ASIBA Creative Incubation Program 2nd

Embracing Risk = A Environment Where Failure Is Allowed

From April to July 2024, we launched the second session of “ASIBA,” an incubation program specializing in the fields of architecture and urban planning. This session—the first to be operated by the ASIBA General Incorporated Association—drew approximately 20 participants to a three-month program consisting of eight sessions.Centered around lectures and workshops held every two weeks, along with monthly one-on-one mentoring sessions, 17 teams engaged in hands-on activities to present their respective “questions” to society. At the final event, “ASIBA FES 2024,” all teams presented the results of their three-month efforts.

Following the completion of the first cohort, ASIBA was reorganized as a general incorporated association. The motivation behind this incorporation was to establish a foundation for the program’s ongoing operation and to build a broader ecosystem that supports the challenges undertaken by architecture students. The theme of the second cohort was “An Incubation Program as a Space for Taking on Challenges.” Isn’t what is truly needed a safe environment for taking on challenges—a fertile ground where failure is permitted?High-resolution questions can only emerge through the repeated testing of hypotheses. To continue this process of testing, we need not only funding and technology but also a culture that welcomes failure. Guided by this awareness, we redesigned the program from the first phase onward, both in terms of scale and structure.

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The Cycle of Practice and Validation

We changed the schedule from the first phase’s 8-week, weekly sessions to a 12-week, biweekly schedule plus one mentoring session per month. The program is designed to ensure time for practice and verification between each session, allowing participants to move their projects forward while making course corrections through one-on-one discussions with mentors.

April 13 KICK OFF— “What Is an Entrepreneur?”
April 13 Formulating Questions— “Receptivity and Social Implementation”
April 27 Prototyping— “Prototype & Demo Day”
May 11 Business Plan and Funding — “Proposal and Fundraising”
May 25–26 Mid-Program Retreat—Ogawa Town Fieldwork & Mid-Program Pitch
June 8 Hypothesis Validation— “Customer Challenges and Solutions”
June 22 Pitching and Media — “Building Empathy”
July 6 ASIBA FES 2024—FINAL PITCH / PROJECT BOOTH

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Pioneers Who Give Challengers a Push Forward

We invited architects and entrepreneurs who are at the forefront of the architecture and urban planning fields to provide mentoring and lectures. They serve as a source of encouragement for the challengers, helping them not only acquire the technical skills and knowledge needed for implementation but also develop the mindset required to forge new paths.

Mentors: Responsible for providing advice and guidance to each mentor group through
monthly mentoring sessions

Atsumi Hayashi
Kyoko Watanabe
Mitsuba Sato
Yutaro Ren

Guest Lecturers: Entrepreneurs active in the fields of
architecture and urban planning, delivering lectures every other week

Kunpei Toyota (HUB&STOCK Co., Ltd.)
Takayuki Aoki (SORABITO Co., Ltd.)
A-Haru (O Co., Ltd.)
Taro Kagami (SEN Co., Ltd.)

Vacant Houses, Forests, Woodworking Shops

During the 5th interim retreat, we conducted fieldwork and workshops based at NESTo (Takenaka Koshoten) in Ogawa Town, Saitama Prefecture.Focusing on the three themes of vacant houses, forests, and woodworking shops, we were guided by three professionals active in Ogawa Town and collectively explored the challenges and possibilities. Additionally, as part of a joint social gathering for Cohorts 1 and 2, we held mutual sketch sessions for each project.

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17 Projects and Questions

Each team’s project was categorized into four themes at ASIBA FES 2024.

New Cityscape—The Transformation of Urban “Lifestyles”

Takeno: How can young people live a truly human life in Tokyo’s downtown area, where redevelopment is underway?
Enoniwa: Can we use drawing as a tool for dialogue between us and people with disabilities?
Nitchinock!: How can we restore a city’s “unique character” as it becomes increasingly homogenized?
Hami Lab: How can we convey the hidden value of objects?

The Intersection of Design and Technology—The Potential of Technology to Enrich Daily Life

Withvac: How Can We Update Architecture Through the Integration of Facilities and Data?
Hami Lab: How can we convey the hidden value of objects?
Yohack: How Can We Preserve the History of the City and Ourselves?
Swarunba: Can Spaces with Mobility and Adaptability Transform Our Living Experiences?

Design for Human Interaction—New Horizons in Co-Creation and Community

Magotabi: Should Vacant Houses Just Stay Vacant?
Architecture Food Truck: Can’t We All Create Our Ideal Spaces and Cities with Our Own Hands?
Town Bookshelf: How Can We Create Spaces Where People Gather, Meet, and Learn?
Perch of Purple Smoke: How Long Will People Continue to Monitor One Another?

A New World Pioneered by Architectural Creativity

Sukima: Can’t we spread experiences that bring innovation into the everyday life of the city?
Two-Tatami Architecture: What Possibilities Can Movable Structures Create?
LOVE & TOILET: How Can We Create Restrooms Where Everyone Feels Safe, Anytime, Anywhere?
Sand Print: What Is a New Way of Building?
Urban Mochi-maki: What value can a construction site bring to the city?

Will that vision transcend the “now”?

“ASIBA FES 2024,” the final exhibition and pitch event held as the culmination of ASIBA Incubation Phase 2, brought together young people who had spent months grappling with their own questions in an effort to envision the future from the fields of architecture and urban planning.The 19 projects participating in Cohort 2 each set up their own booths. Going beyond mere presentations of business plans, they expressed the contours of society they had each discovered through “objects” such as handcrafted models, “experiences” that engaged visitors, and passionate “words.”On this day, as diverse people crossed generational and organizational boundaries to visit and engage in repeated dialogue, the event truly became a “space where multiple futures intersect.” The exhibition scenes and pitch sessions offered a glimpse of the possibilities for new cities that lie ahead in their vision.

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