Our goal was to plan and implement a collective disaster recovery project anchored by Ritsumei University students and professors. Our initiative was based on the belief that ongoing efforts to provide physical and financial aid had overlooked the need for emotional support to dispel victims’ stress and anxieties in the wake of the disaster that devastated large areas of Northeastern Japan.

A large open hall, where people could interact freely with their neighbours, would provide emotional fulfilment for victims forced to live in temporary housing after their town itself had been obliterated. We aimed to create a space that would permit everyone to see each other's faces – an open space with no pillars obstructing the line of sight. We decided on a dome-shaped structure of hexagonal panels and pentagon-shaped windows, resembling a halved soccer ball. Easy to construct and exceptionally sturdy, this unique configuration evokes a sense of presence and a playful spirit befitting a new local landmark.

Evoking a playful spirit, the ball-shaped meeting hall erected near the austere rows of temporary housing harnessed the power of design to resolve a community problem. The frisson of excitement as one enters the hall; the pleasure of seeing faces across an encompassing space, uninterrupted by pillars; the joy of human contact: this is no mundane neighbourhood meeting hall. To encourage people who had left the area after the disaster to return for a visit, the facility is named ‘Odense’, meaning welcome in the local dialect. Here, the power of design serves as a magnet, attracting residents and visitors alike.-The project was featured in a radio broadcast on September 17, 2011.- Ad posters featuring the project were placed in JR Tokai, Hankyu and Kintetsu trains from December 1, 2011.-Announcement about the project in radio program, web sites, and transport advertising gathered building materials and supports from 12 companies.-We also got an inquiry from some construction company as well.-The opening event received publicity coverage from NHK, the Yomiuri Newspaper and other major media. (January 9 & 10, 2012)