In the case of the situation like an area stuck by disasters, where quick supports are needed, Emergency temporary housing are requested by the local people. So, in our Veneer house project, we propose prototypes of housings for that kind of area using veneer plywood board which is in circulation as dimension lumber, without metal goods. And, we dare to design the prototypes optimized for assembling by several people. It means that we aren’t only trying to respond for demands of the housings, but also to reconstruct the community. In spring semester, we designed a veneer house for kids and had a workshop at elementary school in July.
Hiroto Kobayashi Lab. has been conducting projects since 2007 in the rural area of Tane district, located in Nagahama City, Shiga Prefecture. Its 14 villages accommodate traditional style houses, along with the abundant nature, where the precinct landscape of Japan remains untouched. Issues such as the increasing vacant houses, aging population, and declining industries make Tane a typical Kaso region. To counter these problems, we have conducted projects such as the renovation of a vacant house, design and construction of a nursing home, and workshop with the local student. Through the architecture and urban planning aspects, we are continuing efforts to counter the depopulation issues together with the local people.
Nihonbashi is located in the center of Tokyo and has been the center of Tokyo commerce since the Edo era. However, in recent years there have been many redevelopment projects. In the hope of reversing this trend, our vision for Nihonbashi is to incorporate traditional elements by listening to the voices of the local people. We are now researching mainly on Nihonbashi Honcho 4-chome and planning to make bottom-up actions happen in Nihonbashi.