This essay and accompanying design research has devel­oped symbiotically as a response to the complex underly­ing structure of risk perception present in the obsolete Japanese storehouse building type. This body of work reconsiders the material and cultural associations of this historical building type through a creative typological analysis that uses the material characteristics of plastici­zation and ossification inherent in the unfired clay used in their construction. A new understanding of the exchange of knowledge of Japan’s culture of safety is applied to the design of a self-storage and emergency evacuation facil­ity for Kyoto, Japan. The design posits the contemporary use of unfired clay to provide an environmentally respon­sive and culturally relevant form of protection for the city.