Onon, we’re in trouble.
With the recent surge in construction costs, things are tough for us too.
Yeah, I hear you.
Actually, I’ve been thinking about something related to that.
What kind of thing?
Well, until now we’ve sometimes had homeowners and their families help paint walls and such, right?
I was wondering if we could expand on that a bit more.
Of course, it depends on the homeowners, so it’ll be case-by-case,
but if we can design houses so that there are parts they can do themselves,
maybe we can cut costs a little too.
That might work.
We’ll help out where we can.
Thanks.
Besides saving money, DIY also relates to what we talked about before — reality.
Oh, because when you build something yourself, it naturally feels closer to you, right?
Exactly.
To add to that, I think DIY is one way to approach what Koji Taki saw in traditional houses:
the “integration of living and building.”
What do you mean by that?
There’s a philosopher who said “building” is not just a technique — it is itself “dwelling.” (*1)
In other words,
a “dwelling” that lacks “building” can only achieve part of what dwelling truly is.
When “building” and “dwelling” are separated as they are today, it’s incomplete.
This is the same as what we talked about before —
a house where you can’t feel the act of building lacks reality, and that leads to anxiety.
So the idea is to think carefully about building from a close, familiar place, right?
Yes.
If you look at it from the perspective of how to integrate dwelling and building,
it becomes a question of how to deliver the act of building to the people who live there,
so that it connects to the act of dwelling.
Deliver “building” to the residents?
Right.
Because if “building” and “dwelling” stay separated, residents will hardly feel the act of building at all.
I want to find a way to bring that reality back.
I think there are three methods:
1.Direct participation of residents in building
2.Delivering it through the skills of craftsmen
3.Embedding the act of building into design
These align with the three roles: resident, builder, designer.
What do each of those mean?
“Direct participation of residents” is just what it sounds like.
By joining in and using their own minds and hands, building becomes much more familiar.
It can reduce costs, and they’ll gain skills for future maintenance too.
“Delivering it through the skills of craftsmen” means that although the craftspeople build instead of the residents,
their work carries layers of background, history, training, and the movement of their hands.
If the residents can feel the “trace of the craftsmen’s hands,”
I think they can also feel the act of building close to them.
It’s like the craftsmen take on the residents’ “hands.”
Lastly, “Embedding building into design.”
The designer thinks deeply about what to build and how to build it.
The more intensely this is thought through, the more it shows in the final work.
If the residents can sense the “trace of the designer’s thinking,”
building will feel closer to them.
It’s like the designer takes on the residents’ “mind.”
So it’s about everyone involved coming together to realize the act of building.
Exactly.
I don’t think everything has to be DIY.
It’s best when residents, builders, and designers can each make the most of their strengths.
That means choosing the right balance for each case.
You could call this designing the joy of making.
Got it. Let’s work on it together!
Thanks.
In the past, there was a system called “Yui” (*2) where people in rural areas helped each other build homes.
I wonder if we could use modern network technology to recreate something like that —
a gathering that mixes learning and practice.
It might be challenging, but I’d love to try.
The rise in construction costs due to the invasion of Ukraine and the “wood shock” is a serious problem.
But if you think about it differently, it’s also a chance to rethink the act of making.
DIY can help reduce costs, but how much you do affects its impact.
(For those with time and energy, I’d like to create options that allow a higher proportion of DIY.)
More than that, I think it’s better to see DIY as a way to reclaim the act of building,
which connects with themes I’ve been exploring.
If we can also add a network for learning and practice, the possibilities would grow even more.
This is something I’d love to work on with many people’s help.