Central issues identified in the craft are the immense heat waste and fuel consumption, combined with the import of steel from overseas due to lack of local resources, thus resulting in a high energy consumption for a single knife. To tackle the sourcing of steel the project proposes the reuse of steel from cars based on the abundance of junk cars in Japan. The material composition of cars features different types of steel and iron, as well as a small selection of other materials, such as glass, rubber, and textiles. Using the materials in a car will fuel the crafts of Kyoto; taking knife-making as an example. This leads to the creation of a new complementary craft to knife making: the art of disassembly, which carefully decomposes the previous product to prepare it for future craft.
Located in Northwest of Kyoto Station, an upcoming creative neighborhood currently consisting of a mix of industrial and traditional, the space for disassembly and the sorting of material is contained by a minimalistic cube that contrasts with its neighborhood. The horizontally oriented facade made of polycarbonate reveals the silhouettes of the activities happening inside the hall to raise the curiosity and awareness among the public about the craft.
Three solar furnaces are proposed to produce high graded recycled steel to the knife makers and also be an experimental lab for the other types of steels that can be extracted from a car. Their locations are informed by the daylight simulation on site to maximize the sunlight intake. Each solar furnace room is wrapped with transparent glazing so that the sustainable smelting process is visible.