Ishinomaki Laboratory: An Experiment in DIY and Design

At a time when environmental awareness is becoming increasingly important, the post-disaster and DIY-oriented philosophy of Ishinomaki Laboratory reflects the changing paradigms in furniture design today.

Ishinomaki Laboratory was born in the aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011. Initiated by the architect Keiji Ashizawa, it was originally thought as a community workshop intended to assist residents affected by the disaster rebuilding furniture from the materials at hand. Along with running DIY workshops, Ishinomaki Laboratory also participated in restoring local shops and the relevance and appeal of these well-designed yet low-tech products quickly resonated with people around the world.

Today, Ishinomaki Laboratory has established itself as a prominent figure in contemporary design, some pieces being considered as classics of contemporary Japanese design. This book marks 10 years of prolific activities, providing an insight into the history of the brand, the products and many collaborations with established designers and partners worldwide that are giving shape to this ongoing experiment. Above all, it provides a tangible demonstration of possible solutions for rethinking furniture design from environmental imperatives.

Author: Keiji Ashizawa, Naoki Terada, Karen Orton
Publisher: Actar
Published: 06/01/2025
Pages: 256
Binding Type: Paperback
ISBN: 9781948765817

About the Author
Ashizawa, Keiji: - Keiji Ashizawa was born in 1973. After graduation from Yokohama National University College Department of Architecture and Building Science in 1996, Keiji started his career in architecture WORKSHOP and sharpened his craftsmanship philosophy and developed his skill through custom-building of furniture in super robot. In 2005 he founded his own design studio, Keiji Ashizawa Design.

Keiji is active in a wide range, including cooperation with various furniture brands such as Karimoku, MUJI, IKEA for product design projects, and Panasonic for product development and architecture projects.Hisdesigns won various awards such as Good Design Award (top 100 and Special Award from the Chairman of JDP for Ishinomaki Laboratory), and AIA's 2010 National Architecture Awards（for Wall House with Peter Stutchbury Architecture）His philosophy, "Honest Design" is consistent in every project expanding from designs for small products to architectural projects. He honestly tackles the terms and limitations of each project, groping solution for them. This process from general viewpoints results in multifaceted solutions, which amplify each element and shine the strength and beauty of materials. In architectural projects, focusing on the relation with environmental terms, he approaches from the landscape to the styling, harmonizing the space with various techniques comprehensively. For the products, considering not only functions and limitations but also relations and effects with the spaces and architectures, he is good at product designing with fine-tuning of materials.On the other hand, he is also keen to seek how design and creativity contribute to society from his architectural perspective. In 2011 to support local communities' autonomous restoration from the Great East Japan earthquake, he founded a DIY studio, Ishinomaki Laboratory. In 2014 Ishinomaki Laboratory was incorporated as a furniture brand. Design Koishikawa, which is the gallery space opened only for two years (2016-2018) in Koishikawa, is another excellent example of his projects rooted in his contribution to society. Design Koishikawa aimed to foster a local culture of the Koishikawa area, where Keiji's design studio was located. Keiji's perspective nestles close to individuals and communities of people. His works interpret knowledge and values gained from the past for modern society through choosing social-good methods and materials for environments and local society around people. His modern aspect of design translates the accumulation of values inherited from the past into one for future generations.Terada, Naoki: - Architect and designer. In 1994, he completed the MA course of the Association School of Architecture (AA school) in London. After returning to Japan, he produced and directed various brands as well as designing architectures and products. In 2003, he established TERADA DESIGN ARCHITECTS OFFICE. In 2011, he opened "TERADAMOKEI" in Simokitazawa, Tokyo. Currently, he's President, COO of Interoffice Inc., an outside lecturer of Musashino Art University, and the juror of the Good Design Award. He directs the brand, "15.0% ice cream spoon"which is produced and marketed by TAKATA Lemnos Inc., while designing all the products.Cheng, Rebekah: - Product Designer at Supahands
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