This semester Mayuko san and I are teaching at Arai sensei's 4th year studio. First half of the studio involves proposing an architecture using wood (with Japanese sensitivity) on a 70m long triangular site at Matsugasaki (north Kyoto). The site is near Takano River and along Kitayama-dori, and is just below the Daimonji hills of 「妙」、「法」. The students are also learning how to use the rendering software "SketchUP" with Yamada sensei. A number of students are producing fashion instead of architecture, and for me it's interesting to see that fashion ideas can be produce so directly into a product. May be I'd like to produce fashion or products too!
At the final studio check before midterm review next Wed, the students FINALLY had progressed into a direction and that I must say many ideas are quite unique. Let's hope they have the power to morph their ideas into realistic proposals in the final week. For many, I must say if they even have "realistic analytical diagrams" I would be grateful...
Well, let's see some of the proposals:

丹羽さん: 和柄、和紙の服

西田さん: column proposal inspired by traditional wood barrels + may be a tent structure for an event space

my own note from last week, talking about that it's quite impossible to use Kitayama cedar 北山杉 as a cantilever structure. Also, I highlighted the word 「必然性」(inevitableness). Instead of just casually proposing "a form", inevitableness for a place, situation, structure or material should be researched. At the end, it's all about one's artistic judgement though... and that requires talent in design.

my own note for this week.

京極さん: wood capsules protruding out of a concrete structure... I suggested using a corresponding concrete frame instead of just a concrete wall. Not only then the structure may look more convincing, but also because Yamada sensei had questioned about the issue of dead space --some openings on the wall may provide new spatial possibilities instead of just making corridors.

渡邊さん: trying to use a net-like structure and trying to resolve programming and scale issues. We propose that she can think about using it in a market/event architecture, instead of an enclosed situation like student housing.

Mayuko san testing the light filtering effect.
After this first exercise, the students will be designing over a large site in Nara --the now closed Nara Dreamland. We are planning on a visit to Nara on 6.13 Sunday.