On 23 October, Chugoku Electric Power’s Energia Research Institute officially launched its ABW implementation project!
During this workshop, participants set post-renovation goals. Employees, acting as students, divided into three teams to identify current issues hindering goal achievement and present ideas for overcoming them.
How will the institute’s ABW transformation progress? We’ll be keeping a close eye on developments!
From September 9–12, 2025, the AIJ Annual Meeting (Kyushu) was held at Kyushu University’s Ito Campus.
Students from the Sumikura–Ishigaki Laboratory presented their work — 16 in the academic session (2 doctoral, 14 master’s) and 2 in the design session.
The students enjoyed the atmosphere of the conference, and a reunion with alumni was also held, where former members, now studying at other universities, seemed well.
Lab’s participants also enjoyed architecture tours and local cuisine.
The next conference will be held in Hiroshima, 2026.
The HUAG (Hiroshima University Architecture Group) course “Architectural Seminar II” is designed to provide third-year undergraduate students with an opportunity to experience research activities in laboratories. In our laboratory, under the theme “Techniques for Planning the Regeneration of Architectural Spaces,” students are working on a project that treats the shopping center within the Motomachi Apartments in central Hiroshima City as a spatial resource and explores plans and methods for its regeneration.
On October 18, students visited the Motomachi High-Rise Apartments, where Ms. Minako Itai, head of the 6th Core Residents’ Association, guided them and explained the Underground Storage Project she has been promoting. Afterward, students surveyed the shopping center, organized their findings in the rooftop community hall, and shared their results.
They will finalize and present their proposals for the center’s regeneration by the end of November, with the final presentation to be held in the rooftop community hall.
Starting this fiscal year, a project to upcycle surplus wooden furniture from Yano Minami Elementary School, due to declining student enrollment, has begun!
On October 9th, we visited Sakura Saku’s furniture workshop together with teachers from Yano Minami Elementary School. While learning about the equipment and tools used for furniture production, we brainstormed various ideas with the elementary school teachers, making it a very meaningful time!
Sakura Saku also introduced us to their past works utilizing reclaimed materials, teaching us diverse ways to effectively repurpose waste wood!
The project’s name is “Yanomi,” inspired by Yano Minami Elementary School’s mascot character. It’s very cute, isn’t it!
Moving forward, Yano Minami Elementary School, Hiroshima University students, and Sakura Saku will collaborate to advance this project! We look forward to continuing our partnership with the teachers of Yano Minami Elementary School and Sakura Saku.
