Spring has arrived here in Kobunaki! Please find our project update since January 2007 below:
- What we think about Kobunaki
- Our new office completed!
- DOTO exhibition in Tokyo
[What we think about Kobunaki]
Taking the opportunity to have launched the Kobunaki development, we held a symposium and published a booklet in April 25th, to promote understanding of Kobunaki. The message we would like to tell is "what we really mean about Kobunaki".
Since the ecovillage initiative started in Shiga prefecture in 2000, we have been doing various activities, such as creating our vision of an ecovillage, drafting the master-plan, and organizing seminars about environmental problems as well as solutions.
Going through this process, we notice one very important thing. That is, if we want the surrounding society and people to change, the only thing we can be sure of changing is ourselves, or our own practices. If we can change ourselves towards sustainability, then our family and our friends might welcome the change, and local society and we might stimulate the change worldwide!?
Introducing some of our first trial steps, we are planning to build a house where the residents can feel living in nature’s bosom, establish a local timber distribution and construction system to make most use of woody biomass from local forests. Also, facilitation of living and learning places within community is the key part to empower Kobunaki towards a sustainable community.
Yuki Sumihara
[Our New Office Completed!]
The beginning of April, we moved to our new office, located near the Omihachiman train station. The features of this office are application of a new construction method called “j.Pod” and use of local wood for most of structural material.
"j.Pod" is a new type of timber building system invented by the development team at Kyoto University. This building system uses a semi-monocoque structure that is made up of mainly timber rib-frames and some steel connectors. This system can realize high earthquake protection. (Also see Live Impulse vol.3 on our website.)
Not only with j.Pod development team, we also collaborated with local forestry cooperative, and used timber mostly from local forest. For now, it is not easy to use local timber in local area, because of existing complicated distribution system and small size of local timber market. We are trying little by little, having a direct discussion very often with various stakeholders to use local wood properly.
I believe that small challenge will clear a path to use local material cycle in local area, beyond local, to the world.
Chisato Takashina
[DOTO Exhibition in Tokyo]
"Architecture of Terubonu Fujimori and ROJO - An exhibition from Venice Biennale: 10th International" is now being held in Tokyo Opera City Art Gallery.
By eliminating industrial materials and relying on the layman's hands,
Terubonu Fujimori orchestrates volunteer groups "Jomon Construction parties", in designing his unique, era-less form of architecture.
This construction process makes us realize the true power dynamics between human beings and nature, in a humorous way.
Recently we participated in the production of one of Fujimori's creations entitled "DOTO" for this exhibition. DOTO represents (so we believe) the symbol of native scenery for Japanese.
A DOTO under construction, under cherry blossom!! (picture below)
As you see, a DOTO is covered with real vegetation such as mosses and grasses, not the normal house plants.
Unfortunate for the DOTO there is no direct sunshine or rainfall inside a modern gallery and the mix of insects and fungus which normally co-exist in harmony with the DOTO's mosses and grasses are not welcomed inside the Gallery!
There were numerous confrontations between the plants and gallery throughout the production process. This process has imparted on us a vivid reminder of the distance between nature and our modern artificial environments. No doubt now, I am convinced this was part of Fujimori's hidden massage!
More about this exhibition, please see URL below:
www.operacity.jp/en/ag (in English)
www.operacity.jp/ag/exh82 (more in Japanese)
Chie Saito
Editor's note
In Japanese customs, Spring is the time for new beginnings of schools and companies. This April, four new members have joined the team. Their hopes in creating Kobunaki are as follows:
- Kohei Ohnishi: To connect consciousness about global environmental problems with people's efforts in daily life, especially from the aspect of resources circulation.
- Rio Domae: To build a relationship with local farmers to supply fresh and safe vegetables for many local people.
- Satomi Hirobe: To promote biomass recycle, as well as making people's living in tune with nature system as much as possible.
- Takayoshi Tanaka: To create spaces where people can feel importance of energy.
Editor: Tomomi Takada
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