22/06/2026
Asagaya Workshop 2-13 September 2026
Contemporary urban spaces are increasingly managed through signs and devices that are designed to promote exclusion and to prohibit certain behaviours and activities. Yet, new modes of behaviour that cannot be explained – or controlled – by rules alone constantly emerge in the urban realm. People are always adapting how they engage with others and the environment based on atmospheres and relationships.
This workshop approaches latent relationships and atmospheres within the city as examples of ‘Kami’.
‘Kami’ do not need to be existing religious entities; they might include bicycles, potted plants, weeds, fallen leaves, wind, moisture, light, shadow, sound, gaps, level changes, human presence, gaze, actions such as chatting or cleaning, or even memories and traces embedded in the place. They do not necessarily need to be visible but are things that can be sensed as ‘being there’. Through observation, foraging and play within and along historic routes of the urban environment, participants in the workshop will identify the presence of things that seem to ‘exist’ and test their relationships with the everyday.
The programme begins with a visit to Ise Grand Shrine in Ise, Mie Prefecture on 2–3 September. Participants will have free time (unguided) between 4–6 September, followed by a seven-day workshop that runs from 7–13 September. The workshop combines field observation, trial installations and community engagement, and coincides with the Shinmeigu Annual Festival. Outputs include behaviour logs, condition maps, photographs, sketches and installation records, shared as a foundation for future discussions on management, public use and consensus-building.
The workshop is open to current students or professionals in the fields of architecture, film studies, design, curating, art history and related subjects in the humanities, PhD candidates and young professionals.
It forms part of Architectural Association Visiting School programme. To apply, please email a 300-word statement on how this experience will impact your practice and a 2- page portfolio to the Programme Head [email protected]
