airbnb and go hasegawa: house vision tokyo kenya hara

airbnb and go hasegawa explore shared space for house vision curated by kenya hara

every three years, the exhibition is held in tokyo. organized and curated by japanese designer kenya hara, ‘house vision’ brings together renowned names in the industry to present ideas on the future of the home. the theme this year is ‘CODIVIDUAL’, with 13 projects proposing the future of house. airbnb is the first western company to be invited to participate alongside panasonic, toyota and muji (all japanese) to demonstrate the connection between guest and host, and how these manifested relationships can benefit not just an individual, but an entire community.

airbnb worked in collaboration with go hasegawa, a tokyo-based architect, the team presents ‘yoshino sugi no ie’

the project sees airbnb working with tokyo-based architect go hasegawa to realize ‘yoshino sugi no le’ which translates to yoshino cedar house. the simple design illustrates and challenges the notion of shared space and ownership. the exhibition and home shows how a building can evolve during the day. throughout the process, the design team investigated a traditional model to develop a scheme that would positively benefit an entire community instead of a singular host.

‘at airbnb, we are always looking at what the future looks like, and enjoy challenging the way we currently think about living,’ comments joe gebbia, cofounder and CPO of airbnb. ‘working with go gave us the opportunity to bring these ideas to life, connecting our values of design and finding new ways to help communities.’

the design of the house drew on the heritage and expertise of the local people who shaped it

japan is faced with an aging population and growing urbanization, with many of the rural villages left diminished. this has led to financial hardships for the communities, and an abandonment of traditions and trade. to address this, the building itself is made from the cedar trees surrounding yoshino, felled by local woodsmen and built by the town’s carpenters. the process drew on the heritage and expertise of the local people who shaped it. in its entirety, the house is a celebration of the local traditions of the region, while also showing an innovative new way to interact with a space.

after the exhibition, the house will be moved to a permanent location in the town of yoshino

after the exhibition’s conclusion, the cedar house will be transported to a permanent location in the town of yoshino and become a shared space for the community. designed as a guesthouse or residence, visitors will be able to book the dwelling for holidays and the proceeds of each booking going towards a fund towards the local yoshino community.

‘through inheriting the modesty and the simplicity of the traditional japanese old house, I hope yoshino sugi no ie is going to not only harmonize well with local houses of yoshino, but also will become a place to experience japanese housing space for foreign tourists who visit this region.’ – go hasegawa, architect

designed as a guesthouse or residence, visitors will be able to book the house to stay in