metadata: {"signature": "0xe6c5232aea0f0ea48efe78af940831a7060fd439eb82973d688cbf964acf3f4c413f755432f9b7a8c2cef2e84e209a63ddfab6f2c6a0b2e362783266001e846f1b", "application": {"round": "0x0c0412ddb846096ea1e37de717921ebf4fef9a39", "answers": [{"type": "email", "hidden": true, "question": "Email Address", "questionId": 0, "encryptedAnswer": {"ciphertext": "cUuRrotfDjccysif/1XYrM0pVv0EfEVj25SYcovJRlhyrkU6JMnYFHc5vxVToJR3", "encryptedSymmetricKey": "08252af94dfb20cd541e929403621e6aef9aa19475f35e7cf28c27cf2af501cf617b6cb9b6cfa81257d9cebe9c04aa02006803f7e5d949aeb062bd3b444e236148a3d323bc438c9ff65d6d7de0c493848334b3d6d6e90cc20d080a3233d628942f6a800f86436c166bae16104c43d3b4d4cfa337e6420aad64ed40aacd55c38200000000000000204278769bbf8c91d5f6ea1f0fc8ecd0c2de5ff3b3b6d6cd70546d479b60285aff327b5f0baf935724f8fb19ebfd292097"}}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "grants (gitcoin, emerging tech grants), donations", "hidden": false, "question": "Funding Sources", "questionId": 1}, {"type": "number", "answer": "4", "hidden": false, "question": "Team Size", "questionId": 2}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "michellehuang42", "hidden": true, "question": "Telegram username", "questionId": 3}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "75,000", "hidden": true, "question": "Total prior funding for project in USD", "questionId": 4}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "- Michelle Huang (Founder / CEO): https://twitter.com/michellehuang42 \n- Keiko Ono (Treasurer): https://jp.linkedin.com/in/keikoono\n- Masahiko Ishii (Architect): http://www.theblueworks.com/", "hidden": true, "question": "Profiles or socials of other main team members publicly associated with project", "questionId": 5}, {"type": "short-answer", "answer": "12", "hidden": true, "question": "How old is the project? (Months)", "questionId": 6}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "By 2030, one third of all homes in Japan will be vacant. An aging population and the concentration of youth in urban areas have caused a massive housing crisis in the countryside.\n\nAkiya Collective aims to purchase and renovate these akiyas into residencies and makerspaces for researchers and creators who are interested in having space to experiment and learn together in community. We hope that these centers can act as places for research, knowledge sabbaticals, while also helping with the revitalization of the surrounding community.\n\nSo far, we have already purchased a community home, and are in process of renovating it. We have also published our learnings in an open-source playbook (how to buy an akiya, how to create culture within communities -- emergent social science research / experimentation, research on how space informs constituent behavior and vice versa). Our community members who are looking to purchase akiya, or start residencies have already benefited and contributed to our document of shared learnings.\n\nWe plan to start residencies with partnered organizations (ranging from Desci organizations, to those focused on other creative technologies) next year in 2025.", "hidden": false, "question": "Describe your project in a few paragraphs (ideally including a problem statement, solution, roadmap, and timeline for implementation)", "questionId": 7}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Akiya Collective's mission to revitalize abandoned homes in Japan directly supports and enhances the goals of DeSci by conducting social science DeSci, democratizing access to research facilities, promoting open science / shared learnings, creating space for interdisciplinary collaboration, supporting DeSci organizations, and hosting workshops and experiments. \n\nEssentially, we are practicing DeSci with a social science angle: through having shared resources via a network state via our playbook, we are hoping to create a living laboratory for social science research on topics such as community living and the positive impact of revitalization efforts. We are creating a replicable case study for how collective effort and education can repurpose abandoned houses into regenerative and successful community models. \n\n1. Democratizing Access to Research Facilities: DeSci aims to decentralize and democratize access to scientific research and resources. Akiya Collective will provide affordable and well-equipped spaces for researchers from diverse backgrounds. By converting akiyas into research hubs and makerspaces, we lower the barrier to entry for scientific inquiry, enabling more people to engage in meaningful research activities without the need for significant financial resources.\n\n2. Promoting Open Science and Knowledge Sharing: Our open-source playbook documents our learnings and methodologies, such as how to purchase and renovate akiyas, create community culture, and conduct emergent social science research. By making these resources freely available, we encourage transparency, collaboration, and the dissemination of knowledge.\n\n3. Creating Space for Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Our residencies are designed to accommodate not only scientists but also artists and creators, promoting interdisciplinary collaboration. This allows research to not only be discovered, but expressed in a variety of ways to the public, furthering education and interaction initiatives\n\n5. Supporting DeSci Organizations and Initiatives: Our future plans include starting residencies with partnered organizations, including those focused on decentralized science and creative technologies.\n\n4. Hosting Workshops and Experiments: Our facilities are equipped to host workshops and experiments on various DeSci-related topics. From longevity onboarding and quantified self-experiments to material sciences for local production and synbio art (from materials in the local environment and home), we are able to provide space for research. These activities not only contribute to the scientific community but also engage and educate the local population as well\n\nAdditionally, Japan offers a unique environment for DeSci initiatives due to its progressive academic and pharmaceutical industry policies, and high-quality infrastructure. Its regulatory environment allows for more diverse approaches to scientific research, which can be further explored in our dedicated bio/acc spaces for workshops and experiments.", "hidden": false, "question": "How does your project support the mission or goals of DeSci?", "questionId": 8}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "The funds will be used to fund the rest of renovations, coordinate remaining builder weeks, fund additional research equipment, and prepare for our residencies starting in 2025.", "hidden": false, "question": "Describe how funds from the grants program will be used for your project. ", "questionId": 9}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "NA", "hidden": true, "question": "If you participated in past grant rounds (i.e. DeSci GR15/ Beta) using a different project payout wallet address, please share it here.", "questionId": 10}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "We purchased a community house, research equipment, and renovation supplies. We have also been running build weeks for the last few months, allowing 30+ volunteers to come on-site to assist with renovating the house, and contributing to our open source playbook. \n\nWe have prioritized raising awareness and educating the public about the challenges and opportunities associated with abandoned homes in Japan. We have initiated public education projects and satellite partners under our network, including the creation of an open-source information-sharing document detailing the process from sourcing and purchase to renovation. This resource has empowered at least 8 community members to place bids for acquiring abandoned homes, increasing the nodes for network contribution and experimentation. \n\nOur efforts have engaged 300 community members, fostering inclusivity and collaboration among those interested in rural revitalization. Our model has also gained international recognition, inspiring regional initiatives in countries like Italy and Korea who are undergoing similar crises.", "hidden": false, "question": "If this project participated in past grant rounds, please share any new updates or milestones since the last round.", "questionId": 11}, {"type": "paragraph", "answer": "Other project affiliation / previous work: I run a media lab in Tokyo called MESH Studio. It serves as a playground for experiments and collaborations with researchers, focusing on emerging technologies. Our goal is to make frontier research accessible and relatable to the public through playful and interactive installations and other forms of media, and I plan to continue this ethos at Akiya Collective.", "hidden": true, "question": "Is there any other information you would like to share about your project, previous work, other project affiliations, or potential conflicts of interest? (or anything not covered elsewhere in this application that you feel is relevant to share)", "questionId": 12}, {"type": "checkbox", "answer": ["Yes"], "hidden": false, "question": "Does 50% of your team reflect the diversity of the community your project serves with a particular emphasis on including women, Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPoC), individuals with disabilities, and members of the LGBTQ+ community?", "questionId": 13}, {"type": "multiple-choice", "answer": "I already read the above exclusion criteria and understand those exclusion criteria are not permitted and will result in rejection or removal from the round.", "hidden": true, "question": "Please read the following exclusion criteria that are not permitted and will result in rejection or removal from the round.", "questionId": 14}], "project": {"id": "0xa7ac7dcc9d7bcfe1e47d1b36828bcf7869cb360c210505401fb37f840cb2a5e0", "title": "Akiya Collective", "logoImg": "bafkreie4gjbbpfmnw66ecz6e5tuagvbv7qgtz5tw2kdj7z7ujowj72r6la", "metaPtr": {"pointer": "bafkreidlpnxeg4pskwai3c5i623wrwzdklmfq3oo7vt6nalupyorht2bdi", "protocol": "undefined"}, "website": "https://akiyacollective.org", "bannerImg": "bafkreibtv6bgofh7bfswsv5bwlenaupcy6g76on7izazej5apsvsksxeiq", "createdAt": 1706459551882, "userGithub": "michellehuang42", "credentials": {"twitter": {"type": ["VerifiableCredential"], "proof": {"jws": "eyJhbGciOiJFZERTQSIsImNyaXQiOlsiYjY0Il0sImI2NCI6ZmFsc2V9..dhekSHTHfFg43vKUgwSwWEK4R9CYYpkKYN8PhMjr9U9G6Uw7io2BtbWJTt4hxL__4YSahspWQ0PdOm5yLEAXAA", "type": "Ed25519Signature2018", "created": "2024-01-28T16:30:27.958Z", "proofPurpose": "assertionMethod", "verificationMethod": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC#z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC"}, "issuer": "did:key:z6MkghvGHLobLEdj1bgRLhS4LPGJAvbMA1tn2zcRyqmYU5LC", "@context": ["https://www.w3.org/2018/credentials/v1"], "issuanceDate": "2024-01-28T16:30:27.958Z", "expirationDate": "2024-04-27T16:30:27.958Z", "credentialSubject": {"id": "did:pkh:eip155:1:0x8600AbCda1fd2f3886958C3b88B757b29dF7BA80", "hash": "v0.0.0:aissmWHyzW0IGWSs+hLTqXNl6ASqLhEZXka8tLdW6mk=", "@context": [{"hash": "https://schema.org/Text", "provider": "https://schema.org/Text"}], "provider": "ClearTextTwitter#AkiyaCollective"}}}, "description": "Akiya Collective is a society of artists, makers, and architects restoring abandoned houses in Japan into art installations, community spaces, and interactive habitats.\n\nWe are non-profit organization and a community-driven project dedicated to creating spaces that are in harmony with the local environment.\n\nOver the last year, we:\n\u2727 Incorporated our legal entity, a US-based non-profit organization (with a 501c3 fiscal sponsor)\n\u2727 Hosted two residencies, with cohorts of 10 people each, in rural areas in Izu and Nagano\n\u2727 Developed relationships with city governments and locals, learned different renovation techniques, and produced installations\n\u2727 Researched 100+ properties, visited 25+, and explored 5 different areas of rural Japan\n\u2727 Established our first community home in Nagano Prefecture\n\u2727 Brought in 30+ volunteers on-site for build weeks to help with renovations\n\nWe have open-sourced our process and research in an online playbook for others to learn from. In our community of 1,000+ people, there are already members who have committed to purchasing property near our base. Through our project, we are actively supporting a network of home owners in acquiring, renovating, and operating properties in tight-knit regions for cohabitation and coworking.\n\nDuring this grant round, we are looking to crowdfund for additional renovations for our first community home, support for other akiya owners in our network, and preparation for two residency cohorts planned for 2025.", "lastUpdated": 0, "projectTwitter": "akiyacollective"}, "recipient": "0x8600AbCda1fd2f3886958C3b88B757b29dF7BA80"}}