The International Program in Architecture and Urban Design (I-AUD; a master’s program taught entirely in English and established in the 2013 academic year) in the Meiji University Graduate School of Science and Technology Architecture Program held a collaborative international workshop with graduate students of the University of Southern California (USC) between September 26 and October 1. The workshop focused on problems in a specific district, and proposed a vision for the future interweaving new and old cultures. The workshop was led by Yoichiro Hakomori, an adjunct associate professor at USC, as well as Meiji University professor Masami Kobayashi, associate professor Hiroyuki Sasaki, professor Yasutaka Yoshimura and professor Manuel Tardits. The workshop took up the district in the vicinity of the Kita-Jikken River in Tokyo’s Sumida Ward. The participants deciphered the existing urban context and probed measures for improvement on issues related to the riverside and the surrounding town. On the final day of the week-long intensive project, they made specific design proposals and shared their findings and issues.
The I-AUD Program is also planning to hold international workshops in the fall semester with the Free University Brussels (Belgium) and Chulalongkorn University (Thailand).
