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

Planter in Bricks

Bricks used as planters on curb outside house.
P1160965
P1160966
Materials: Bricks
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Pot Plant Shelf in Rods and String

Pot plant shelf constructed on the exterior of block wall with plastic rods. Pots secured with string and plastic grill.
P1160964
P1160963
P1160962
P1160961
Materials: Plastic Stake, String, Plastic Grill
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Green Wall in Pots and Planters

Green wall constructed from planters, breeze blocks and netting.
P1160957
P1160958
P1160959
P1160960
Materials: Planter, Breeze Block, Netting
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Entrance Archway in Stakes

Entrace archway ready for a creeper or vine. Constructed in wire and plastic stakes.
P1160954
P1160955
P1160956
Materials: Plastic Stake, Wire
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Tree Training

Corner tree trained/bound by plastic twine.
P1160952
P1160953
Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Heavy Duty Hanging Garden

Large plastic laundry hook serves as support for a large hanging planter.
P1160951
P1160950
Materials: Hook, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Akishima Hanging Garden

Tree branch supports small pot plant.
P1160947
P1160948
P1160946
Materials: Tree Branch
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Potplant Holder in Pipes

External piping acts as potplant holder.
P1160926
P1160927
Materials: Pipes
Location: Harajuku, Tokyo

Plant Training in Plastic Twine

Pot planst kept out of the way and trained up the side of a house with plastic twine tied to pipes.
P1160891
P1160890
Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Nakano-Ku, Tokyo

Shrine Collage

A personal shrine in the backyard of a Nakano residence constructed in a collage of breeze blocks, wood, polystyrene and more.
P1160883
P1160884
Materials: Breeze Blocks, Wood, Polystyrene
Location: Nakano-Ku, Tokyo

Community Cleaning Implement Storage in Hooks and Wire

Wire and hooks along the entrance fence to a pocket park in Nakano, Tokyo act as storage for community-use gardening/cleaning implements.
P1160866
P1160867
Materials: Hooks, Wire
Location: Nakano-ku, Tokyo

Organic Decoration

Out of season fox face tied to a tree add a splash of colour to a central Harajuku street (thanks to Jared Braiterman from Tokyo Green Space for pointing this one out).
P1160841
P1160843
P1160844
Materials: Fruit, Twist Ties
Location: Harajuku, Tokyo

Hanging Gardens of Harajuku

Hanging potplant gardens in residential Harajuku constructed from plastic poles tied to existing trees. Plants hang over entrance way and alcove.
P1160851
P1160850P1160849
P1160848
P1160847
P1160846
P1160845
Materials: Plastic Tape, Plastic Poles
Location: Harajuku, Tokyo

Tiered Garden in Breeze Blocks and Board

Breeze blocks and board comprise a simple tiered pot plant garden on a street in the back of Harajuku.
P1160839
P1160840
Materials: Breeze Blocks, Wooden Board
Location: Harajuku, Tokyo

Tiered Garden in Breeze Blocks

Bricks and breeze blocks form a tiered pot plant garden in the back streets of Harajuku.
P1160838
P1160836
P1160837
Materials: Bricks, Breeze Blocks
Location: Harajuku, Tokyo

Garden Protection in Umbrellas

Umbrellas attached to wooden stakes with wire protect newly planted shrubs in an informal garden along the Tamagawa cycling track in western Tokyo.
P1160778
P1160774
P1160775
Materials: Wire, Wooden Stakes, Umbrellas
Location: Fussa, Tokyo

Garden Space in Bricks

Stacked bricks form a space for a little garden in front of a local restaurant.
P1140675
P1140674
Materials: Bricks
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Entrance Rose Training in Rope

Rose bush over entrance gate trained with rope.
P1140664
P1140665
Materials: Rope
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Potplant Holder in Packing Twine and Hooks

Plastic packing twine and hooks support a garden of pot plants.
P1160353
P1160352
Materials: Packing tape, Hooks
Location: Harajuku, Tokyo

Training a Creeper in Bamboo Rods and String

A creeper is trained up, out to, and along a tree with bamboo rods and string.
P1110424
P1110425
Materials: Bamboo Rod, String
Location: Mitaka, 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]