In this studio, We would like to think about what is called “Social infrastructure”.
“Social infrastructure” is a term coined by sociologist Eric Klinenberg and refers to “physical places and organizations where people interact.”
We would like to think about a system that will become infrastructure in an area with a certain extent of spread and support daily life, together with cities and architecture.

We believe that the existence of “Resources” is important to create “Social infrastructure.”
For example, recent residential libraries, which are public but have been consciously created as “Social infrastructure”, use books as resources and create a place for people to stay around those resources.
In recent years, there have been many cases of embedding de-institutional surplus spaces as places to live, triggered by the integration, abolition, and reorganization of public facilities (museums + libraries, etc.). In this case, it can be said that we are finding a resource in the miscellaneous functions created by the compounding.

In this studio, we would like to start by going to see the Care Networks field, especially as a place where “Resources” exist where “Social infrastructure” can begin. In recent years, The management strategy, which can be described as critical by welfare agencies, is remarkable. Their awareness and sense of mission reveals an overlapping desire to improve the welfare and care field, as well as a desire to change the community. I sense a new perspective that views welfare and care as a “Resource”. Let’s think about what “Resources” are in the modern society.

Only those who can participate in the Kansai study tour as per the itinerary below are eligible to join the studio. Additionally, due to prior coordination for the study tour, the studio is limited to 10 participants.
April 24 (Thu) – April 25 (Fri), 2025
Yamanami Kobo (Shiga), Tanpopo no Ie (Nara)
*Please note that transportation and accommodation costs for Hamamatsu are to be covered individually.

■Basic conditions
・To deal with areas that are united by infrastructure.
・Proposals for architecture should be made.

■Final Submission Requirements
・The above are hard lines and should be presented in the form of “drawings”.(Only well-designed documents will be accepted.)
・Actor-network diagram related to infrastructure
・Layout or model depicting the subject area
・A PDF file of the above (in a format that can be easily converted to a PowerPoint or booklet) must be submitted separately from the critique session.
*Final instructions for the above and submissions will be given later in the studio.

■References
“Sociology of Care: Toward a Welfare Society with Party Sovereignty” Chizuko Ueno, ohta books
“Care Studies: Towards Transboundary Care” Yoshinori Hiroi
“Caring Architecture” Asuka Yamada
“The Genesis of Responsibility: Middle Voice and Participatory Research” Koichiro Kokubun, Shinichiro Kumagaya
“Night of Rehabilitation” Shinichiro Kumagaya
“My Body Is Uncontrollable: Special Lectures from ‘Seminar Approaching the Reality of Disabled Persons'”, Asa Ito et al
“Urakawa Betel House`s Participatory Research” Urakawa Betel House
“Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life”, Eric Klinenberg, Eijipress.
“Littele spaces”, Kumiko Inui ＋ Tokyo University of the Arts Inui Lab , TOTO Pubishing