in design. We will be joined by practicing professionals, educators and researchers from more than 25 countries.
What is included?
- Lectures and Masterclasses (12 faculty)
- Panel Discussions and Q&A
- Hands-On Experiences
- Networking Sessions
- Small-Group Conversations Facilitated by Faculty and Colleagues; Reflection
- Opportunity to Present to Your Peers
- Immersive Experiences in Kyoto
- Social events and special meals
- Welcome lunch celebration in Kyoto
- Expert-led Tours: Visit temples, shrines, ancient Zen gardens and modern masterpieces by Tadao Ando, Pritzker-Prize winning Japanese architect based in Osaka, and other architects
- Receive a Certificate of Completion hand-signed by the MB Chairs
- Diverse resources for preparation before the program and copies of abstracts, presentation files, notes and recordings of all lectures after the program
- Course brochure and yearbook with biographies and contacts of all colleagues
MB Japan August - Program Summary
We have opened the 2nd phase of enrollment for the Moving Boundaries Global Symposium and Course in Japan, scheduled for August 2026. Due to popular demand, we have also created a second on-site course, scheduled for October 2026 in the same locations. See the Japan Oct 2026 tab at the top of this site. We have 2 distinct groups of faculty, 12 experts in each program. The August 2026 course will take place between August 3-7 in Kyoto, Japan and it will continue as a retreat on the two "Art Islands", Teshima and Naoshima, between August 8-11. Only a few spots are remaining for this second part of the course. Register now before it sells out. We will live for several days in Kyoto, and after we will travel to the islands, to stay on Teshima Island, where we will be immersed in nature and sacred history and rituals. We will be joined by 12 global experts in human sciences, cognitive science, neuroscience, psychology, health disciplines, architecture, architectural history and theory, philosophy, urban and landscape design, and in design of sacred spaces and gardens. In addition to faculty experts, including local specialists from Japan, we will be joined by participants from multiple disciplines, from more than 25 countries. Topics Include: Neurophenomenology; Memory and placemaking; Mirror neurons and empathy in design; Restorative places for human health and wellbeing; Somatic design; Body-conscious design; Forest bathing and the 7 Strategies of landscape design for health; Wayfinding and navigation; Grounding in nature; Spiritual architecture and design for the 21st Century - learning from ancient wisdom; Bridging human sciences and design; Neuroaesthetics; Biophilic design and more. Lodging will be in central Kyoto and in several hotels and BnB's on Teshima Island, near the sea. Participants will book their lodging directly with the hotel (or Airbnb) according to their preferences. There will be an all-day field trip, by ferry, on Naoshima Island, where we will visit several museums designed by Tadao Ando. In addition to studying at the interface of human sciences, design and health (as is the custom at MB), we will also experience local rituals, history, cuisine, arts, craft, nature immersion, and tours throughout the 9-day course, conference and retreat. All participants will be invited to submit an abstract for the symposium and to contribute to the post-conference publication. See this web page, below, for the daily schedule, list of confirmed faculty members, lecture abstracts, and the list of tours and immersive experiences. Also follow MB in social media for updates: @movingboundaries (Instagram) Moving Boundaries Collaborative (LinkedIn)
Part 1
Neurophenomenology of Place: Design for Health and Wellbeing
Human Sciences and the Future of Architecture and Landscape Design
Click red button to register to attend in person
in Kyoto August 3-7. Submit your deposit to
secure your spot in the program.
Send remainder of tuition in 2-3 months.
Tuition may be paid later in one amount or in several installments. Read below about new discounted regional tuition rates and the
regular tuition.
Location: Kyoto, Japan
Part 1 of MB Global Symposium and Course (5 Days)
August 3-7, 2026
Topics: Neurophenomenology; Memory and placemaking; Mirror neurons and empathy in design; Restorative places for human health and wellbeing; Somatic design; Body-conscious design; Forest bathing and the 7 Strategies of landscape design for health; Wayfinding and navigation; Grounding in nature; Spiritual architecture and design for the 21st Century - learning from ancient wisdom; Bridging human sciences and design; Neuroaesthetics; Salutogenic design.
MB Japan Faculty: We are delighted and honored to host 12 top experts in architecture, human sciences and health professions. Participants are also invited to present during (selected) sessions at Kyoto Seika University and on the island.
Tuition Prices for
On-Site Attendance:
OPTION 1: Part 1 in Kyoto (5 days)
August 3-7, 2026
Professional or grad student tuition
with Regional Discount: $980 total
Deposit now: $180
Remainder of tuition in 2 months: $800
May be paid in 2 or 3 installments
Discounted tuition is offered to participants
who reside in the following regions: Japan, Africa, Latin America, SAARC countries inc. India, Eastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine and to those who are currently experiencing hardship.
Regular Tuition: $1,160 total
Deposit now: $180
Remainder of tuition in 2-3 months: $980
May be paid in 2 or 3 installments
The MB August Program will not be live-streamed.
Program
See Detailed Daily Schedule in this 3-Page Document
(via Issuu) Click Below:
August 2 (Pre-MB Day)
Early Morning Zazen Meditation - (Optional) 6:00-8:00am at
Enko-ji Temple
Evening gathering - Pre-MB get together at central hotel TBA
August 3 (Day 1)
Session: Neurophenomenology and Embodiment
In the first session of MB, Pérez-Gómez and Gallese propose a human-centered
architecture in which space and subject co-emerge, with Japanese spatial thought offering a case of this embodied reciprocity. Neurophenomenology, embodiment, and multisensory attunement will be discussed.
Muramoto will help us to understand the essence of Japanese design in his
first of two MB lectures.
Kyoto Seika University Check-In at 9:00am - Northern Kyoto venue: Arrive between 9:00-9:30am to check in and receive your name badge, meet the group for coffee and tea before lectures
Welcome Speeches at 10:00am - Seika Main Hall
Participants' Introductions
Lecture 1 - Alberto Pérez-Gómez, Co-Chair of MB Japan
"Attuned Atmospheres: Learning from Japan Contributions of Enactive Cognitive Theory and Neurophenomenology to a Human-Centered
Architecture"
Lunch in Main Gallery; Networking Session
Lecture 2 - Vittorio Gallese
"Architecture and Embodiment: Neurobehavioral Proposal on Embeddedness" followed by Panel Discussion and Q&A
Lecture 3 - Katsuhiko Muramoto
"Space and Time in Japanese Architecture and Gardens"
August 4 (Day 2)
Session: Place Meaning and Place Attachment:
Contrasting the Roles of Sense, Culture, Memory and History
In the second session, Kawai and Ellard will address the importance of
restorative design and place attachment. They will discuss the contrast between static spaces and dynamic experience, paying particular attention to the tension between sensorial elements and those based on culture, memory, and history.
Morning Temple Visits:; Ginkaku-ji Temple, then follow
the Philosopher's Path to Eikan-do Temple
WELCOME LUNCH (complimentary)
Kyoto City Center 1:00-3:00pm
Lecture 4 - Yoko Kawai
"The Art of Michiyuki Journeys: Spatial Interventions for Mindfulness"
Lecture 5 - Colin Ellard
"Varieties of Place Attachment: Origins and Outcomes"
followed by Panel Discussion and Q&A
August 5 (Day 3)
Session: Brain, Body and Environment: Designing for Health
The lecture by Spiers will explore the brain regions involved in representing and responding to architectural spaces. He will also tell us how the environment impacts brain regions involved in our wellbeing and mental health. Cranz will lecture on body-conscious design in Japan. She will ask the question: "How body-conscious is Japanese design, historical and contemporary?" In this talk, Prof.Cranz will detail the values, principles, and consequences of body- conscious design using examples from her own research, teaching, and design work.
Morning Temple Visits: Tofuku-ji Temple; Fushimi-nari Taisha Walk
Lunch on one's own
See outdoor Art Museum by Tadao Ando (optional, time permitting)
Lecture 6 - Hugo Spiers
"How Brains Represent and Are Affected by Space"
Lecture 7 - Galen Cranz
"Body-Conscious Design in Japan"
followed by Panel Discussion and Q&A
Evening Izakaya Experience, followed by Gion District visit
August 6 (Day 4)
Session: Beyond Permanence: Memory, Presence, and the Mediated Monument
The final Kyoto session of MB will bring into dialogue Andrea Pinotti’s exploration of digital “tele-memorials” and Louise Pelletier’s investigation of embodiment and ephemeral architecture, revealing a shared concern with how memory and presence are mediated through evolving forms of spatial
experience. These topics will be explored at the interface of human sciences and design. Practical applications in design will be discussed.
Morning Temple Visits: Tenryu-ji Temple and Garden; Myoshin-ji Temple
Adashino Nenbutsu-ji
Lunch on one's own
Lecture 8 - Louise Pelletier
"Ephemeral Architecture and the Embodied Experience"
Lecture 9 - Andrea Pinotti
"Tele-Memorials. Monuments Put to The Test of VR, AR, AI"
Panel Discussion and Q&A
Evening: free time and join optional self-organized group activities
August 7 (Day 5)
Free Day - Recommended Trips: Osaka, Nara, or explore other
districts in Kyoto
