Architecture for Humanity is collaborating with local design and construction professionals to reconstruct the northern Japan region where the earthquake and tsunami hit on March 11, 2011. Any community would have been devastated by such a disaster – Japan was better prepared than most. However, it is in the event of disaster that communities need assistance in rebuilding. Through our network of local design and construction professionals we are providing technical expertise to help build back better Tohoku.
As the first year response, we started our program by listening. We enlisted design fellows from Tohoku to ask the locals directly what they needed. By listening to them and reacting swiftly to their needs, we built trusting relationships with communities. This was a very important step for us as a foreign NPO (Non-Profit Organization) before discussion of rebuilding could begin. Programs such as Honyaquake and Road Home were our responses to immediate needs.
We have completed 11 in the 2 years that have past since the disaster, and currently have several more in design or under development. The following is the list of reconstruction projects that we have been working on. There were many bumps on our way, from typical bureaucratic issues to post-disaster stress within some communities, but our goal has always been the same: to rebuild sustainable communities and economies in Tohoku.
Although this was an earthquake of unprecedented magnitude, it was certainly not the first time Tohoku suffered from a tsunami. Their resiliency will help the reconstruction of the region. Architecture for Humanity is honored to be able to support such an endeavor, and would like to continue working alongside the community every step of the way.
PROGRAM AREAS | VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS | COMPLETED PROJECTS | CURRENT PROJECTS | WHAT'S NEXT | HOW TO HELP | TOHOKU REBUILDING TEAM 2012 | THANK YOU
In the same way that one acupuncture needle can influence the overall health of a body, we believe a single key project can work to create a positive ripple effect to aid the entire affected community in its recovery process.
Our focus lies on three branches of community reconstruction (access to sports, education and welfare, and economic development).
Access to Sports
Providing access to sports through the built environment is of strong initial importance in the recovery process, as it aids in rebuilding ties between individuals and promotes physical and mental health.
Education and Welfare
As children and elderly are vulnerable portions of the population, there is a need to reconstruct spaces for children to learn and play, and elderly to socialize and obtain the resources they require in every day life.
Economic Development
A number of financial lifelines - engines that allow communities to become self-reliant, were devastated by the tsunami. Helping local businesses recover, open, create jobs, and collectively provide a financial future is essential in building back better.
Ohya Green Sports Park
Kesennuma, Miyagi
completion date: 2012.04
a sports park donated by coach Nofu to children who lost their play space due to the tsunami.
Shizugawa Judo Juku
Shizugawa, Minamisanrikucho, Miyagi
completion date: 2011.12
a temporary local judo center for elementary, junior high, and high school students that has trained 2 prefectural champions
Maeami-hama Community House
Maeami-hama, Miyagi
completion date: 2013.02
a community house designed using an innovative building technique, in a town where only five out of forty houses survived
Paper Crane Sculpture
Sendai, Miyagi
completion date: 2012.01
2,000,000 cranes folded by students from 38 countries were sent to their Japanese peers and assembled into a large sculpture
Akahama Covered Alley
Otsuchi-cho, Kamihei-gun, Iwate
completion date: 2012.07
a covered alley connecting the lower and upper units of a temporary housing complex, encourages resident interaction
Kitakami Community House
Kitakami, Ishinomaki, Miyagi
completion date: 2012.12
a place for residents to shop for fresh produce, and a safe place for mothers to work while they watch their children play after school
Hikado Market Place
Motoyoshi, Kesennuma, Miyagi
completion date: 2011.06
a covered wooden deck made of salvaged timber from the tsunami, where community members gather to enjoy food and drinks
Oshika House
Ayukawahama, Ishinomaki, Miyagi
completion date: 2012.07
a space for the women's group of Oshika Peninsula Fishing Union to contribute to rebuilding back their village better and stronger
Shizugawa "Banya"
Shizugawa, Minamisanriku-cho, Miyagi
completion date: 2013.02
a workplace and warehouse ("Banya") for a group of 15 fishermen collaborating to rebuild a collective aquafarming business
MakiBiz
Ishinomaki, Miyagi
completion date: 2012.11
as our first regional office in Japan, MakiBiz seeks to help small businesses in Tohoku rebuild and recover
Park for All in Kamaishi
Kamaishi, Iwate
completion date: 2013
a park and clubhouse surrounded by the nature of Kamaishi, where children can enjoy sports activities. Built in collaboration with KYSIN-no-kai
The tsunami did not differentiate between large and small businesses. In Ishinomaki alone, we do know that a total of 1,749 SMEs were affected, resulting in the loss of 472,000 million yen in profits and the loss of 18,000 jobs. Of these, 6,024 jobs lost were in the construction sector.
Recovery from disaster requires a holistic approach. Disaster survivors require access to a wide range of services, including counseling, education, training, construction and design. The integration of construction services with business support services is key to the long-term economic recovery of the region. We opened our first regional office in Japan - "MakiBiz," which seeks to help small businesses in the Tohoku region rebuild and recover. MakiBiz provides design, construction, and business development referral services to the community of Ishinomaki in support of their efforts to build back better.
Your donation will help fund the following projects we haven't been able to support financially, and many others in the future.
Two years have past, but the communities still need help from donors.
Tokura Earthblock Workshop: estimated cost = $15,000
Kazuma Youth Center: estimated cost = $100,000
Hanahama "Costa de la flor": estimated cost = $150,000
Osaka Community Photo Studio: estimated cost = $200,000
We're partcipating in a special Japan Matching Campaign for a limited time! Donations TRIPLED on the 11th, DOUBLED until the 15th! Please DONATE TODAY and help us help communities in Tohoku for another year.
Staff
Program Lead: Eric Cesal Program Manager: Michael Steiner Program Coordinator: Hiromi Tabei Regional Program Manager: Shogo Marukawa Design Fellows: Takaharu Saito, Akinobu Yoshikawa, Toru Nakaki, Yuko Okamura Business Coordinator: Miku Kano
Architects
Aida Atelier, Doogs Design, Hiroyuki Teshima, Japan Institute of Architects Tohoku Branch, Junichiro Matsumoto, KBT, Kiichi Kaiko, Kobayashi Maki Design Workshop (KMDW), Kumi Aizawa, Nathaniel Corum, Sasaki Sekkei, Shizuyo Shiba, studio-L, Yo Hayasaka, Yutaka Takiura
Contractors
Luxs, Plante Module, Shimizu Kenchiku, Silhouette Spice
Major Partners
ArchiAID, Autodesk, Bentley University, Bezos Family Foundation, Citizen Effect, DoSomething.org, GlobalGiving, Global Nomads Group, Heath Ceramics, Kimball International, Nike, PACT, PechaKucha Inspire Japan, Prudential Foundation, Prudential of Japan, Punkt., Sara Morishige Williams, Students Rebuild
Partners
Architecture for Humanity London Chapter, Architecture for Humanity Tokyo Chapter, City of Ishinomaki, Daisaku Okamoto, Daniel Bensi, ETIC., FLight, General Incorporate Association Tsumugiya, Hatsumi Hoshizawa, Hidehiko Ishimori, Higashi-niban-cho Elementary School, Hirohisa Higashi, HMC Architects | Designing Futures Foundation, Islander Middle School, JR East, Kazuki Kasahara, Keio University, Kyoto University of Art and Design, Leslie Stoner Studio, Machizukuri Man-bow, MAKOTO, Miyagi Prefecture Department of Education, Miyagi University of Education, Miyagi University School of Project Design, NPO Midori-no-ie School, PacRim Studio, PayPal, Reiji Ohe, Ruinart-Moet Hennessy, Saunder Juriaans, Sendai Central Community Center, Sendai Saiwai-cho Youth and Community Center, Shanti Volunteer Association, S-Pal Sendai, Supporting Organization for Artists of Tohoku, Tadd Sackville-West, The COVE/CTM DREAMS United National International School, Tohoku Seikatsu Bunka University, Tohoku University, Tohoku University of Art and Design, Tsutsujigaoka Elementary School, University Cooperative School, University of Cincinnati, University of San Francisco, Valerie Quirk, Vic Muniz Studio, We Are One Kitakami, Women's Group of Oshika Peninsula Fishing Union in Ayukawa-hama, Yasunobu Meguro, Yoshihiro Konno, Zenetsu Sakai
This work would not be possible without the generous support of our staff, design fellows, volunteers, partners and donors. Thank you!
Autodesk, Bentley University, Bezos Family Foundation, Citizen Effect, Dianne Douthat, Global Giving, Heath Ceramics, HMC Designing Futures Foundation, Hong Kong Ambassadors of Design, Jeannie Hoff, Kimball International, Minami Design, molo design, Nike Inc., PACT Apparel, Inc, Polk Bros. Foundation, Prudential Foundation, Punkt Group, Roti Indian Bistro, Ruinart-Moet Hennessy USA, Sarah Morishige Williams, Sarah Yannaco, Szu-Lung Chang, Tencent America, LLC…and many others.
Architecture for Humanity London Chapter, CafeLife Virtual Cranes for Japan, Fashion Girls for Humanity, Heartbeats for Japan, Live4Sendai, PechaKucha, Rise for Japan, Robert Nealan
Last but definitely not least, we would like to thank all of the individuals who donated to support our reconstruction effort in Tohoku. While we cannot list everyone here, we are especially grateful to you.
Architecture for Humanity makes every effort to ensure accuracy in donor and partner listings, but on occasion errors may occur. Please contact us at 415-963-3511 with any questions or comments.
(Click here to see the web version of this report.)
Hello,
2013 has quickly kicked off, and our projects are moving along! Kitakami "We Are One" Collaborative officially opened last month, Maeami-hama Community house is scheduled for completion in the next few weeks, and we have welcomed many into MakiBiz with seminars and consultations. Read updates below for a glimpse of what's been happening.
February brings three holidays commonly celebrated in Japan (only one is a national holiday).
The coldest month of the year has passed, and we can look forward to a slight rise in temperatures as we move into February. This coming month, two of our staff will be heading to Tohoku. Look forward to reports from them when they return.
Stay warm and take care!
Best,
Architecture for Humanity
*As always, we hope you enjoy seeing where your support has taken this program, and our doors are always open for feedback.
Our first regional office in Japan, MakiBiz has been up and running since the end of November. Our staff has been providing business support for many clients, and have completed hosting our series of 6 MAKOTO Business Seminars, over a period of 3 months. The seminars were attended by many in the community, with high satisfaction. Look forward to new seminars to come.
Kitakami "We Are One" Market and Youth Center (completed)
Construction has been completed and the center officially opened its doors on January 23rd! With the center open, several programs have already been scheduled to take place in the new building. See images and a more detailed report here.
Maeami-hama Community House (in construction)
Construction is still moving along. Most of the building was assembled in a matter of weeks and the building is targeted for completion at the end of February.
Again, frequent construction updates on this project can be found on KMDW (the architect of record)'s facebook page (in Japanese only). We will also be providing periodically summarized updates from these posts here, so stay tuned (our most recent post found here)!
3.11 Anniversary
The two-year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami is coming up. We will be launching a campaign to commemorate this event in support of the people in Tohoku who are still working to recover and rebuild. Stay tuned.
TOHOKU PROJECT STATUS REPORT
In Progress
Shizugawa Fishermen's Workspace "Banya" - CA 98%
Maeami-hama Community House - CA 70%
Completed
Kitakami "We Are One" Market and Youth Center - completed Dec/2012
Akahama Covered Alley - Completed Jul/2012
Oshika House - Women's Collaborative - Completed Jul/2012
Paper Crane Sculpture - Completed Jan/2012
Shizugawa Judo Juku - Completed Dec/2011
Ohya Green Sports Park - Completed Dec/2011
Hikado Marketplace - Completed Jul/2011
CA Construction Administration ; CD Construction Documents ; DD Design Development ; SD Schematic Design ; PD Pre-Design - About the Phases
Links:
Great news! Global Giving's Japan Matching Campaign has been extended until November 30 11:59pm EST, so there's still time to have your donations doubled!
Again, during this campaign all donations will be doubled (matched 100% by Global Giving). Please take this limited opportunity to double your donation in helping Architecture for Humanity Build Back Better Tohoku!
There are also bonus dollars of $1000 for the project that has the most unique amount of donors, so please help us spread the word - tell your friends, family, and colleagues, make phone calls, send emails, post on facebook, tweet on twitter, etc. Here are some sample tweets:
Any amount is greatly appreciated, as it helps us ensure that we continue helping Tohoku Build Back Better.
A huge heartfelt thank you to everyone who has donated so far. We have been able to raise nearly 2,500 dollars so far with your generous support.
Recent updates on projects include:
These projects would not have been possible without your generous donation. We cannot stress enough how much your donations mean to our program and hope for your continued interest and support!
Best Regards,
Architecture for Humanity
Hello!
The Japan Matching Campaign ends in just a few short days! Please help us by donating now to double your donation in helping Architecture for Humanity with our efforts to Build Back Better Tohoku!
Again, all donations will be doubled (matched 100% by Global Giving) until November 15 11:59pm EST or until matching funds run out. This means that if you donate $25, another $25 will donated to us by Global Giving. Please take this special opportunity to double your impact during this limited time!
Please also help us spread the word - tell your friends, family, and colleagues, make phone calls, send emails, post on facebook, tweet on twitter, etc. Here are some sample tweets:
You can share it in a fun way too! One idea is to host a donation dinner party, where you have a computer set up to have friends give donations on the spot!
Any amount is greatly appreciated, as it helps us ensure that we continue helping Tohoku Build Back Better.
Because Architecture for Humanity is often one of the last responders in the event of a disaster, our activities are now ramping up!
With your generous support, we have been able to work on a number of projects in the Tohoku region. These have been specifically focused in the areas of Economic Development, Access to Sports, and Education and Welfare. To date, we have designed and constructed 7 projects, are currently constructing 3 more (check our here for more info), and have many more to come! Recent updates on current projects include:
We are also very excited to announce that we will open our first regional office in Japan in just two weeks; a business support center for affected small and medium enterprises to aid in the development of a new and sustainable economic system in the Tohoku region. Please follow our updates, posted on our Architecture for Humanity Tohoku page.
These projects would not have been possible without your generous donation. We would like to sincerely thank you again.
We cannot stress enough how much your donations mean to our program and hope for your continued interest and support!
Best Regards,
Architecture for Humanity
Hello,
Temperatures have dropped, the days are shortening, and Fall foliage is currently at its best in the Tohoku region, fully signifying Autumn. November begins with Culture day (bunka no hi) on the 3rd, promoting culture, the arts, and academic endeavor. Many culture related events occur this month, so take this opportunity to participate! Later in the month is Labor Thanksgiving Day (kinro kansha no hi) on the 23rd, commemorating labor and production and giving thanks to one another. We would like to take this opportunity to give a special thanks to everyone who has supported us in our efforts!
With November just around the corner, our activities are ramping up! We have had some exciting news in the past month, and special events coming up, including Global Giving's Japan matching campaign beginning November 1st. Please read below for details!
As always, we hope you enjoy seeing where your support has taken this program, and our doors are always open for feedback.
We hope you're enjoying season and are happily welcoming the upcoming winter.
NEWS
Double your impact in supporting our efforts in Tohoku!
Global Giving is running a special matching campaign from November 1 - 15, for projects working on Tohoku recovery and relief efforts. During this period, Global Giving will match 100% of all donations made through their site, up to $1,000 per donor per project until funds run out.
Please take this opportunity to support us in helping the Tohoku region. Any amount can go a long way!
There is only a limited amount in matching funds available, so please consider supporting us as soon as it begins at 12:01 EDT on November 1, 2012 (13:01 JST on November 1st) on our Tohoku fundraising page. Please also tell your friends, family, and colleagues about this special opportunity - share the link on your blogs or social networks, use the tell-a-friend feature on the project page to email your network, or just bring us up in conversation!
We greatly appreciate every donation made, as it helps ensure that we continue helping the Tohoku region.
Office Opening
We are happy to announce that we will be opening our Ishinomaki office in just a few weeks! This is our first regional office in Japan, and will act as a business support center for affected small and medium enterprises to aid in the development of a new and sustainable economic system in the Tohoku region.
First Job Creation
We recently had the opportunity to provide advice and presentation training to Harako Yukino in her application for a subsidy from the Cabinet office. We are very happy to hear that she was able to pass the screening and receieve a subsidy to start up her business in Ishinomaki - something she could not have done without the money.
She will start an acupuncture clinic (home visit service) geared towards: elderly who live in temporary housing who would otherwise have difficulty receiving these services, and young mothers who are under much stress, raising children in their community without relatives to rely on. She will also provide oil massage seminars for mothers to eventually hire as an assistant or independent therapist, thus creating new job opportunities for locals.
We're looking forward to seeing her success!
UPDATES
Kitakami "We Are One" Market and Youth Center (in construction)
The ridgepole-raising ceremony (jyotoushiki) was held on October 15th. This ceremony is held across Japan to pray for the continued safety of the workers and project construction. Following the ceremony, carpenters climb up scaffolding with boxes full of red and white colored (colors used at celebratory events) sweet rice cakes and coins wrapped in paper and thrown out to the community. Many neighbors came out to celebrate and pray for this unique event. Check out a video of this special event made by our Japan staff here!
Shizugawa Fishermen's Workplace "Banya" and Oyster Bar (in construction)
On October 26, our design fellow Toru met with Mr. Sato (our client) at the site to check the state of construction. Construction of the roof has been completed, and sashes installed. With only a few minor fixes to make, the project is very near completion!
Maeami-hama Community House (in construction)
On a breezy and cold Sunday morning, staff from KMDW (architect of record), local fishermen, and AFH design fellows, joined contractors in preparing for the concrete pour of the foundation. Holes were drilled into the perimiter of the existing foundation, portions of the site were excavated, and rebars set in place. Unfortunately, concrete is still difficult to obtain in this region (especially on schedule) with the many rebuilding projects occuring in this area. With only the concrete pour remaining, construction of the foundation will be complete, once the concrete is delivered.
EVENTS
Tohoku Recovery Matching Campaign
During November 1 00:01 EDT - November 15 23:59 EDT, all donations to our Tohoku project through Global Giving will be matched 100%. Double your impact by participating in this campaign!
Seminar by MAKOTO
Business development seminars in Ishinomaki.
Dates: November 23, December 7, December 14, December 21, January 11, and January 25 from 18:00~19:30
Place: AFH Ishinomaki Office
For more information and to register, email us with your name, address, phone, and email.
TOHOKU PROJECT STATUS REPORT
In Progress
Shizugawa Fishermen's Workspace "Banya" - CA 95%
Kitakami "We Are One" Market and Youth Center - CA 50%
Maeami-hama Community House - CA 05%
Completed
Akahama Covered Alley - Completed Jul/2012
Oshika House - Women's Collaborative - Completed Jul/2012
Paper Crane Sculpture - Completed Jan/2012
Shizugawa Judo Juku - Completed Dec/2011
Ohya Green Sports Park - Completed Dec/2011
Hikado Marketplace - Completed Jul/2011
CA Construction Administration / ; CD Construction Documents / ; DD Design Development / ; SD Schematic Design / ; PD Pre-Design / - About the Phases
Links:
Project Reports on GlobalGiving are posted directly to globalgiving.org by Project Leaders as they are completed, generally every 3-4 months. To protect the integrity of these documents, GlobalGiving does not alter them; therefore you may find some language or formatting issues.
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