[Background]
This project is part of the “YADORIGI PROJECT,” a public-private initiative based in the shopping district of Morioka City. The project aims to uncover and promote the diverse local charm of the city while also raising awareness of the value of locally produced timber. Within this initiative, NoMaDoS was responsible for designing original outdoor furniture made using local wood from Morioka.
We wanted the furniture not to be simply “placed on the street,” but to naturally blend into the streetscape and become a part of the city’s everyday scenery. With this vision, we developed the concept of “furniture that coexists with the street”—pieces that rely on the contours of the site to take form and function.
During the design and quantity planning stages, we created multiple physical prototypes. We also conducted interviews with local shop owners, citizen workshops, and surveys to carefully gather diverse user needs and opinions, ensuring that the designs were grounded in real, everyday life.
[Highlight]
Designed in a way that cannot stand independently, the furniture must lean against the existing street structure to remain stable, symbolising a mutually dependent relationship with the city.
Tool-free assembly and disassembly allow flexible repositioning based on weather conditions or event needs.
Made primarily of Japanese cedar (sugi), a softwood less commonly used than hardwoods, the project aims to encourage its broader application and support the local forestry industry.
[Project Overview]
Location: Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture, Japan
Project Title: FY2024 Local Timber Utilisation Project for Commercial District Revitalisation
(Commissioned by: Home Sick Design LLC'合同会社ホームシックデザイン')
Materials Used: Solid cedar wood
Design Details: Outdoor furniture including planter-integrated benches, simple tables that can be inserted directly into the ground, and standing poles with built-in lighting for drinking spaces.
[Project Team]
Design: NoMaDoS / Fumi Otsusaka, Hikaru Chiba
Construction: Iwaizawa Komuten Co., Ltd.