FIXES

Non-Intentional Design: Investigating alterations of space/objects at the public/private boundary in suburban Tokyo, Japan. A resource by a-small-lab.com. Contact: Chris Berthelsen chris@a-small-lab.com

Frugal Hanging Garden

Frugal hanging garden constructed from three types of wire and a metal ring that was once used to secured a roll-up canvas awning.
Simple, robust, flexible.

Frugal Hanging Garden
Frugal Hanging Garden
Frugal Hanging Garden
Frugal Hanging Garden
Frugal Hanging Garden

Materials: Wire, Metal Ring
Location: Nagoya

Free Decorations

Items that the rubbish center workers think are too nice to throw out are displayed on window sills, free for anyone to take. Is that the remains of a ceramic penis to the right?

Free Decorations
Free Decorations

Materials:
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Delicate Decoration/Cobbled Storage

Delicate decoration and cobbled together storage.

Delicate Decoration/Cobbled Storage

Materials: Wind Chime, Soap Holder
Location: Setagaya, Tokyo.

This example is a note for a pamphlet on “Hand Made Aspects of Mass Produced Housing”. Subscribe to my somewhat-frequent letter HERE if you want to keep in touch easily.

Simple Clothes Hanger Garden

Laundry poles resting on a makeshift wooden frame on the ground floor of an old apartment complex just off the high-fashion street of Omotesando provide support for a hanging garden construction of twisted clothes hangers and simple potplants.

Simple Clothes Hanger Garden
Simple Clothes Hanger Garden
Simple Clothes Hanger Garden
Simple Clothes Hanger Garden
Simple Clothes Hanger Garden

Materials: Laundry Pole, Clothes Hangers
Location: Just off Omotesando, Shibuya

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening.org)

Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet

Another example of the hand made aspects of Japanese mass-made toilets. This time a large can that used to hold mosquito coils has been placed in a Nagoya public toilet by Mr./Ms. Migita?/Uda?.

Great to see the date of placement clearly written on the side of the can.

Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet
Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet
Mosquito Repellent Vase in Park Toilet

Materials: Can
Location: Sakae, Nagoya

A couple more [HERE] and [HERE].

Green Complements Green

Man-made green adds functionality (all weather use) and safety (non-slip?) to a patch of less-desirable real grass (courtesy of Tokyo-based designer Edith Prakoso)

Green Complements Green

Materials: Astroturf
Location: Nogizaka, Tokyo

Stair Garden

Hanging garden on residential entrance stairs (courtesy of Tokyo-based designer Edith Prakoso)

Stair Garden

Material: Stair Railing
Location: Itabashi-Kuyakushomae, Tokyo

Smoking Spot Beautification in Can and Flowers

Wild flowers plucked from a nearby informal garden and placed in an empy tea can/bottle decorate a smoking/drink machine ‘rest spot’ outside of a suburban office.

Smoking Spot Beautification in Can and Flowers
Smoking Spot Beautification in Can and Flowers
Smoking Spot Beautification in Can and Flowers

Materials: Can
Location: Akishima-shi, Tokyo

See also Jared Braiterman‘s documentation of toilet beautification using the same technique [on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening] and [Tokyo Green Space]

Clinic Potplants on Marble

Marble strips support and allow drainage for pot plant decoration outside of local clinic.

Clinic Potplants on Marble
Clinic Potplants on Marble
Clinic Potplants on Marble
Clinic Potplants on Marble

Materials: Marble
Location: Akishima-shi, Tokyo

Tree Stabilisation in Plastic Twine and String

Trees decorating the entrance are stabilised with plastic twine and string

Tree Stabilisation in Plastic Twine
Tree Stabilisation in Plastic Twine
Tree Stabilisation in Plastic Twine
Tree Stabilisation in Plastic Twine

Materials: Plastic Twine, String
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo

Tokyo Tower Direction Collage 2

Direction sign for Tokyo Tower at Akabanebashi Subway Station. Constructed of tourist brochure cut-outs and classic Tokyo public trasport duct tape lettering.

Tokyo Tower Direction Collage
Tokyo Tower Direction Collage
Tokyo Tower Direction Collage
Tokyo Tower Direction Collage
Tokyo Tower Direction Collage

Materials: Duct Tape, Tourist Brochure
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Tokyo Tower Direction Collage

Felt tipped pens, photocopied map, and tourist brochure combined to form an official information sign in a subway station near Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Tower Direction Collage

Materials: Felt Tipped Pens, Tourist Brochure, Photocopied Map
Location: Akabanebashi Subway Station, Tokyo

Wire Pot Plant Hangers

Wire twisted into pot plant holders to decorate roadside residential fencing.

Wire Pot Plant Hangers
Wire Pot Plant Hangers
Wire Pot Plant Hangers
Wire Pot Plant Hangers
Wire Pot Plant Hangers
Wire Pot Plant Hangers

Materials: Wire
Location: Nagoya, Aichi

Trained Creeping Fence

Using many metres of plastic twine, a local coffee shop owner has trained a flowering creeper up and down both sides of the paved lane outside their shop.

Even though seemingly random, the complex web of twine takes a non-trivial amount of time, thought and effort to construct.

The web has been prepared to guide an independent creeper along the fence line of a vacant lot, creating a lush green waist high curtain.

I especially like the way the corners have been densely woven (images 8,9,10), enabling thick growth and thus a cool and shady habitat for insects, cats and other animals.

Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence
Trained Creeping Fence

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening)

Rubbish Drop-Off Roof Garden

The top of the rubbish drop-off point for this apartment complex has been transformed into a bright community flower garden. A lovely twist to the usually forboding and odorous gaping deadspace.

Rubbish Drop-off Roof Garden
Rubbish Drop-off Roof Garden
Rubbish Drop-off Roof Garden
Rubbish Drop-off Roof Garden
Rubbish Drop-off Roof Garden

Location: Akishima, Tokyo

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening)

Golfer’s Fence

Ornamental gardening fence/demarcation constructed from metal rods topped with golf balls (for safety and decoration) and slim bamboo sticks – all threaded with rope and string. A cute judo wrestler surveys the scene.

Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence
Golfer's Fence

Materials: Golf Balls, Golf Clubs, Metal Rods, Rope, String, Figurines
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

“This is Mine” in Keychain

The problem of identifying your ‘Yakult’ cart in the early morning rush is solved with a bright pink keychain.


Materials: Keychain
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Mega-Cities: Design Anthropology and Urban Landscapes
I'm delighted and honoured to have my FIXES work included in Jared Braiterman's Tokyo University graduate seminar on mega-cities.
You can download the syllabus [HERE]


Thanks to the URBAN DESIGN Lab 西村・北沢・窪田 都市デザイン研究室, Department of Urban Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo for making this a featured resource of their lab [LINK]

Vision Plus 2010
Thanks to the organizers of the conference for selecting this project as a featured resource, even though I was not able to attend.




Article: Small Places of Anarchy in the City: Three Investigations in Tokyo on This Big City

Article: The Non-Intentional Landscape of Tokyo - read at This Big City

Article: Framework for Neighbourhood Creative Climate - read at This Big City

Tokyo Green Space from Jared Braiterman is a great inspiration [LINK]

Urban Bricolage by @ehooge is an inspiring site on a related theme [LINK]

Treepolis by Christoph Rupprecht inspires me with investigations into informal green space, cities, and urban ecology with a focus on Australia and Japan [LINK]

Everyday Structures by @alanwiig is another fine site in the same vein [LINK]