Karakami paper is a type of traditional Japanese paper, inspired by ancient Chinese techniques. It is created from Washi paper which, once printed with carefully carved woodblocks, becomes Karakami. This material is then used for many different objects such as packaging, furniture, shoji doors and much more.
The project was developed from the study of Koh Kado, an artisan who worked as a graphic designer in the United States for several years. After some time, he returned to Kyoto where he has been working as a karakami paper maker since then. Before creating his own workshop, he has learned this art from Karacho, the oldest woodblock carver of Kyoto. Today Koh Kado combines his modern graphic design skills with his traditional knowledge. He also gives an enormous attention to the origins of every product he is using to create his pieces. His way of working has been a guideline in the project, inspiring the creation of a collaborative machine for craftsmen, all learning from each other.
The project is situated in the same neighborhood as Koh Kado’s workshop that is a high-density area of craftsmen. It takes roots with an existing machiya, a Japanese traditional property constituted of a main building, a little garden, and a smaller house. This extension connects these two buildings through a translucent structure and in the respect of the machiya’s interior organisation, the lateral structure is extended to work as a performative machine. This “bar” holds the techniques, the circulation, and two climatic devices that take the form of chimneys. The paper production space takes place in the central courtyard and has the same climatic role as a traditional machiya garden: ventilating the building. This part has been placed slightly underground to evacuate the wet air through the chimneys. The first floor contains the woodblock crafting and paper printing which are the center of the building because those phases are common to all the different parts of the project. Gravitating around it, we find the different workshops for the craftsmen displayed on half levels to facilitate communication between the different zones of the building.