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| BAN International,inc |
| Planning & Design Of Architecture |
| 2-17-34
Naka Kunitachi-Shi Tokyo Japan |
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Personal
History Michiyo Bando Architect President of BAN International.Inc,Tokyo Lecturer at Department of Architecture, Musashino Art University | |
| 1947
Born in Kohchi City 1967 Entered Department of Architecture in Musashino Art University. 1971
Graduated from Musashino Art University, winning the No.1 Golden Award for the graduate design "Village for Artists". 1971 Became a research scholar for both Prof. Ashihara and Prof. Koyama at Tokyo University and engaged in drawing up a master plan of Yufuin Town in Oita prefecture for about a year. 1972~1974 Studied at the Town Planning Course, Rome University as a scholarship student sponsored by both Japanese and Italian governments. Made researches into Italian communes around Rome of the Middle Ages and learned the Regional Planning of Italian local towns in those days. 1974 Returned from Rome The art magazine "Mizue" carried the article of the research results for a year. Searched for reproduction of the attractive Italian community of the medieval period in the modern Japan. Found possibility of the birth of a new "housing environment" upon witnessing the birth of the new Japanese housing industry that adopted as a cornerstone the prefabrication system from the U.S. 1974~1975 Entered Ohno Katsuhiko Studio who has developed the unit method of Sekisui Heim while being a graduate student of Prof. Uchida of Production Engineering at Tokyo University Dealt with planning of the housing community based on the unit method. 1975 April Left Ohno Katsuhiko Studio and entered Kisho Kurokawa Office of Architecture & Urban Planning as a liaison manager in Abu Dhabi, UAE for construction of a sports stadium that Kurokawa had won first place in the international design competition. | |
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my stay there until March 1981, I did both designs and executions of construction of a Japanese national school, a dormitory of Abu Dhabi Oil Co., Ltd. And the official residence of the Japanese ambassador to UAE, while participating in international design competitions in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Kuwait,etc. 1981 Returned to Japan Worked as a project manager for the Libya Benghazi East Coast Redevelopment Project for a period of approx.2 years. 1983 Left Kisho Kurokawa Office of Architecture & Urban Planning and established BAN International Inc.in Yotsuya, Shinjuku, Tokyo Mainly engaged in offering assistance to Airport Design Section of Azusa Design, Sato Design Office, etc. to make proposals for overseas projects. 1984~1989 Became Japanese representative of YIT, General Construction Company of Finland. YIT was making technical proposals for underground storage of crude oil in a joint venture with Nissho-Iwai, Kobe Steel and Kajima Construction. Since then, engaged in product development and marketing of timber products from Finland for 5 years until 1989 when YIT retreated from Japan in the wake of the collapse of the Soviet Union. Development was focused on the log houses and structures made of laminated glued timber that were restricted by law in those days. Application was made to villas and company houses at the resorts in Nagano, Yamanashi and Chiba. For instance, the stand-dead old tree was introduced as the high- end log material and a log house was built for the 1st time in Japan with it in Yamanashi by inviting log builders from Ivalo Finland. Built company housing for a Japanese firm in Chiba by the panel method of Finland for which Kajima placed an order. | |
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| In
1987, received an order from Sanyu Co.,Ltd. in Osaka for a house
that accommodates a restaurant, a swimming pool and a sauna for a tennis club located on the Lake Yamanaka, thus, pioneering the use of the laminated glued timber for housing in Japan. On top of that, as a marketing support to this tennis club, I have introduced Mr.Boo Long, Representative of Finair in Tokyo, creating a new prize "Fin-Cup" for the club's tournament.Finnish folk crafts were displayed for sale there too. 1988 April,The full-scale Japanese log building team "Dejevu" was established for the 1st time in Japan. But unfortunately in June that year, YIT Tokyo was closed for the afore-said reason Meanwhile, besides making timber product development as YIT represen-tative, I have accomplished such architectural works as the Italian Exhibition Hall for the 1985 Tsukuba International Exhibition, the Yufuin Hotel and the interior decoration of the Australia-New Zealand Bank. |
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| Thus,the
changeover in the business activities of BAN International was made from the proposal making for overseas projects to the planning & design work. 1990 According to the request from MISAWA HOME who was willing to get into the resort business, we have developed the new product "M-Log" which is the combination of the Finnish log material and the panel method of MISAWA At the same time, development of the large-scale wooden structure was made according to MISAWA's request and a test house was completed with the Finnish laminated glued timber in Nagano 1991 Honka, the world famous Finnish log maker, invited me to Finland for its factory tour.Thereafter completed the plan and design of the Honka Japan's exhibit in Yamanashi. Made a master plan for Oguchi Village, Ishikawa pref., engaging in its implementation until the completion of the extension work of the village-run hot spa During this period, by the invitation of the Planning Section of the Ishikawa prefectural government,I engaged in working out the master plan of its Suzu city on the Noto peninsula. 1994 By the invitation of Hirokami Village,Niigata pref.,the planning and implementation of its hot spa center was carried out. |
| 1996~1997
Won a contract for building a kindergarten in the design contest, using American panel materials in Kakio,Kawasaki city Participated in the construction project of the International Convention Center in Bangkok as its project manager Unfortunately, however,the projectwas cancelled due to the project owner's sudden illness. |
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| 1998~1999
Engaged in the planning and implementation of the large scale hot spa centers in both Niigata and Ishikawa prefs. 2000 July Completed the Marine Terrace Nadachi Spa Center in Nadachi Town,Niigata pref. |
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| 2001
July Completed the Bokkai Spa Center in Togi Town, Ishikawa pref. (Owner: TogiTown)Especially in this project, I could enjoy collaboration with local artists, while engaging in its total planning incl. the interior design. By combining the planning and the designing, the concept that is contained in the project plan can be reflected in detail on the design, and,furthermore,it can also be reflected on the management of the facilities when in operation after the construction work finishes |
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this token, the research is under way to restructure, in the modern manner, the local traditional construction system in order to hand down both the old rows of houses and the local communities to posterity Besides, I've got involved in the village revitalization scheme under the theme "Reservation of Traditional Arts" in Iwamuro Village, Niigata pref. For the past 6 years, I've got enthusiastically involved in establishing the inexpensive long-stay-type international exchange holiday village to make the best use of vacant village houses for foreign students as well as for families of foreign firms operating in Japan. This is based on my personal experi-ence and perception that the Japanese communities are not at all open to students, foreign residents and artists |
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company's line of business these days features winning contracts for planning both the community facilities such as hot spa centers and the community housing that corresponds to the aging society. The aging modern Japanese society faces two-fold issues between the urban cities and the rural communities: (1) the gap in culture and politics (2) the gap in the average ages Facing the demise of the traditional rural communities, BAN International is challenging various kinds of projects for the birth of new local communities with a strong belief that new ones may be born only by trials and not by nature. |
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