Hyper village: Pixel communities System for Japan’s rural development Zhang Guoxian Thesis mentor: Assistant Prof Sam Conrad Joyce
01 | URBANIZATION & ITS IMPACTS
02 | REM KOOLHAAS: COUNTRYSIDE & THE FUTURE 03 | RURAL & URBAN DYNAMICS 04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE 05 | JAPAN’S RURAL & URBAN LANDSCAPE
Content Presentation outline
06 | GOALS & OBJECTIVES 07 | CREATING A HYPER VILLAGE 08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES 09 | SITE 10 | PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT SYSTEM 11 | VISUALISATIONS
Urbanization & its impacts
01 | URBANIZATION & ITS IMPACTS
Japan
01 | URBANIZATION & ITS IMPACTS
Hikkomori: Japan’s social and cultural systems are driving young adults into extreme isolation as a way to forget the events
Source: Butet-Roch, L. (2021, May 3). Pictures Reveal the Isolated Lives of Japan’s Social Recluses. Photography. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/photography/article/japan-hikikomori-isolation-society
Source Tokyo’s Crowded Living Conditions. (2020, August 6). Nippon.Com. https://www.nippon.com/en/japandata/h00782/#:%7E:text=The%20pull%20of%20Tokyo%20has,average%20floor%20area%20by%20prefecture.&text=The%20average%20floor%20area%2 0per,out%20of%20all%2047%20prefectures.
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Overly competitive industries and work lead to rising unemployment
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Rising costs of living
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Lack of support from community
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Disconnection from community: The situation is worse for those who travel from the suburbs/rural into cities as travelling time further reduces time spent with family and strains the relationship
01 | URBANIZATION & ITS IMPACTS
Source Ka-Sing, L. (2021, August 27). Hong Kong home prices approach all-time high as analysts see headwinds toward year-end. South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/business/article/3146618/hong-kong-home-prices-approach-all-time-high-analysts-see-headwinds-toward
Urban-rural migrants in Seoul, South Korea( 1990 - 2015) Source Urban-rural Migration and Migrants’ Successful Settlement in Korea (No. 2). (2018, June). Institute for Social Development and Policy Research (ISDPR). https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/90022841
01 | URBANIZATION & ITS IMPACTS
Tokyo’s change in population composition by age from 1980 to 2010
Source Writer, S. (2020, September 25). Japan to offer $9,000 to remote workers in countryside. Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-to-offer-9000-to-remote-workers-in-countryside
Source Writer, S. (2020, September 25). Japan to offer $9,000 to remote workers in countryside. Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-to-offer-9000-to-remote-workers-in-countryside
Countryside & the future
02| REM KOOLHAAS: COUTNRYSIDE & THE FUTURE
Rem Koolhaas
Source Teimpo, T. (2018, April 30). Countryside is the future. Https://Arquitecturaviva.Com/Articles/Countryside-Is-the-Future. Retrieved December 8, 2021, from https://arquitecturaviva.com/articles/countryside-is-the-future
“I am interested in the countryside now for the same reason that I was paying attention to New York in the 70s …..Because no one else was looking.” – Rem Koolhaaas (2019)
“At a certain point, the UN declared that half of mankind is now living in cities, since when there has been an avalanche of books and biennales talking only about cities. As a result, there is an enormous deficit in understanding what is happening in the countryside, which is where the truly radical changes are taking place.”
02 | REM KOOLHAAS: COUTNRYSIDE & THE FUTURE
IGNORED SPACES
1
“We decided to focus on the 98% of the Earth’s surface that is not occupied by cities”
"Our concentration on cities is itself a handicap in understanding global warming,”
Source Kimmelman, M. (2020, February 27). Why Rem Koolhaas Brought a Tractor to the Guggenheim. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/20/arts/design/rem-koolhaas-guggenheim.html
02 | REM KOOLHAAS: COUTNRYSIDE & THE FUTURE
“A world formerly dictated by the seasons and the organisation of agriculture…is now a toxic mix of genetic experiment, science, industrial nostalgia, seasonal immigration, territorial buying sprees, massive subsidies, incidental inhabitation, tax incentives, investment, political turmoil – in other words more volatile than the most accelerated city.”
Source Ray, D. (2020, June 2). Rem Koolhaas: countryside architecture. ICON Magazine. https://www.iconeye.com/architecture/features/rem-koolhaas-in-the-country
03 | RURAL & URBAN DYNAMICS
CHANGE IN URBAN AND RURAL DYNAMICS
Source https://www.tokyoweekender.com/2018/07/explore-the-backstreets-of-shibuya-an-area-guide/
Source https://en.japantravel.com/saitama/saitama%E2%80%99s-rural-heart-ogose-city/14605
03 | RURAL & URBAN DYNAMICS
Rural relocation
New York City, for example, was losing 376 residents per day to domestic migration in 2019 -- an increase of more than 100 per day from the previous year -- before it became the epicenter of the country’s virus outbreak
Source Patino, M. P. (2021, April 26). More Americans Are Leaving Cities, But Don’t Call It an Urban Exodus. CITYLAB. https://www.bloomberg.com/tosv2.html?vid=&uuid=37b23a33-5781-11ec-837e457a4663644c&url=L2dyYXBoaWNzLzIwMjEtY2l0eWxhYi1ob3ctYW1lcmljYW5zLW1vdmVkLw==
List of places people moving out of Tokyo migrate to, ranked based on total numbers. The top three areas of residence include Fujisawa City, Mitaka City and Koganei City
Source https://www.tokyo-np.co.jp/article/98995
03 | RURAL & URBAN DYNAMICS
Embracing life in the countryside
Non-commercial & community farming
Source: Agriculture Leans on Japanese Women. (2013, November 27). Inter Press Service. http://www.ipsnews.net/2013/06/agricultureleans-on-japanese-women/.
Remote working
Rural / Eco-tourism
Source Writer, S. (2020, September 25). Japan to offer $9,000 to remote workers in countryside. Nikkei Asia. https://asia.nikkei.com/Economy/Japan-to-offer-9-000-to-remote-workers-in-countryside
Source Rural Development and Tourism : MAFF. (2019, January 1). Https://Www.Maff.Go.Jp/e/Policies/Rural_dev/. https://www.maff.go.jp/e/policies/rural_dev/
Pixel farming – a new form of “Urbanism for vegetation” proposed by Koolhaas in the Countryside & the future
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Source: Koolhaas, R., Armstrong, R., & Therrien, T. C. (2020). Countryside, a report: Amo, Rem Koolhaas. Taschen.
Pixel farming Agriculture as a catalyst for change
Role of agriculture in the countryside Supporting local economy and community growth Technological reforms in the agricultural sector can help boost the local economy while supporting community businesses and attracting new residents.
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Supporting community farming also promotes cooperation and interactions to create more bonded communities.
Agricultural evolution
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Agri-tech developments Smart farming technologies such as remote monitoring through aerial drones and sensors registering weather information and predictions to help farmers better adjust to the climate changes affecting crop growth
Pixel cropping
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Integrating agriculture & ecology Investigation into pixel cropping methods that involve planting of different varieties of crops to increase biodiversity and yield. In conjunction with modern technology, Rem proposes a new type of farms that are more productive and sustainable.
Nature and agriculture Agriculture methods such as pixel farms increase biodiversity and contributes to the natural environment.
Source: Koolhaas, R., Armstrong, R., & Therrien, T. C. (2020). Countryside, a report: Amo, Rem Koolhaas. Taschen.
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Pixel farms
Mono Strip Pixel
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Pixel farms
Pixel farms
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Drone hub & farm size Pixel farm on a 5m x 5m grid centered around drone port. Mechanized agriculture with coverage within 80m radius
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Pixel farms
Aerial drones for monitoring crops
Sensors on drone hub monitor temperature, humidity and weather conditions
Pixel bots for automatic maintenance and watering of crops
Pixel farms
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Crop diversity Pixel farms accommodate different types of crops across different harvesting seasons, where winter crops are mainly located along the periphery for partial shading.
Pixel farms
04 | PIXEL FARMING: AGRICULTURE AS A CATALYST FOR CHANGE
Seasonal harvesting and regeneration Growing crops with different harvesting seasons allows time for the land to regenerate for more sustainable agriculture practices.
05 | JAPAN’S RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE
JAPAN’S RURAL VS URBAN LANDSCAPE
Urban > Nature
Nature > Urban
Rural and urban connectivity
Tokaido Megapolis Masterplan
05 | JAPAN’S RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE
Shimokobe: Nucleus city accessible by conventional take off and landing aircrafts (CTOL) – (left), and series of different work/industrial/leisure zones – (right)
Source: (Project Japan: Metabolism Talks) [By: Koolhaas, Rem] [Sep, 2011], 2011, p. 680
Tange: The Tokaido Megapolis with a single urban corridor running across Japan connecting all regions
1.
Distribution of power and population away from overcrowded city centers
2.
Railway and highway networks were proposed to increase mobility to help spread development
3.
Embracing the “leisure” lifestyle -Bigger cities such as Tokyo and Osaka were reserved for commercial and industrial development, while smaller cities/rural regions were to be dedicated solely for leisure and recreational activities.
Japan’s cities and countryside
05 | JAPAN’S RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE
During the initial research, the landscape of Japan was investigated by sampling areas in a line passing through Tokyo City in the Greater Tokyo region.
Greater Tokyo region
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. (1920–2015). GSI Maps｜Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport [Dataset]. https://maps.gsi.go.jp/#13/35.673167/139.772598/&base=std&ls=std%7Cort_1928%7Cort_USA10&blend=00&disp=111&lcd=ort_USA10&vs=c1j0h0k0l0u0t0z0r0s0m0f1&d=m
05 | JAPAN’S RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE
Japan’s cities and countryside
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. (1920–2015). GSI Maps｜Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport [Dataset]. https://maps.gsi.go.jp/#13/35.673167/139.772598/&base=std&ls=std%7Cort_1928%7Cort_USA10&blend=00&disp=111&lcd=ort_USA10&vs=c1j0h0k0l0u0t0z0r0s0m0f1&d=m
05 | JAPAN’S RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE
Cities Hyper Village Countryside
05 | JAPAN’S RURAL AND URBAN LANDSCAPE
Countryside & the future?
FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES?
Thesis statement
06 | GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Over the years, urban planners and architects have placed emphasis on the development and intensification of cities. Ageing rural populations and rural-to-urban migration have resulted in the decline of rural population and an increasing neglect of the countryside. However, the discovery of changes to the rural and urban dynamics in the recent years has prompted architects such as Rem Koolhaas to turn their attention towards the countryside, where he highlights some of these radical changes in his exhibition: “Countryside & the Future”. In addition, the rise of agricultural technology such as pixel farming has provided opportunities to manage rural development challenges. The Hyper Village project thus seeks to adopt these agricultural technologies to create a post-metropolitan condition through a system of development of Japan’s countryside that envisions a more sustainable and greener development, while creating more communal driven and bonded communities.
06 | GOALS & OBJECTIVES
Design objectives
1.
To create a series of architectural interventions that includes programs such as community facilities, housing, and community farming
2.
To appropriate technology to create sustainable living and working spaces
3.
To respond to the local climate, social and cultural demands
Creating a hyper village
07 | CREATING A HYPER VILLAGE
Creating communal driven and bonded communities
Shaping sustainable development with technology
Bringing people closer to nature
Creating a hyper village
07 | CREATING A HYPER VILLAGE
Japan’s Green Growth Strategy Japan’s green growth strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. This includes development is sectors such as sustainable energy supply, autonomous transportation and electric vehicles.
Source: “Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050” Formulated. (2020, December 25). “Green Growth Strategy Through Achieving Carbon Neutrality in 2050” Formulated. https://www.meti.go.jp/english/press/2020/1225_001.html
From pixel farms to pixel communities
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Planning and hybrid land use
Pixel planning
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Applying planning grid used in pixel farming of 5m x 5m
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Pixel planning
Pixel farms
Agriculture
Prefab modular units
Training
Offices
Shared facilities
Housing
Prefab modular units
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Flexibility Modular prefab unit structure allows for expansion vertically and laterally to provide flexibility and accommodate growth. Prefabrication construction reduces building waste.
Offices
Shared facilities
Housing
Training
Prefab modular units
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Solar panels
Greywater filtration system
Sustainability Minimal building footprint reserves sufficient landscape and agricultural lands for sustainable development. Greywater filtration system provides irrigation for pixel farms. Solar panels provide renewable energy for town
Prefab modular units
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Embracing smaller living and bonded communities Small housing movement provides the basis for smaller building footprint that places emphasis on the public realm to create more interactive and bonded communities
Pixel farms
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Biophilic design Emphasis on nature provides visual & nonvisual connection with nature that promotes overall well-being for residents
Offices
Shared facilities
Housing
Training
Agriculture
Pixel farms
08 | FROM PIXEL FARMS TO PIXEL COMMUNITIES
Cooperative ownership Communal ownership of agricultural land promotes cooperation between commercial farmers and non-commercial farmers and residents.
Offices
Agriculture
Training
Site analysis
09 | SITE
Katayangi, Saitama
Site Selecting the site The development system proposed can be replicated in most areas of rural Japan. An arbitrary site of a small town along the border of Saitama city was chosen demonstrate the development process.
Katayangi
Saitama prefecture
09 | SITE
Tokyo City
Existing land use
Farmlands
Forestry Parks & recreation Abandoned/ undeveloped lands Residential
09 | SITE
m
Light industry Community
Existing land use
Abandoned lands
Informal industrial setup
Industrial warehouse
Farmlands
Forestry Parks & recreation Abandoned/ undeveloped lands Residential
09 | SITE
Light industry Historic sites
Abandoned lands
Low rise housing
Community
Undeveloped land parcels Area of focus Most farming and rural towns in Japan contains a large portion of unutilized and empty lands. The development system begins with these areas.
Undeveloped/ abandoned lands 09 | SITE
m
Residential & industrial land use In-between spaces Most of the undeveloped lands are often nested between light industry and residential areas. Design should create more effective connections and transitions between existing residential and industrial buildings
Light industry
09 | SITE
m
Residential
Noise level and programs In-between spaces Agriculture situated between existing residential and light industrial areas to further improve noise and quality of living environment
Light industry
09 | SITE
Noise level/ intensity Program
High Light industries/offices
Med Agriculture
Low Shared facilities/ Housing
m
Residential
Parks and recreation Connecting parks and recreational spaces Most small towns in the countryside contains large areas of nature and recreational spaces. Undeveloped lands Parks and recreational spaces
Undeveloped lands Parks and recreational spaces
09 | SITE
m
Connectivity to roads Access points Roads adjacent and connected to the land parcels are identified as access points to development within the unused lands
Level of adjacency between land parcels and roads 09 | SITE
m
Masterplan Hybrid land use Hybrid land use improves agricultural productivity while creating more flexible spaces that can cater to different programs according to the needs of each town
Housing
+ Agriculture
Shared facilities
09 | SITE
Training facilities
Offices/ Co-working spaces
Masterplan Hybrid Land use Different categories of programs are allocated to each land parcel according to the adjacent land use and programs. Agricultural lands are allocated to areas large enough to allow for effective production.
Housing
Shared facilities
Agriculture
Connected parks
09 | SITE
Area > 3000 m2 - Agriculture + mixed use Area < 3000 m2 - Mixed use
Electric/ autonomous vehicles
Light industries/ offices
Creating pixel communities
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Pixel farms
Rules and conditions
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Overall agriculture land area
Agriculture
Others
Crop composition
Summer crops (Tall) Winter crops (Small)
Autumn crops (Medium)
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Rules and conditions
Pixel farms
Transition state 0
1
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
2
Summer crops (Tall)
Autumn crops (Medium)
Winter crops (Small)
Drone port
Pixel farms
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Pixel farms growth
Based on the initial logic of growth, the simulation was run multiple times in order to determine iteration that best fits the site
Creating pixel communities
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Modular units
Modular units Units
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture
Landscape
Random population
Modular units Units
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture
Landscape
From residential units
Modular units Units
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture
Landscape
From roads
Modular units Units
Both models overlap each other to create an initial hybrid land use model consisting of agriculture, modular units and landscape.
Landscape
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agriculture
Random Population
From residential
From roads
Modular units
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agricultural land
Offices/Co-working spaces
Drone hub
Agricultural storage
Function & event space/ Retail
Training & research
Residential units (2-4 residents)
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agglomerations
Farming agglomeration
Residential agglomeration
Offices & training facilities agglomeration
Agglomerations Combinations The following illustrates the 3 main types of agglomerations for the modular units. These units further overlap adjacent to each other based on the adjacency matrix
Agricultural land
09 | PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Farming agglomeration
Drone hub
Residential agglomeration
Office & training facilities agglomeration
Agricultural storage
Training & research
Offices/Co-working spaces
Function & event space/ pop-up markets
Housing/farmstay
Interaction matrix Each category of program is further classified and plotted in an adjacency matrix to reflect the most suitable arrangement of adjacent programs
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
0
0.5
0
0
0
0
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Agricultural land
1.0
0
-1.0
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
0.5
0
-1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0
0
0
-1.0
0
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0
0.5
0.5
-0.5
1.0
1.0
0
0.5
0.5
0
-0.5
0
0
-0.5
0
0.5
0.5
0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
-0.5
0
0
0
1.0
0.5
0
0
0.5
0
-1.0
0
0
0
1.0
1.0
0.5
0
0.5
0
-1.0
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
1.0
1.0
0
0.5
Drone hub
Agricultural storage
Training & research
Offices/Co-working spaces
Function & event space/ pop-up markets
Housing/farmstay
Interaction matrix
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
D1
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
0
0.5
0
0
0
0
1.0
0
-1.0
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
0.5
0
-1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0
0
0
-1.0
0
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0
0.5
0.5
-0.5
1.0
1.0
0
0.5
0.5
0
-0.5
0
0
-0.5
0
0.5
0.5
0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
-0.5
0
0
0
1.0
0.5
0
0
0.5
0
-1.0
0
0
0
1.0
1.0
0.5
0
0.5
0
-1.0
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
1.0
1.0
0
0.5
Score = 2.0
No change
D1
C1
Score = -1.0
Score = 0.5
Program in cell is considered optimal only if score is > 0
Target cell Adjacent cells sampled
Interaction matrix
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
D1
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1.0
1.0
1.0
0
0
0.5
0
0
0
0
1.0
0
-1.0
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
0.5
0
-1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0
0
0
-1.0
0
0.5
0.5
0
0
0
0
0.5
0.5
-0.5
1.0
1.0
0
0.5
0.5
0
-0.5
0
0
-0.5
0
0.5
0.5
0
1.0
0.5
0.5
0.5
0.5
-0.5
0
0
0
1.0
0.5
0
0
0.5
0
-1.0
0
0
0
1.0
1.0
0.5
0
0.5
0
-1.0
-0.5
-0.5
-0.5
1.0
1.0
0
0.5
Score = 2.0
No change
D1
C1
Score = -1.0
Score = 0.5
Program in cell is considered optimal only if score is > 0
Target cell Adjacent cells sampled
Creating pixel communities
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Massing & optimization
Massing Concentrating agglomerations Isolated and neighbour-less units are identified through connectivity constraints and removed Isolated
Modular units Farmland Isolated & Neighbour-less cell
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Drone hub
Cell connectivity
1
Neighbour-less
Massing Increasing density Units are added on 2nd floor is added to increase density. Arrangement Is optimized using Galapagos and cell connectivity to minimize density and maximize lighting
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Minimizing adjacent faces
Simulation result with best fitness level
Optimization
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Program allocation Programs are dictated by the land use plan for different parcels and clusters are first placed based on available agglomerations. Manual adjustments are then carried out interactively with the cell unit analysis to optimize program allocation.
Housing Shared facilities Offices Training Storage
Cell unit analysis
Optimization Circulation & programs Nature parks on both sides are connected by a path with the least intersections with the units and farms. Buffer zones are added between the farmlands and modular units before additional public spaces and facilities are added.
Pop-up markets
Playground
10| PROPOSED SYSTEM FOR DEVELOPMENT
Parks
Storage
Housing
Electric vehicle sharing
Shared facilities Offices Training Storage
Autonomous public transportation
11 | VISUALISATIONS
Visualizations
11 | VISUALISATIONS
11 | VISUALISATIONS
11 | VISUALISATIONS
11 | VISUALISATIONS
11 | VISUALISATIONS
End
