Caring for Vacant Homes

Listening to the voices of vacant homes.

The Vacant House Research Lab focuses on confronting the past of empty homes, staying close to everyday life, and shaping their future together. Konel led the total branding and design, including the launch of a website that archives the care and revival of these houses, as well as the logo, a service introduction tabloid, and printed leaflets.

Issue

Too Many Vacant Homes

Communities are filled with sleeping vacant homes. The increasing number of empty houses is escalating into a social problem. This trend is expected to accelerate further due to population decline.

The Empty House Research Lab believes the separation of vacant homes from their communities is the core issue. By listening to the voices of these properties, we can create opportunities to reconnect them with their neighborhoods. Our vision is for vacant houses to thrive alongside their communities.

Creation

Vacant Homes Require Care

We confront the past, support the present, and envision the future together. The Empty House Research Lab listens to the voices of these properties, touches their memories, and uncovers new connections.

The design of the website and logo embodies a shift from "0 to 0.1" rather than "0 to 1." This reflects our approach: accumulating small, but certain, steps forward.

The Website: Archiving Time and Memory

A house encompasses time. The website serves as an archive, recording the time and memories of the house's life.

Thumbnails track the time elapsed from when a house becomes vacant until it becomes active again. The count stops the moment the house is re-activated, signifying that the property has begun its new life cycle.

Empty House Lab News

We developed a tri-fold leaflet summarizing the Empty House Research Lab's core information.This leaflet's content promotes participation in consultation sessions, specifically targeting owners who feel anxious, asking: "Whom should I consult?" or "Is it alright to continue owning this property?" It focuses on their concerns, rather than providing real estate advice for investment or rental income.

Advancing the Conversation on Vacant Homes

We produced a tabloid, primarily distributed through newspaper inserts, to introduce the Empty House Research Lab's services. These services include:"Empty House Friends": Facilitating easy consultations with architects and real estate specialists."Landlord Together": Allowing owners to begin utilizing their vacant property at their own preferred pace.The design prioritized an approachable feel, notably adopting a child's handwritten script for the cover title.

Gift Book for Owners

We created a gift book for the vacant house owners who collaborated with us through the "Landlord Together" service.The book archives the Empty House Research Lab's work, including photographs of the property's past and present. This serves as a physical record, preserving the home's memories in a tangible form, complementing the digital archive.