An Appeal for Participation in Archi-Aid, an Architects’ Network to Support Reconstruction Following the Tohoku Earthquake

You are no doubt well aware of the devastating and extensive damage produced by the Tohoku Earthquake to coastal areas of the Tohoku and Northern Kanto regions of Japan. In the realm of architecture, not only were numerous buildings destroyed, but the region’s architectural culture, as well as the intangible assets of locally-based architectural education, also suffered heavy damage. Currently, many voices have arisen in support of emergency aid and rebuilding efforts.

As Japanese architects and those involved in architecture, we wish to actively support the affected areas and their reconstruction efforts, including the revival of the region and the rebirth of its architectural culture and education. To that end, we have created a reconstruction support network of architects, called Archi-Aid, and propose a joint, cooperative effort toward the revival of disaster-stricken areas. For this type of aid to work effectively, there must be close collaboration with those in the local areas. We must quickly establish a platform capable of bringing together the numerous aid efforts into a network, while directing such activities appropriately to the stricken areas that need help.

We propose as the basis for such a platform the Sendai Design League, which has linked together the architectural departments of local universities while giving voice to the architectural culture of Sendai, located at the heart of the stricken area. We appeal to the world for donations and assistance toward creating the network and supporting the activities of this platform. The Sendai League will also be partnering with Architecture for Humanity, the world’s largest nonprofit design and building services firm.

The Sendai Design League, which is centered on Tohoku University, will put collected funds to use toward building and putting into operation a foundation to support reconstruction efforts in the disaster zones; toward the revival of design education that was damaged by the earthquake; and toward the accumulation and illumination of knowledge pertaining to the disaster. We fervently hope that the recovery from this calamity will provide an opportunity for rebuilding the architectural culture and education in the stricken areas. We ask for your understanding and support.