Since 1992, when Dr. Hitoshi Abe won first prize in the Miyagi Stadium competition, he has maintained an active international design practice based in Sendai, Japan, and Los Angeles, as well as a schedule of lecturing and publishing, which placed him among the leaders in his field. Known for architecture that is spatially complex and structurally innovative, the work of Atelier Hitoshi Abe has been published internationally and received numerous awards in Japan and internationally, including the 2011 Japan Society for Finishing Technology Award for the F-town building, 2009 Contractworld Award for Aoba-tei, 2009 Architectural Institute of Japan Award for the K-Museum, 2009 the Architectural Institute of Japan Education Award, among others. From 2007 – 2016 he was professor and chair of UCLA Architecture and Urban Design. In 2010, he was appointed Paul I. and Hisako Terasaki Chair in the Study of Contemporary Japan as well as Director of the UCLA Paul I. and Hisako Terasaki Center for Japanese Studies.
