Prof. Shuichi Matsumura, president of Kobe Design University delivered the third special lecture at Motomachi High-rise Apartments. The theme of this lecture was the “democratization of architecture” since modern times. In particular, the changes since 1960 were classified into three generations and explained.
Due to the connection with the Oosaki Kamijima Project, eight middle and high school students from Eichi Academy visited the laboratory on July 31 (Thursday)!
In the first half, we introduced the architecture program and the laboratories, and everyone listened with great interest, asking questions and reacting actively, creating a very good atmosphere. Many of the kids are interested in architecture, and it was enjoyable for us to introduce it!
後半は、VR体験や施設見学へ。VRは初めてという子も多く、みんな楽しそうに体験してくれていました。
In the second half, we went for a VR experience and facility tour. Many of the kids were experiencing VR for the first time, and they all seemed to enjoy it.
In the structural experiment building, it was very impressive to see their eagerness to learn, as they participated in experiments to measure the strength of wood by applying pressure and asked a lot of questions. In the drawing room, they didn’t just look at the presentation boards and models created by the students, but also showed interest in the atmosphere and lighting of the space.
Finally, we visited the “Omoshiro Lab.” The students were excitedly discussing the renovations they worked on, and it was clear that they were having a great time.
By talking little by little with everyone, I found that each person has many dreams and things they want to try, and it became a time that energizes me too!
On July 6, 2025, we held a Tanabata Festival at the former police station in Kinoe, Osakikamijima Town. Everyone wrote their wishes on colorful tanzaku and had fun sharing nagashi-somen together.
Despite the hot weather, we built a somen slide using bamboo kindly brought by local residents of Osakikamijima, and not only somen noodles but also fruits and vegetables were sent down the flowing stream!
We also decorated bamboo branches with tanzaku bearing everyone’s wishes, fully enjoying the spirit of Tanabata. Many people joined us — students from Osakikamijima and local residents who always support us — and it turned into a truly wonderful time. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who participated, and to those who helped build the nagashi somen slide!
We plan to host more events at the former Kinoe Police Station in the future, so if you’re interested, we would love for you to join us!
Prof. Shuichi Matsumura, president of Kobe Design University and a former professor at the Graduate School of the University of Tokyo, delivered the second special lecture at Motomachi High-rise Apartments. The theme of this lecture was a series of activities by Jean Prouvé and the Open Building proposed by N. J. Habraken.
2025年5月にパデュー大学（アメリカ合衆国、インディアナ州）で開催された、International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) において、角倉英明准教授らが発表した以下の論文がBest Paper Awardを受賞しました。論文は、江口亨准教授（横浜国立大学）、渡邊史郎主任研究員（建築研究所）、田中莉聖（横浜国立大学大学院生）との共著になります。
調査研究に協力いただきました皆様に感謝申し上げます。
CIB World Conference 2025 Best Paper Award
受賞者： SUMIKURA Hideaki 論文題目： The Flexibility of Detached Wooden Houses by Local Builders in Japan
Associate Professor SUMIKURA Hideaki and others received the Best Paper Award from the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction (CIB) held at Purdue University (Indiana, USA) in May 2025.The paper was co-authored by EGUCHI Toru(Yokohama National University), WATANABE Shiro(Building Research Institute), and TANAKA Rise (graduate student at Yokohama National University).
Congratulations!
Three students from our laboratory received the Encouragement Award at the 31st Union Design Award, a public competition held by the Union Design Foundation in 2024, for their work titled “100 Years of Architecture.”
YAMADA Kohei, AKIYAMA Yuki & LI Hao Union Design Award Encouragement Award
“Earth Towers 100 Years After Its Construction”
We joined the results presentation by The Red Dot School at Sagishima, the island of the Seto Inland Sea. I was very impressed by the unique and great works by the school members gathered from all over the world. I’m already looking forward to the next project now!
