Continuity / Transformation in Architecture & Community Form
MITジャパンデザインワークショプ(JDW)は建築とコミュ ニティにおける継続性或いは変革(Continuity/Transformation) を課題とした集中演習型ワークショプである。プロジェクト対象は地域特有の地理的、歴史的アイデンティティを持ち合わせている反面、近年の人口縮小、超都市化などの影響により社会構造が徐々に失われ、環境的、経済的な衰退を迎えている地域を選定する。毎夏、欧米出身の学生を伴い京都中心市街地、地方中小都市、集落、また東京の下町などの現地調査、様々な企画＆設計案をまとめ公開発表をする。日本側のコラボレート大学生、地元住民と共にその土地に短期間住み込みワ ー クショップ活動を行う。コラボレーターとして早稲田大学、京都造形大学、慶応大学、宮城大学、東京大学、同志社大学等と協同してきた。２００６年からは滋賀県長浜市の田根集落群において深いお付き合いを続けている。JDWは、米国ボストンのマサチューセッツ工科大学(MIT) 建築学科・神田駿教授が発足し、1990年から毎年同教授指導の基で行われている。
MIT Japan Design Workshop (JDW) was organized as a series of design workshops over the course of 25 years, on the theme of “Continuity/Transformation in Architecture & Community Form” within a specific architectural type, collective form and planning framework.
Held during a summer sojourn at selected sites in Kyoto, in various regional villages, and in Tokyo, MIT students worked on-site together with residents of local communities, volunteers, professionals and public officials. Projects were based in urban neighborhoods & rural communities with a distinct historical past yet undergoing controversial shifts in demographic change, physical & environmental alterations due to hyper-urbanization, loss of a sense of community and stressed visions for the future. Participants were asked to conduct extensive fieldwork, rapid analysis, assessment, design & planning decisions and strategic propositions all in a compressed time frame and delivery format. The resulting work was presented at public reviews, exhibits and publications, and have often served as catalysts for subsequent implementations.
JDW coordinated with Japanese universities to jointly carry out the projects. Collaborators have included Kyoto University of Art & Design, Keio University, Waseda University, University of Tokyo, Doshisha University and Miyagi University. JDW was based in the Department of Architecture at MIT. Shun Kanda directed the MIT Japan Design Workshop from its inception in 1991 to its conclusion in 2016.
For the program’s 25th anniversary, we produced a book entitled 日本の奥へ Into a Culture: Notes from Journeys in JAPAN. It compiles commentary, images, and project excerpts produced by students over the years of the workshop as they reflected on and made sense of their first impressions of Japan. More information forthcoming.
To learn more about the workshops or future work, contact us.