This project's objective is to investigate sustainable ways of protecting the traditional "roji" lifestyle that crumbles within Tokyo megapolis.
Roji (露地) reads "exposed ground", which, in medieval Japan meant the dense circulation network of alleys amongst wooden houses. Today still, everyday life within roji is friendly, soft and informal, due to the small width of the streets (3 m.), the gardens and heavily planted yards. Modernity, however, threatens such an atmosphere, seeking to bring car and fire-brigade access everywhere (by widening streets up to 5 m), and substitute traditional wood housing with concrete or steel frame construction.
Even though safety is the top priority for engineers, it so happens that often, solutions are approached with lack of subtlety and socio-ecological responsibility. The "Watchmen of Nezu-Yanaka" are trying to insert a composite yet focused response to the issues that concern roji-style life.
Each of these towers contain a chain parking mechanism, from the ones that are actually very popular in Tokyo . They are scattered in vacant lots all over the study area, thus saving yards from being transformed into parking lots. They are also water towers, bearing a tank that collects water from the rainy Tokyo sky: this is meant to provide water immediately in case of fire. Three sides are covered with climbing ivy, while the south facade is clad with solar panels. On the top, wind turbines collect clean energy. The towers are symbols of sustainability, protectors of the soft, old and fragile roji environment.
The project was published among others at "Another Tokyo", a 2008 U. Tokyo publication supervised by professor Darko Radovic.
Roji (露地) reads "exposed ground", which, in medieval Japan meant the dense circulation network of alleys amongst wooden houses. Today still, everyday life within roji is friendly, soft and informal, due to the small width of the streets (3 m.), the gardens and heavily planted yards. Modernity, however, threatens such an atmosphere, seeking to bring car and fire-brigade access everywhere (by widening streets up to 5 m), and substitute traditional wood housing with concrete or steel frame construction.
Even though safety is the top priority for engineers, it so happens that often, solutions are approached with lack of subtlety and socio-ecological responsibility. The "Watchmen of Nezu-Yanaka" are trying to insert a composite yet focused response to the issues that concern roji-style life.
Each of these towers contain a chain parking mechanism, from the ones that are actually very popular in Tokyo . They are scattered in vacant lots all over the study area, thus saving yards from being transformed into parking lots. They are also water towers, bearing a tank that collects water from the rainy Tokyo sky: this is meant to provide water immediately in case of fire. Three sides are covered with climbing ivy, while the south facade is clad with solar panels. On the top, wind turbines collect clean energy. The towers are symbols of sustainability, protectors of the soft, old and fragile roji environment.
The project was published among others at "Another Tokyo", a 2008 U. Tokyo publication supervised by professor Darko Radovic.
project copyright : Kostas Poulopoulos , University of Tokyo 2008
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