Renovating Child Respite Facility in Oiso

The Ocean View Forest is the first child respite in Asia located in Oiso, Kanagawa Prefecture. It is a palliative care facility for children with serious illness or disabilities. They enjoy 3-day stay with their family at the accommodation in the forest.
 
Habitat for Humanity Japan helps renovate one of the facilities, called 'Grandma's House' by visitors.　'Grandma's House' is a Japanese traditional-style house and it is children's favorite playroom. The renovation started this June with volunteers who helped gutting old and rotten floorboard and walls, and sanding reusable floorboards. On the other hand, professional builders repaired traditional roof tiles, installed septic tank and daubed Japanese clay walls.
 
One of the urgent tasks was installing a new septic tank. As about 100 years since 'Grandma's House was built, it only had an old sewerage system. It takes some minutes to walk back to the accommodation, it was most required to place a new tank and system there. However, the house was located on the top of hill in the forest, it was a challenge to install the best system that is sustainable even in the forest.
 　
Another challenge was mold. Surrounded by large trees, 'Grandma's House' is prone to get moldy, especially its Japanese traditional clay walls. The house is the very first Japanese house for most children who visit there, so Habitat decided to keep clay walls against all difficulties in order to preserve Japanese good old house but also keep safer environment with clay walls that are body-friendly.
 
Takayuki Kikuchi, officer of the Ocean View Forest said,"This house is not only for children but also their family 'a place you can never forget,' because many of visited children have spent their whole life in hospital or care center. Since we pre-opened the facility in 2011, some dozens of families spent the most relaxing time at the Grandma's House as if they welcomed by Grandma of the forest. This place is also a interacting spot for visitors, volunteers and the locals. We are looking forward to renovated Grandma's House to encounter anybody soon."
 
The house's renovation is completed this fall.
 
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2013.06.03　Habitat Japan Helps Open First Child Respite Facility in Asia