After Japan’s earthquake in 2011, a group of volunteer designers led by architect Keiji Ashizawa wanted to volunteer for disaster relief in the affected areas. The collective gathered a lot of tools and materials, then set up workshops to teach residents how to knock together simple DIY furniture that they could keep.
And an interesting thing happened: “These design-centric workshops, where DIY skills and ideas are shared, are still being run to this day,” writes Ishinomaki Laboratory, as the still-existing collective is called. (Herman Miller graciously chipped in with funding.)
The furniture, with its unapologetic DIY style, also caught on. While workshop participants can still learn to build the pieces for free, Ishinomaki Laboratory offers them for external sale as a way for non-residents to support their mission. Some examples:
Designed by TORAFU ARCHITECTS
Designed by Studio Adjektiv
Designed by Koichi Futatsumata
Designed by Tomoko Azumi
See the entire collection, which cuts deep, here.