Two simultaneous aging phenomena are unfolding in Japan. The country’s traditional timber architecture and an unprecedented percentage of the Japanese population are aging and at risk of disappearing. This studio will investigate the role and agency of architects to address these aging conditions in the island village site of Inujima, Japan, one of the art islands in the Setouchi Triennale. The architect Kazuyo Sejima has engaged Inujima’s aging architecture and inhabitants with the “Art House” projects. These aging buildings and villagers carry irreplaceable heritage and value. In an insular village context, both architecture and inhabitants coexist as a comprehensive whole. Traditional timber “rahmen” post-and-beam frame structures were designed with joints and elements to last for thousands of years and withstand natural disasters, so long that the architecture was maintained and cared for. The timber elements were designed with specific joints, so that the elements themselves could be disassembled and reassembled as needed. Each individual timber element supports the overall assembly, just as one individual person forms a core part of the larger village community. Islanders live together as a close-knit collective, sharing resources, knowledge, and effort in daily life. Often houses are surrounded by farmland, and natural elements such as mountains or seas surround this farmland. These villages were designed with the intention of living in nature and living together with the processes of nature.  Admiring such a lifestyle, an increasing number of youths are leaving urban areas to embark on a new mode of living in rural villages. This studio will envision design approaches for the aging architecture and inhabitants of Inujima and integrate younger newcomers as part of the island village community.