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

No Playing in Board and Marker

Wooden sign on suburban shopping street reminds children not to play on the staircase. It’s dangerous.

No Playing in Board and Marker
No Playing in Board and Marker
No Playing in Board and Marker

Materials: Wooden Board, Marker
Location: Kunitachi, Tokyo

How to Use an Escalator

Maintenance times; No smoking!; Be careful if you’re wearing sandals!; Hold the handrail!; and of course – No Walking! No Running! – just stand still…..don’t move…..

How to Use an Escalator
How to Use an Escalator

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Nagoya

Bicycle Support

End piece added to bicycle parking port after complaints from residents about wind blowing over bicycles.

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.

Storage and Fire Saftey

Fire extinguisher stored right in the most flammable area. Salvaged bath/shower stool put to use as stand.

Storage and Fire Saftey
Storage and Fire Saftey
Storage and Fire Saftey

Materials: Bath Stool
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.

Watch out for kids!

Sign collaged from reflective tape cautioning motorists to watch out for kids at play in suburban Tokyo.

Watch out for kids!
Watch out for kids!

Materials: Reflective Tape
Location: Akishima, Tokyo.

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

Watch out for purse-snatchers in laminated A4

Signage in subway station warning of purse-snatchers.

Watch out for purse-snatchers in laminated A4
Watch out for purse-snatchers in laminated A4

Materials: Duct Tape, Laminated A4
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Community Safety Signage

Community saftey signage in subway station – watch out for purse snatchers, “Ore Ore” sagi, and break-ins.

Community Safety Signage

Materials: Duct Tape, Laminated A4
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Emergency Kit Storage in Hook and Tape

Train station emergency kit stored on a hook and secured with tape.

Emergency Kit Storage in Hook and Tape
Emergency Kit Storage in Hook and Tape
Emergency Kit Storage in Hook and Tape

Materials: Hook, Tape
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Flying Fox Duct Tape Fix

Flying fox in a playground casually fixed with duct tape.

Flying Fox Duct Tape Fix
Flying Fox Duct Tape Fix
Flying Fox Duct Tape Fix

Materials: Duct Tape
Location: Nagoya, Aichi

Signage Saftey in Foam and Duct Tape

Edging of signage made safe with foam and duct tape.

Signage Saftey in Foam and Duct Tape
Signage Saftey in Foam and Duct Tape
Signage Saftey in Foam and Duct Tape

Materials: Foam, Duct Tape
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo

Neighbourhood Patrol in Laminated A4 and Wire

Neighbourhood parent patrol sign (laminated A4) attached to bicycle with wire. With this set up, every time you use the bicycle you are performing a casual security check (Note: My bicycle)

Neighbourhood Patrol in Laminted A4 and Wire
Neighbourhood Patrol in Laminted A4 and Wire
Neighbourhood Patrol in Laminted A4 and Wire

Materials: Laminated Paper, Wire
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Night Use Prohibited

Laminated A4 signs affixed with tape proclaim night use of the park prohibited, and encourage people to call the police emergency line if they see anyone suspicious.

The signs are ambiguously official, being layed out in generic Excel style and signed with a simple ‘Akishima City’ or ‘Akishima City Park Authority’ – they look like they could have been made by anyone. I removed one as a test, and it was replaced promptly. When I placed my own sign (as part of the kokonohanashi project) it was promptly removed. So it appears the signs are official, or at least part of a dedicated campaign.

Night Use Prohibited
Night Use Prohibited
Night Use Prohibited
Night Use Prohibited
Night Use Prohibited
Night Use Prohibited

Materials: Laminated Paper, Tape
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Station Safety in Tape

From Jared Braiterman (Tokyo Green Space): “I recently saw this crazy Fix on the Marunouchi’s Nakano Sakaue platform. I understand they are doing work, but it seems particularly ad hoc and possibly dangerous on the platform.”

Station Safety in Tape
Station Safety in Tape
Station Safety in Tape
Station Safety in Tape

Materials: Duct Tape, Safety Sponge
Location: Nakano Sakaue, Tokyo

Don’t Play Here

A4 sign signalling a no-entry zone at rugby training.

Don't Play Here

Materials: Laminated A4, Plastic Twine
Location: Hino, Tokyo

Safety in Cans

Reinforcing rods for the concrete block wall of a new house are made safe for passing eyes with the empty coffee cans of the construction workers.

Safety in Cans
Safety in Cans
Safety in Cans
Safety in Cans
Safety in Cans

Materials: Coffee Can
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Safety in Bottles

Upturned PET bottle makes a protrouding steel reinforcement rod safe for passing eyes.

Safety in Bottles

Materials: PET Bottle
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Potplant Boundary Setting

Pot plants outside a suburban residential office demarcate parking space, prevent cyclist curb-cutting (safety), set the limits of the official office zone of use, and beautify.

Potplant Boundary Setting
Potplant Boundary Setting
Potplant Boundary Setting

Materials: Pots
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening)

Support Structure Safety in Mayonnaise Bottles

The sharp ends of these bamboo support stakes are made safer by placing the cut off ends of mayonnaise bottles on top.

I like the strongly practical, domestic feel that this has. No fuss, no pretense of elegance. Just growing some plants and keeping kids’ eyes out of harm’s way.
Support Structure Safety
Support Structure Safety
Support Structure Safety
Support Structure Safety

Materials: Mayonnaise Bottles
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Traffic Safety Collage

A variety of reflective objects – bicycle reflectors, traffic safety triangles, reflective straps – are wired to a pole on a tricky corner.

Traffic Safety Collage
Traffic Safety Collage
Traffic Safety Collage
Traffic Safety Collage
Traffic Safety Collage
Traffic Safety Collage

Materials: bicycle reflectors, traffic safety triangles, reflective straps, wire
Location: Kamogawa, Chiba

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]