Handa Creative Studio

Nagoya Institute of Technology Faculty of Engineering, Architecture & Design Department

Project idea

Handa Creative Studio
Our project is a proposal to make Handa City, Aichi, Japan more attractive.
This project seeks to solve several issues in a complex way. The first challenge is that the growing foreign population in Handa is causing dis-communication. The second challenge is to create new tourism resources in Handa.

Discommunication
The foreign population of Handa City has been increasing year by year. This is due to the fact that many foreigners come to Aichi Prefecture, which is famous as an industrial city, to work.However, since Handa City is not an urban city and still has an indigenous culture, not many people actively communicate with foreigners.
There is a discommunication between local people and foreign immigrants.

Tourism
Handa is putting on more effort into the tourism industry.
Handa City has flourished for about 200 years in the brewing and shipping industries, and has developed mainly through commerce and manufacturing. There are 4 symbolic sights in Handa City that bring this history to life: “Dashi(Moving Castle”, the sake and vinegar breweries, Nankichi (picture book author), and the red brick buildings.
Handa's tourism resources are its culture and history. Of Course, we understand Handa's history is a great way to experience its culture and provide us with a wonderful stimulus. On the other hand, we think that historical tourism is satisfying once you visit.
So, we believe that a place to “experience and interaction” is necessary to let people So, we believe that a place to “experience and interaction” is necessary to let people know more about the charm of Handa.

Proposal
In order to solve the two problems of “dis-communication between local people and foreign immigrants” and “lack of attractions that make people want to visit again,” we propose a place that can be a third place for residents, foreign immigrants, and tourists, respectively.
We will renovate an existing building that is no longer in use and turn it into a third place.
Since there are many vacant lots around this building, we propose a way to make the entire town more attractive while using the vacant lots as an opportunity for Handa Creative Studio.

As everyone arrives to engage in activities here, visitors will be able to notice the city's distinctiveness by incorporating aspects of city attraction, adapting them to the architectural features of the buildings, and fostering a positive social environment.

Project description

The third place we propose is a craft space.
A craft space is made up of three functions: Inspire, Do, and Share.

Inspire: A place where people may come together to exchange ideas, enjoy artwork, read books, or just unwind in their free time. In addition, visitors may be inspired by the historical architecture and culture of Handa City, or receive instruction directly from the moving castle craftsmen.

Do: A place where everyone can do what they are interested in. Addictionary, it offers a chance to connect with others who share interests and form a community.

Share: A place provides an opportunity to share your work interests with others that can encourage everyone to do more new things.

In this way, creating objects eliminates dis-communication. Furthermore,you can take the objects home or place in vacant lots scattered throughout Handa City.
When the city is filled with things made with one's own hands, Handa City will become a town of attachment for everyone, residents, foreign immigrants, and tourists alike.
By doing this, the third place will spread not only to “Handa Creative Studio” but also to the whole town.
Handa City will continue to change from time to time as various people create various things.
When you visit Handa again, it will be a completely different Handa from before, and you will discover new attractions.

Thus, the local rerationship will become stronger and more sustainable as a community and as a tourist city as a result of the “Handa Creative Studio”.

Technical information

The building concept is “OLD meets NEW”.
We propose to incorporate various aspects of Handa's history and culture into the design.
Examples are shown below.

Atrium Inspiration
We renovate an existing building that is no longer using the design of the moving castle as a reference.By inserting the roof of the moving castle into the building, a new atrium is created. Visitors can read books, talk, and create things around the atrium. The experience is as if you are riding the moving castle. We are taking an old building and giving it a new lease of life through traditional culture. Surrounded by the traditional culture of moving castle, you will create a new Handa culture from here.

Interior Inspiration

The interior was inspired by several elements of Handa City.
For example, the interior walls are decorated with bricks from the red brick warehouse. Other elements include benches like a stream of water that resemble the flow of the Handa Canal, which serves as a guide to lead visitors to the back of the building. Also, red cloth is draped from the ceiling as a reference to the fabric of moving castle, and a screen of cloth is brought in to serve as a gentle border.

Crafts using moving castle technology
“Handa Creative Studio” is located next to the moving castle warehouse. Therefore, visitors can learn the know-how of moving castle making from the its craftsmen. As an example, we show a drawing of bench. This bench is inspired by moving castle on water, the roofs of floats, red cloth, and supports.