Born in Tokyo in 1957, Shigeru Ban was the first architect in Japan to construct a building primarily out of paper - obtaining special approval to pass building codes. Attracted to the use of paper as a low cost & recyclable building material, Ban has used the material for ecological and humanitarian works, and is most renowned for his DIY Refugee shelters constructed from cardboard paper tubes, which have been used to as low-cost and efficient relief-housing for disaster victims around the world.

He was profiled by Time Magazine in their projection of 21st century innovators in the field of architecture and design.

http://www.shigerubanarchitects.com/