Relocalization of the wood supply chain and democratization of the wooden house repair process
Long description
I am conducting research activities in the field of Kyoto, Japan, with the aim of reconstructing the relationship between production and consumption.
Japan has abundant forest resources, and the Keihoku region in the northern part of Kyoto has long been active in the forestry industry, but its self-sufficiency rate in wood is only 41.1% due to the influence of imported wood. Urban areas are considered the main consumption areas for lumber, but there are 100,000 vacant houses in central Kyoto alone, and 8.5 million houses in all of Japan.
We speculated on a platform that would directly connect wood producers and users, not through the construction of new houses, but through the repair of vacant houses, with the aim of improving the sustainability of both the satoyama and the urban area.
This is an alternative timber supply chain that enables people to directly access local timber. In addition, through the use of digital fabrication, it is possible to pre-cut wood for the repair of wooden houses, which requires a high level of craftsmanship.
By using this platform, forest owners can profit from the high value-added timber and return a portion of the profits to the forest. Residents themselves can repair vacant houses and live in them at lower rents, while real estate agents can expect to increase the value of their properties.
I prototyped the Netsugi joint using a CNC machine and Grasshopper, and verified its technical feasibility.
Additional Images
Please login or create a profile to view comments