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

User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes

This sign in Shibuya station illustrates how station employees have ‘fixed’ ticket gate signage at the request of users.

In this case, existing signage left passengers unclear as to whether the station could be exited from the ticket gate. This was fixed by installing two signs pointing to well known exits/meeting spots.

User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes
User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes
User Voices Drive Train Station Fixes

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Don’t Come Through

PET bottles filled with water, a pot, a brick and a post all convey the message of the local residents to cars – “No Thoroughfare!”
P1170328
Materials: PET Bottle, Pot, Brick, Post
Location: Nakano, Tokyo

No Parking in Potplants

A bit of greenification helps keep this inner-city commerce spot free of parked bicycles.

Nice contrast with residential areas, where pots trump cars – see [HERE] and [HERE]

No Parking in Potplants
No Parking in Potplants
No Parking in Potplants

Materials: Potplants
Location: Central Nagoya

Train Timetable in Bar

Train timetable on small izakaya wall helps patrons get home in timely fashion, saving them taxi fare and saving the bar staff from having to deal with stragglers.

Train Timetable in Bar
Train Timetable in Bar

Materials: Paper
Location: Akishima-shi, Tokyo

Motorcycle Seat Repair in Duct Tape

Rip repair.

Motorcycle Seat Repair in Duct Tape
Motorcycle Seat Repair in Duct Tape

Materials: Duct Tape
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Pot Plant Bicycle Parking

Pot plants along footpath used as bicycle parking.

Pot Plant Bicycle Parking
Pot Plant Bicycle Parking
Pot Plant Bicycle Parking

Materials: Pot Plants
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

PET Bottle Mobile Storage

Storage for a PET bottle on the go.

PET Bottle Mobile Storage

PET Bottle Mobile Storage

PET Bottle Mobile Storage

Materials: Bicycle
Location: Minato-ku, Tokyo

Bike Bell (via Jan Chipchase)

The picture says it all.

Materials: Bell
Location: Shanghai, China
Reference: http://www.janchipchase.com/blog/archives/2009/12/bike-bell.html

Vice + Car Mod (via Jan Chipchase)

Car bumper + vice.

Materials: Vice
Location: Big Bear, United States
Reference: http://www.janchipchase.com/blog/archives/2009/12/car-mods.html

Bric-a-Brac Bearing Bicycle via @tokyotimes

A fantastic shot of vehicle-cum-storage via Tokyo Times

Materials: Bicycle, Wire
Location: Tokyo, Japan
Reference: http://www.wordpress.tokyotimes.org/?p=4742

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]