Chiba University’s ‘Design Research Institute (dri),’ which commenced its activities in the spring of 2021, is not located on any of Chiba University’s campuses in Nishi-Chiba, Inohana, Matsudo, and Kashiwa-no-ha. Instead, it finds its home at the ‘Sumida Satellite Campus,’ which was inaugurated at the same time. Professor Akira Ueda, head of the dri, spoke about the significance of collaboration between Sumida Ward, known as a city of manufacturing, and Chiba University’s domain of design research. A new form of university, dissolving boundaries between campus and the community ――I was surprised to find no walls or fences separating the surrounding community from the campus site. Sumida Ward and Chiba University have collaboratively developed this campus with the vision of creating a seamlessly integrated space with the community. This five-story building, originally used as the Sumida Small and Medium Enterprise Center, has retained its character as a public facility. Both the outdoor area and the first and second floors of the … Continue reading ‘Synergistic Campus Evolution with the Community’ Chiba University Design Research Institute (Part 1): The Entire Campus as a ‘Design Experiment Space’