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

Siding Rivet Broom Storage

Siding rivets as broom storage.
DSC08176
DSC08174
Materials: Rivets
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Under-Stair Storage in Wood Scraps

Dead space under apartment block stairs tidied up and utilized as secure(?) storage. Constructed in wood scraps.
DSC08180
DSC08181
Materials: Wood
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Privacy in Corrugated Plastic Scraps

Ground floor apartment balcony given privacy (for hanging out washing) through the arrangement of corrugated plastic scraps.

Material: Corrugated Plastic
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Bicyle Parking Nameplates in Paper and Tape

Apartment bike parking, which is often free-space, ordered into fixed parking spaces with paper and tape.

Materials: Paper, Tape
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Pot Plant Space and BBQ seat

The boundary of a driveway modified as a pot plant display area and seat for outdoor BBQs.


Materials: Wood
Location: Akshima, Tokyo

Gate and Wire

Garden gate held together with wire.


Materials: Wire
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Step Up

Breeze blocks even out too-large entry steps.

Materials: Breeze Blocks
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Packing Strap Drain Pipe Bracing

Packing straps bracing two drain pipes together. A bucket forms the repository.



Materials: Packing Strap, Bucket
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo

Used Tyre Planter

A stack of used tyres form the base of a bonsai planter in suburban Tokyo.

Materials: Tyres
Location: Tachikawa, Tokyo

Pot Plant Holder in Two Types of Wire

Hanging pot plant holder constructed of thick electrical wire (hanging support) and wire (pot holder) in suburban green house.


Material: Wire
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Drain Pipe Storage Beam

Beam attached to structure with string for storage in suburban greenhouse.


Material: Drain Pipe, String
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Parking Signage Cone

Traffic coat modified with laminated poster as a barrier to entry and informative sign.


Material: Traffic Cone, Laminated Paper
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Station Signage

Makeshift station signage constructed from a plastic plate and wire. Attached to existing signpost.



Material: Plastic Plate, Wire
Location: Ome, 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

A3 Station Signage

Clarification signage in laminated A4.

Bilingual Station Signage

Materials: Laminated Paper
Location: Shinjuku Station, 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

Bilingual Station Signage

Shinjuku station signage, bilingual in all the important places.

Bilingual Station Signage
Bilingual Station Signage
Bilingual Station Signage

Materials: Tape, Printed Labels
Location: Shinjuku Station, Tokyo

Lost and Found Fence

Fence as lost and found display for key.

Lost and Found Fence
Lost and Found Fence

Materials: Fence
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

No Smoking, No Parking

No parking, no smoking signage in laminated paper and duct tape. Interesting triangular folded signage on corner.

No Smoking, No Parking
No Smoking, No Parking
No Smoking, No Parking
No Smoking, No Parking

Materials: Laminated Paper, Duct Tape
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Private Bar in Front of Station

Use the carry rack of your bicycle for a coaster, the lid of your drink as an ashtray – a simple private bar in front of the station.

Private Bar in Front of Station
Private Bar in Front of Station
Private Bar in Front of Station
Private Bar in Front of Station

Materials: Bicycle, Lid, Public Bench
Location: Akshima, 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]