Exhibition ”The Catalytic Commoning: The Design Approach for Urbanism and Architecture” and the relating talk-session and workshop @ Design Hub in Tokyo Midtwon, Roppongi

An exhibition ”The Catalytic Commoning: The Design Approach for Urbanism and Architecture” took place introducing the process of architectural design that the course leader and tutor, Sarah Mills has been practicing and theorizing by taking filmmaking method in her studio of the Leeds Beckett University, School of Architecture in UK and explained their unique method to capture cities and works, diagrams made by the idea of ‘foreigner’s gaze’ borrowing filmmaker’s way by Lars Von Trier’ or Chris Marker or so on the cities like Mumbai, Mexico City and Tokyo as their subject places by showing recent student’s works.

Also, a talk session about the possibilities of the filmic approach and a workshop that Ms. Mills teaches the method therefore we realised how the film method relates to the design for the urbanism and architecture.
The guests of the talk-session were Ms. Mills, Keiichi Ogata from CAT, Mr. Kenichi Tanoue from the Kyushu University and Mr. Tetsu Anzai from Kyushu Sangyo University with Ms. Minako Ikeda from the Kyushu University as a coordinator.
IN the sessionMs. Mills and Ogata explained about the new and unique theory such as the idea using film editing for the sake of objective capture on cities in order to bring it to architectural forming. Then after Mr. Tanoue and Mr. Anzai joining they discussed how to take the idea in education and the practical way to use it. Receiving opinions and suggestion we had active conversation therefore we had a word in the audience that it gives the opportunity to think of new method by articulating film and architecture.
(Reference: KID NEXT [Kyushu University Design Next] website )

• Date: 24 – 26 November 2016
• Venue: International Design Raison Centre in Midtown Tokyo, Roppongi
• Presented by Kyushu University, School of Design,
• Supported by Japan Institute of Design Promotion / Cinématic Architecture Tokyo

Lecture and Presentation ‘The Gaze of Commoning - film architecture as a new urban paradigm’ @ Japan Women’s University

Ms. Mills spoke about their projects using filmmaking method, essaystic approach and scenographic construction way on ‘commons’ that is recently becoming a sort of an impasse in UK showing practical works by her students.
Before the lecture for the sake of interaction there was a presentation time for the Leeds Beckett University, Japan Women’s University and Cinématic Architecture Tokyo.

• Date: 24 November 2016
• Venue: Japan Women’s University, Mejiro, Tokyo
• Presented by Akiko Miya’s Laboratory, Japan Women’s University, Department of Housing and Architecture
• Supported by Japan Institute of Design Promotion and Cinématic Architecture Tokyo

[Aggregate Review]
It is important that Ms. Mills pointed to the significance of building and architect’s social role. We, CAT found the similarities on her approach very much. Also we re-recognised that intervening with different media such as films and others etc. possibly gives us new interpretation on existing things as well as the possible way to solve the present problems in urban space by taking time with them.