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

Park Bench in Plastic Twine

Park bench constructed from household seating and plastic twine.

See “Bus stop chairs are gifted, unmatched, and spontaneous” for an insightful take on the subject (on Tokyo Green Space).

Park Bench in Plastic Twine
Park Bench in Plastic Twine

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Keeping Onions Tasty

Simple hanger made of Tokyo DIY essentials plastic twine and s-hooks (Tokyo’s superglue) keeps onions tasty in early autumn.


Materials: Plastic Twine, Hooks
Location: Akishima-shi, Tokyo

Rubbish Center Overview

Overview of items fixed and back in use in the rubbish center. The center tool stock comes almost entirely of rescued items from apartment complex trash.

Broom saved from the trash heap with a large helping of duct tape. Now in use.

Detail of hand made rack in rubbish center. Construction in plastic twine and tape.

Materials: Duct Tape, Plastic Twine
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.

Kindergarten Signage on Bush

Signage for a local kindgarten play-day makes use of a bush in a local park.

Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush
Kindergarten Signage on Bush

Materials: Laminated Paper, Plastic Twine, Tree
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

DIY Sound System

Tokyo based design researcher Celine Mougenot introduces this great DIY sound system spotted in Okinawa.

Materials: Plastic Twine (?)
Location: Okinawa

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

Streetside Rubbish Net Storage

Streetside storage for net used on rubbish day.

Streetside Rubbish Net Storage
Streetside Rubbish Net Storage
Streetside Rubbish Net Storage
Streetside Rubbish Net Storage

Materials: Shopping Basket, Plastic Twine, S-Hook
Location: Akabanebashi, Tokyo

Support and Barrier

A construction of traffic cones and barriers held together with wire and plastic twine supports an old awning and cordons off the unused shop front.

Support and Barrier
Support and Barrier
Support and Barrier
Support and Barrier
Support and Barrier

Materials: Plastic Twine, Wire, Traffic Cones, Traffic Barriers,
Location: Nagoya, Aichi

Yaki-imo Lamppost Signage

Yaki-imo (roasted sweet potato) advertisement on lamppost. Constructed of a cardboard box, plastic twine, and wire ties.

Yaki-imo Lampost Signage
Yaki-imo Lampost Signage
Yaki-imo Lampost Signage
Yaki-imo Lampost Signage
Yaki-imo Lampost Signage

Materials: Cardboard Box, Plastic Twine, Wire
Location: Kunitachi, Tokyo

Towering Tethered Sunflowers

As I rode my kick scooter across Tokyo from Shibuya to Ochanomizu, on the way to the Tokyo Mapping Workshop in the heat of summer I turned a corner in a deserted backstreet and ran straight into these monsters…… so tall they need to be tethered to the chain link fence for support as they wither.

Towering Tethered Sunflowers
Towering Tethered Sunflowers
Towering Tethered Sunflowers
Towering Tethered Sunflowers
Towering Tethered Sunflowers

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Lots more Tokyo sunflowers [HERE] and on Tokyo Green Space [HERE]

Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening

Menu Secured in Bricks, Twine, and Tape

The outdoor menu for this food store is secured with plastic twine taped to two bricks, the base evened out with broken paving tiles.

Menu Secured in Bricks, Twine, and Tape
Menu Secured in Bricks, Twine, and Tape
Menu Secured in Bricks, Twine, and Tape
Menu Secured in Bricks, Twine, and Tape
Menu Secured in Bricks, Twine, and Tape

Materials: Bricks, Paving Slab, Plastic Twine, Duct Tape
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

Stable Pamphlet Stand

Pamphlet stand outside during business hours – tied to the pedestrian railing with plastic twine for stabilisation.

Stable Pamphlet Stand
Stable Pamphlet Stand
Stable Pamphlet Stand

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Shibuya, Tokyo

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)

Goya Tunnel

This goya is being trained up and over the pathway in front of the apartment building to the balcont of a first floor apartment.

I like the way that the owner has not only appropriated the patch of earth in front of her residence but also created a physical (and visible to all) connection between the two.

Young Goya Tunnel
Young Goya Tunnel
Young Goya Tunnel
Young Goya Tunnel
Young Goya Tunnel

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

(Originally posted on Tokyo-DIY-Gardening)

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

Outdoor Smoko Spot in Can and Plastic Twine

Banned from smoking in the newly built residence (the last one burnt down) the man of the house has created a smoking area in his outdoor sink with an opened empty beer can tied to the stand with plastic twine.

Outdoor Smoko Spot in Can and Plastic Twine
Outdoor Smoko Spot in Can and Plastic Twine
Outdoor Smoko Spot in Can and Plastic Twine
Outdoor Smoko Spot in Can and Plastic Twine

Materials: Beer Can, Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Sunflowers vs. Wind via Joseph Tame

[Thanks to Joseph Tame, Tokyo-based freelance marketing manager, new media producer, entrepreneur, performer and marathoner for this garden fix originally posted on his microblog]

“With the onset of string winds, I replace *Twinkle’s* ex-jewellery stand with this ex-umbrella, carefully dismembered with my favourite pair of pliers.” (Joseph adds – “I did actually ask my wife before I took her jewellery stand to use as a stake to hold the sunflowers up.”)

Joseph Tame: Sunflowers vs. Wind

Materials: Umbrella, Plastic Twine
Location: Meguro, Tokyo

High Climber in Twine

Plastic twine strung from the top an exterior spiral staircase to the fence below creates climbing structure for an asagao (Morning Glory). An interesting take on the classic balcony green curtain.

High Climber in Twine
High Climber in Twine
High Climber in Twine

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, Tokyo

Security or Stabilization? 003

Another entry in the “security or stabilization?” series..[e.g. 1], [e.g. 2].. This one looks as if it is secured to keep the tree from obstructing the front entrance.

Security or Stabilization? 003
Security or Stabilization? 003

Materials: Plastic Twine
Location: Yanaka, Tokyo

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

Banner and Flags with PET Bottles

PET bottles (soft drink and shochu) filled with water secure a store banner and stabilise promotional flags.
PET Bottle Signage
PET Bottle Signage
PET Bottle Signage
PET Bottle Signage

Materials: Pet Bottle, Plastic Twine
Location: Akishima, 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]