Segments in this Video

Emergency Architecture (02:36)

A Japanese collective designed a housing project after the 2011 tsunami. A lone pine tree and residential blocks remain in the town of Rikuzentakata. Residents live in temporary shelters.

Rebuilding Japanese Communities(02:39)

Toyo Ito designed a two story house surrounded by wooden poles and balconies in Rikuzentakata. Together with Su Fujimoto, Kumiko Inui and Akihisa Hirata, he built homes in towns destroyed by the tsunami.

Home for All Concepts(02:18)

After the tsunami, community members came together in a “disaster utopia” phenomenon. Ito wanted to recreate the feeling of solidarity in architecture. The Rikuzentakata project faces the flood plain.

Home for All Engineering(03:39)

Architects used pine trees damaged by the tsunami as construction material; construction methods ensure structural stability. The building follows the Japanese tradition of wood frame construction.

Home for All Design(03:32)

An open framework and platform balcony externalizes the house space. Sporadic pillars create harmonious areas within. Compared to rational, right angled spaces, it lack doors and partitions.

Home for All Layout(03:49)

To support the second floor, eight posts occupy the ground level. Each load bearing structure is autonomous. A wrap around balcony creates a buffer zone to the outside.

Integrating Architecture with Nature(02:39)

After the tsunami, a stronger sea wall and buildings are planned but Ito believes in uniting humans with their environment. A high terrace provides a view of Rikuzentakata's reconstruction.

Home for All Symbolism(01:47)

View different models proposed for the Rikuzentakata project. The final design combines reconstruction with the memory of the forest; poles thrust through the structure as if still growing.

Tsunami Reconstruction(02:21)

Ito discusses Rikuzentakata sea barrier construction efforts. Ito hopes Home for All residents will rebuild their community. The design received a Golden Lion at the 2012 Venice Biennale.

Description

After the tsunami in Japan in March 2011, an architects' collective led by Tokyo Ito launched the project "Homes for All", communal buildings for the inhabitants of the devastated towns. Along with Toyo Ito, three young architects, Su Fujimoto, Kumiko Inui, and Akihisa Hirata, build one of these homes in Rikuzentakata. Using trees from the destroyed forest, they create the image of a house with a pointed roof, pierced by 19 tree trunks. Running around the inner space is a promenade deck alternating stairs and terraces, facing the countryside: the rectangular street grid is the only trace left of the vanished town. Designed in six months, built in five months, the "Home" was awarded the Golden Lion at the 2012 Venice Biennale. The title is a reference to the phenomenon of mutual assistance and solidarity that emerges following a catastrophe. The"Home for All" project seeks to further such utopias.