About

Kotaro Nakamura is the director and a professor of School of Art + Design at San Diego State University (SDSU) in California, U.S.A. He also has over 40 years of architectural practice as a principal architect of Roesling Nakamura Terada (RNT) Architects. He has been recognized for his design excellence through numerous local, national, and international design awards. 

He received Bachelor of Engineering Degree from Kanto-Gakuin University in Japan and a Master of Arts in Environmental Design from SDSU in 1980.

Kotaro has an extensive knowledge and experience of community-focused design methods that are sustainable culturally and environmentally. He has conducted research in the community recovery process after natural disasters such as wildfires in California and tsunami in Japan in the context of developing resilient and sustainable communities. He is also an expert on energy and water efficient and environmentally sensitive design methods through his extensive research in architectural vernacular of Norwegian farmhouses, Anasazi Indian Pueblos, and Japanese teahouses.