“Office in the Forest” Introduced in An Architecture Journal
Office of Zero CO2 Emissions and Energy Self-Sufficiency
The environmentally-friendly design of the “Office in the Forest,” which Seicho-No-Ie is currently building on the southern slope of Mt. Yatsugatake, Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture for completion date of March 2013, was covered in the January 2012 issue of the Shin-Kenchiku, a technical journal of architecture (published monthly by Shin-Kenchikusha).
First published in 1924, this technical journal has a long history. It introduces many topics in the field of architecture with a main focus on new architectural works in Japan. This issue has a feature story entitled “Combining Technologies—Actual Applications After the Great East Japan Earthquake” and introduces technologies for energy conservation and safety, the area of deepening concern after the Earthquake. It introduces nine architectural works being built with high environmental concern and aseismatic structure by six major construction companies, including Kajima Corporation, Takenaka Corporation and Taisei Corporation.
The “Office in the Forest” is introduced in a three-page article by the Shimizu Corporation, which is handling its design and construction. The article first explains the plan to move the Seicho-No-Ie International Headquarters, currently located in Harajuku, Tokyo, to the southern slope of Mt. Yatsugatake under the concept to “build a model where man coexists with nature.” It also states that latest energy-efficient environmental technologies will be used toward achieving “zero CO2 emissions” and “energy self-sufficiency.”
Specifically, the new building tries to make the maximum use of natural ventilation and natural lighting by taking advantage of the undulations of the land. In addition, glasses will be treated for high adiabatic specification and natural light and LED lighting systems will be used to save energy.
The article also touches upon the plan to actively use natural energy: installation of solar panels on all the roofs to take advantage of the long sunlit hours characteristic of the area; electricity generation with biomass gas using fellings; and the use of wood pellet boiler.
The wood from Yamanashi Prefecture will be used to build the Office, which will be a two-story (above ground) wooden structure. It will also try to acquire a project certification from the FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) and preserve the ecological cycle and reduce CO2 emissions in the construction process.
Shown in the article are many graphic images, beginning with the prototype of the Office (plan), floor plan and cross-sectional view, the mechanism of natural ventilation and lighting, and the estimated figure of CO2 emissions reduction for the entire Office. These are explained in detail, using diagrams and graphs.
Mr. Hirokazu Aoki, Senior Design Manager, Collective Housing and Shrine and Temple Design Section, Design Division, Shimizu Corporation, commented, “There are few cases where we release the floor plan and other data before the completion of the building. However, in view of the construction field’s major trend for environmental concern, we believe that the ‘Office in the Forest’ is a most advanced project in that it aims at complete zero CO2 emissions. That is why we wanted to introduce it.”
It is expected that the fact that by attracting people’s attention the “Office in the Forest” can contribute to promoting environmental protection in the areas of building design and energy usage.