WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.000 Hi. I am an architect. 00:00:02.000 --> 00:00:04.000 I am the only architect in the world 00:00:04.000 --> 00:00:07.000 making buildings out of paper like this cardboard tube, 00:00:07.000 --> 00:00:10.000 and this exhibition is the first one I did 00:00:10.000 --> 00:00:11.000 using paper tubes. 00:00:11.000 --> 00:00:16.000 1986, much, much longer before people started talking 00:00:16.000 --> 00:00:20.000 about ecological issues and environmental issues, 00:00:20.000 --> 00:00:23.000 I just started testing the paper tube 00:00:23.000 --> 00:00:26.000 in order to use this as a building structure. 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:31.000 It's very complicated to test the new material for the building, 00:00:31.000 --> 00:00:34.000 but this is much stronger than I expected, 00:00:34.000 --> 00:00:36.000 and also it's very easy to waterproof, 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:38.000 and also, because it's industrial material, 00:00:38.000 --> 00:00:40.000 it's also possible to fireproof. NOTE Paragraph 00:00:40.000 --> 00:00:44.000 Then I built the temporary structure, 1990. 00:00:44.000 --> 00:00:47.000 This is the first temporary building out of paper. 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:51.000 There are 330 tubes, diameter 55 [centimeters], 00:00:51.000 --> 00:00:53.000 [unclear] tubes diameter, 00:00:53.000 --> 00:00:56.000 it's 120 centimeters, four feet wide. 00:00:56.000 --> 00:00:58.000 As you see it in the photo, inside is the toilet. 00:00:58.000 --> 00:01:01.000 In case you're finished with toilet paper, 00:01:01.000 --> 00:01:03.000 you can tear those things out of the wall. (Laughter) 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:06.000 So it's very useful. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:06.000 --> 00:01:10.000 Year 2000, there was a big expo in Germany. 00:01:10.000 --> 00:01:12.000 I was asked to design the building, 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:15.000 because the theme of the expo was environmental issues. 00:01:15.000 --> 00:01:20.000 So I was chosen to build the pavilion out of paper tubes, 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:21.000 recyclable paper. 00:01:21.000 --> 00:01:24.000 My goal of the design is not when it's completed. 00:01:24.000 --> 00:01:26.000 My goal was when the building was demolished, 00:01:26.000 --> 00:01:30.000 because each country make a lot of pavilions 00:01:30.000 --> 00:01:34.000 but after half a year, we create a lot of industrial waste, 00:01:34.000 --> 00:01:38.000 so my building has to be reused or recycled. 00:01:38.000 --> 00:01:40.000 After, the building was recycled. 00:01:40.000 --> 00:01:43.000 So that was the goal of my design. NOTE Paragraph 00:01:43.000 --> 00:01:46.000 Then I was very lucky to win the competition 00:01:46.000 --> 00:01:49.000 of building the second Pompidou Center in France 00:01:49.000 --> 00:01:50.000 in the city of Metz. 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:52.000 Because I was so poor, 00:01:52.000 --> 00:01:54.000 I wanted to rent an office in Paris, 00:01:54.000 --> 00:01:55.000 but I couldn't afford it, 00:01:55.000 --> 00:01:57.000 so I decided to bring my students to Paris 00:01:57.000 --> 00:02:01.000 to build our office on top of the Pompidou Center in Paris 00:02:01.000 --> 00:02:02.000 by ourselves. 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:06.000 So we brought the paper tubes and the wooden joints 00:02:06.000 --> 00:02:10.000 to complete the 35-meter-long office. 00:02:10.000 --> 00:02:13.000 We stayed there for six years without paying any rent. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:17.000 (Laughter) (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:02:17.000 --> 00:02:19.000 Thank you. I had one big problem. 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:21.000 Because we are part of the exhibition, 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:25.000 if even my friend wants to see me, they have to buy a ticket to see me. 00:02:25.000 --> 00:02:27.000 That was the problem. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:27.000 --> 00:02:30.000 Then I completed the Pompidou Center in Metz. 00:02:30.000 --> 00:02:31.000 It's a very popular museum now, 00:02:31.000 --> 00:02:35.000 and I created a big monument for the government. NOTE Paragraph 00:02:35.000 --> 00:02:37.000 But then I was very disappointed 00:02:37.000 --> 00:02:39.000 at my profession as an architect, 00:02:39.000 --> 00:02:43.000 because we are not helping, we are not working for society, 00:02:43.000 --> 00:02:46.000 but we are working for privileged people, 00:02:46.000 --> 00:02:50.000 rich people, government, developers. 00:02:50.000 --> 00:02:52.000 They have money and power. 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:54.000 Those are invisible. 00:02:54.000 --> 00:02:58.000 So they hire us to visualize their power and money 00:02:58.000 --> 00:03:00.000 by making monumental architecture. 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.000 That is our profession, even historically the same, 00:03:02.000 --> 00:03:04.000 even now we are doing the same. 00:03:04.000 --> 00:03:08.000 So I was very disappointed we are not working for society, 00:03:08.000 --> 00:03:12.000 even though there are so many people 00:03:12.000 --> 00:03:15.000 who lost their houses by natural disaster. 00:03:15.000 --> 00:03:18.000 But I must say they are no longer natural disasters. 00:03:18.000 --> 00:03:21.000 For example, earthquakes never kill people, 00:03:21.000 --> 00:03:23.000 but collapse of the buildings kill people. 00:03:23.000 --> 00:03:25.000 That's the responsibility of architects. 00:03:25.000 --> 00:03:27.000 Then people need some temporary housing, 00:03:27.000 --> 00:03:28.000 but there are no architects working there 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:32.000 because we are too busy working for privileged people. 00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:36.000 So I thought, even as architects, 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:41.000 we can be involved in the quick construction of the temporary housing. 00:03:41.000 --> 00:03:42.000 We can make it better. 00:03:42.000 --> 00:03:46.000 So that is why I started working in disaster areas. NOTE Paragraph 00:03:46.000 --> 00:03:50.000 1994, there was a big disaster in Rwanda, Africa. 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.000 Two tribes, Hutu and Tutsi, fought each other. 00:03:53.000 --> 00:03:55.000 Over two million people became refugees. 00:03:55.000 --> 00:03:59.000 But I was so surprised to see the shelter, refugee camp 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:01.000 organized by the U.N. 00:04:01.000 --> 00:04:05.000 They're so poor, and they are freezing 00:04:05.000 --> 00:04:07.000 with blankets during the rainy season, 00:04:07.000 --> 00:04:10.000 In the shelter built by the U.N., 00:04:10.000 --> 00:04:12.000 they were just providing a plastic sheet, 00:04:12.000 --> 00:04:16.000 and the refugees had to cut the trees, and just like this. 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:18.000 But over two million people cut trees. 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:21.000 It just became big, heavy deforestation, 00:04:21.000 --> 00:04:22.000 and an environmental problem. 00:04:22.000 --> 00:04:26.000 That is why they started providing [unclear] pipes, [unclear] barracks. 00:04:26.000 --> 00:04:28.000 Very expensive, they throw them out for money, 00:04:28.000 --> 00:04:30.000 then cutting trees again. 00:04:30.000 --> 00:04:34.000 So I proposed my idea to improve the situation 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:36.000 using these recycled paper tubes 00:04:36.000 --> 00:04:39.000 because this is so cheap and also so strong, 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:42.000 but my budget is only 50 U.S. dollars per unit. 00:04:42.000 --> 00:04:45.000 We built 50 units to do that as a monitoring test 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:50.000 for the durability and moisture and termites, so on. NOTE Paragraph 00:04:50.000 --> 00:04:55.000 And then, year afterward, 1995, in Kobe, Japan, 00:04:55.000 --> 00:04:57.000 we had a big earthquake. 00:04:57.000 --> 00:04:59.000 Nearly 7,000 people were killed, 00:04:59.000 --> 00:05:02.000 and the city like this Nagata district, 00:05:02.000 --> 00:05:05.000 all the city was burned in a fire after the earthquake. 00:05:05.000 --> 00:05:09.000 And also I found out there's many Vietnamese refugees 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:12.000 suffering and gathering at a Catholic church -- 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.000 all the building was totally destroyed. NOTE Paragraph 00:05:14.000 --> 00:05:17.000 So I went to there and also I proposed to the priests, 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:20.000 "Why don't we rebuild the church out of paper tubes?" NOTE Paragraph 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:23.000 And he said, "Oh God, are you crazy? 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:25.000 After a fire, what are you proposing?" NOTE Paragraph 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:29.000 So he never trusted me, but I didn't give up. 00:05:29.000 --> 00:05:31.000 I started commuting to Kobe, 00:05:31.000 --> 00:05:33.000 and I met the society of Vietnamese people. 00:05:33.000 --> 00:05:36.000 They were living like this with very poor plastic sheet 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:38.000 in the park. 00:05:38.000 --> 00:05:40.000 So I proposed to rebuild, with fundraising. 00:05:40.000 --> 00:05:43.000 I made the paper tube shelter for them, 00:05:43.000 --> 00:05:46.000 and the unit make easy to be built by student 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:48.000 and also easy to demolish. 00:05:48.000 --> 00:05:51.000 I used beer crates as a foundation. 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:54.000 I asked the Kirin beer company to propose, 00:05:54.000 --> 00:05:56.000 because at that time, the Asahi beer company 00:05:56.000 --> 00:05:58.000 make their plastic beer crates red, 00:05:58.000 --> 00:06:01.000 which doesn't go with the color of the paper tubes. 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:03.000 The color coordination is very important. 00:06:03.000 --> 00:06:06.000 And also I still remember, we are expecting 00:06:06.000 --> 00:06:08.000 to have a beer inside the plastic beer crate, 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.000 but it came empty. 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:14.000 So I remember it was so disappointing. 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:16.000 So during the summer with my students, 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:18.000 we built over 50 units of the shelters. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:18.000 --> 00:06:21.000 Finally the priest, finally he trusts me to rebuild. 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:23.000 He said, "As long as you collect money by yourself, 00:06:23.000 --> 00:06:25.000 bring your students to build, you can do it." NOTE Paragraph 00:06:25.000 --> 00:06:28.000 So we spent five weeks to rebuild the church. 00:06:28.000 --> 00:06:31.000 It was meant to be staying there for three years, 00:06:31.000 --> 00:06:34.000 but actually it stayed there 10 years because people loved it. 00:06:34.000 --> 00:06:38.000 Then, in Taiwan, they had a big earthquake, 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:42.000 and we proposed to donate this church, 00:06:42.000 --> 00:06:44.000 so we dismantled them, 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:46.000 we sent over to build by volunteer people. 00:06:46.000 --> 00:06:50.000 It stayed there in Taiwan as a permanent church even now. 00:06:50.000 --> 00:06:52.000 So this building became a permanent building. NOTE Paragraph 00:06:52.000 --> 00:06:56.000 Then I wonder, what is permanent and what is temporary building? 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:59.000 Even the building made in paper 00:06:59.000 --> 00:07:02.000 can be permanent as long as people loves it. 00:07:02.000 --> 00:07:05.000 Even concrete building can be very temporary 00:07:05.000 --> 00:07:07.000 if that is made to make money. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:07.000 --> 00:07:10.000 In 1999, in Turkey, the big earthquake, 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:13.000 I went there to use the local material to build the shelter. 00:07:13.000 --> 00:07:17.000 2001, in West India, I built also shelter. 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:22.000 In 2004, in Sri Lanka, after the Sumatran earthquake 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:25.000 and tsunami, I rebuilt Islamic fishermen's village. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:25.000 --> 00:07:31.000 And in 2008, in Chengdu, Sichuan area in China, 00:07:31.000 --> 00:07:34.000 nearly 70,000 people were killed, 00:07:34.000 --> 00:07:37.000 and also especially many of the schools were destroyed 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:40.000 because of the corruption between the authority and the contractor. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:43.000 I was asked to rebuild the temporary church. 00:07:43.000 --> 00:07:47.000 I brought my Japanese student to work with the Chinese student. 00:07:47.000 --> 00:07:50.000 In one month, we completed nine classrooms, 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:52.000 over 500 square meters. 00:07:52.000 --> 00:07:56.000 It's still used, even after the current earthquake in China. NOTE Paragraph 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:01.000 In 2009, in Italy, L'Aquila, also they had big earthquake, 00:08:01.000 --> 00:08:04.000 and the building just in photo, 00:08:04.000 --> 00:08:07.000 former Prime Minister Berlusconi 00:08:07.000 --> 00:08:11.000 and Japanese former former former former Prime Minister Mr. Aso 00:08:11.000 --> 00:08:13.000 -- (Laughter) (Applause) -- 00:08:13.000 --> 00:08:15.000 you know, because we have to change the Prime Minister ever year, 00:08:15.000 --> 00:08:20.000 and they are very kind [inaud] my model. 00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:24.000 I proposed the big rebuilding the temporary music hall, 00:08:24.000 --> 00:08:27.000 because L'Aquila is very famous for music 00:08:27.000 --> 00:08:29.000 and all the concert halls were destroyed, 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.000 so musicians were moving out. NOTE Paragraph 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:34.000 So I proposed to the mayor, 00:08:34.000 --> 00:08:35.000 I'd like to rebuild the temporary auditorium. 00:08:35.000 --> 00:08:38.000 He said, "As long as you bring your money, you can do it." 00:08:38.000 --> 00:08:39.000 And I was very lucky. 00:08:39.000 --> 00:08:41.000 Mr. Berlusconi brought GM summit, 00:08:41.000 --> 00:08:43.000 and our former Prime Minister came, 00:08:43.000 --> 00:08:46.000 so they helped us to collect money, 00:08:46.000 --> 00:08:49.000 and I got half a million Euros from the Japanese government 00:08:49.000 --> 00:08:52.000 to rebuild this temporary auditorium. NOTE Paragraph 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:56.000 Year 2010 in Haiti, there was a big earthquake, 00:08:56.000 --> 00:08:58.000 but it's impossible to fly over, 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:01.000 so I went to Santo Domingo, next door country, 00:09:01.000 --> 00:09:03.000 to drive six hours to get to Haiti 00:09:03.000 --> 00:09:06.000 with the local students in Santo Domingo 00:09:06.000 --> 00:09:11.000 to build 50 units of shelter out of local paper tubes. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:11.000 --> 00:09:14.000 This is what happened in Japan two years ago in northern Japan. 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:17.000 After the earthquake and tsunami, 00:09:17.000 --> 00:09:20.000 people had to be evacuated in the big roof like gymnasium. 00:09:20.000 --> 00:09:22.000 But look at this. It's no privacy. 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:24.000 People suffer mentally and physically. 00:09:24.000 --> 00:09:27.000 So we went to there to build the partitions 00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:31.000 with all the student volunteers with paper tubes, 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:35.000 just a very simple shelter out of tube frame and the curtain. 00:09:35.000 --> 00:09:38.000 However, some of the facility authority 00:09:38.000 --> 00:09:40.000 doesn't want us to do it, because, they said, 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:43.000 simply, it's become more difficult to control them. 00:09:43.000 --> 00:09:46.000 But it's really necessary to do it. NOTE Paragraph 00:09:46.000 --> 00:09:48.000 They don't have enough flat area to build 00:09:48.000 --> 00:09:51.000 standard government single-story housing like this one. 00:09:51.000 --> 00:09:53.000 Look at this. Even civil government is doing 00:09:53.000 --> 00:09:57.000 such a poor construction of the temporary housing, 00:09:57.000 --> 00:10:04.000 so dense and so messy because water is leaking, 00:10:04.000 --> 00:10:07.000 so I thought, we have to make multi-story building 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:10.000 because there's no land and also it's not very comfortable. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:10.000 --> 00:10:15.000 So I proposed to the mayor while I was making partitions. 00:10:15.000 --> 00:10:18.000 Finally I met a very nice mayor in Onagawa village 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:20.000 in Miyagi. 00:10:20.000 --> 00:10:25.000 He asked me to build three-story housing in [inaud]. 00:10:25.000 --> 00:10:28.000 I used the shipping container 00:10:28.000 --> 00:10:30.000 and also the students helped us to make 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:32.000 all the building furniture 00:10:32.000 --> 00:10:35.000 to make them comfortable, 00:10:35.000 --> 00:10:37.000 within the budget of the government 00:10:37.000 --> 00:10:41.000 but also the area of the house is exactly the same, 00:10:41.000 --> 00:10:43.000 but much more comfortable. 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:45.000 Many of the people want to stay here forever. 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:47.000 I was very happy to hear that. NOTE Paragraph 00:10:47.000 --> 00:10:51.000 Now I am working in New Zealand, Christchurch. 00:10:51.000 --> 00:10:55.000 About 20 days before, Japanese ask the government, 00:10:55.000 --> 00:10:57.000 also they have big earthquake, 00:10:57.000 --> 00:11:00.000 and many Japanese students were also killed, 00:11:00.000 --> 00:11:02.000 and the most important cathedral of the city, 00:11:02.000 --> 00:11:05.000 symbol of the Christchurch, was totally destroyed. 00:11:05.000 --> 00:11:08.000 And I was asked to come to rebuild the temporary cathedral. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:08.000 --> 00:11:11.000 So this is under construction, 00:11:11.000 --> 00:11:14.000 and I'd like to keep building the monument 00:11:14.000 --> 00:11:17.000 that's beloved by people. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:17.000 --> 00:11:19.000 Thank you very much. NOTE Paragraph 00:11:19.000 --> 00:11:21.000 (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:23.000 Thank you. (Applause) NOTE Paragraph 00:11:23.000 --> 00:11:25.000 Thank you very much. (Applause)