The design of architecture is a process of how constructing an environment that rationally supports the lives of many people with conflicting demands. In order to derive the basic idea of the design, we aim to elucidate how the existing environment is used by a variety of people with different characteristics, each with its own unique features. Through this, we aim to accumulate basic knowledge on spatial planning that guarantees a diverse lifestyle. In addition, while conventional architectural studies have focused mainly on “creating new environments,” today, against the backdrop of environmental problems, an aging society with a declining birthrate, and low economic growth, it has become important to consider “how to create and change existing environments, “and how to sustainably pass on the “stock of space” to future generations.

Through various surveys, we aim to discover new ways of living in detached housing complexes, apartment complexes, and existing urban areas that have passed several decades, and to contribute to the reconstruction of living environments in the future.

We are conducting research on how to maintain and rebuild residential areas once they have been supplied. This research contributes to the democratization of space use by asking how the local community itself can manage the town.

Human beings’ relationship with their living environment changes slowly over time. However, illness, disasters, and changes in familiar relationships can easily have a negative impact on humans due to rapid environmental transitions. For the elderly and children in particular, it is important to know how to mitigate the rapid changes in their living environment. For this reason, we are conducting research on practices that allow for gradual environmental transition.

For more detail: Architectural Planning Laboratory
Principal Investigator: Toshio Otsuki