Nobuaki Miyashita · CLIENT: Aida Sekkei Co., Ltd.
Aida Sekkei's new factory plan focuses on wood precutting. Its concept is all about creating an architecture which embodies the series of timber processing. It includes a floating, glass enclosed walkway approximately 100 meters long inside the factory, designed for visitors to closely observe the entire pre-cutting process. The office building features large spaces with trusses made from feather edge materials, commonly used as sub materials in wooden houses. The design integrates all elements to create a showcase factory, emphasizing visibility and aesthetic appeal in every aspect.
Press Kit
- Unique Properties
- This is a project of a new timber processing plant for precut lumber. Its design concept is all about creating an architecture that embodies the series of timber processing. The almost 100-meter-long viewing aisle encased in a random stripe wooden shell is cantilevered and appears as if it floats from the factory building wall. The aim of the impressive façade design with a sense of acceleration and speed is to provoke the image of Aida Sekkei’s further evolution towards the future.
- Dimensions & Packaging
- Site area: 40,023.50 m2
Building area: 14,614.43 m2
Total floor area: 15,206.32 m2
Office Building(2F)
1st floor: 458.21 m2
2nd floor: 429.28 m2
Number of floors: 2 above ground
Height: Maximum height 10.86 m,
Structure: Wooden
Factory Building(2F)
1st floor: 13,886.39 m2
2nd floor: 380.70 m2 - Tags
- architecture, factory, wooden, truss, pre-cut, Factory tour, Japan
- Production Technology
- As for the office, which is the face of the plant, we created one large space by building a scissor truss using members of smaller cross sections (30 mm by 120mm size lumber used as supplementary members such as wall studs of a home). 120mm square Japanese cypress pillars are placed every 303 mm of the wall and to construct load-bearing walls, a 30 mm thick cedar board was inserted between the pillars.
- Design Challenge
- When constructing large-span wooden structures, it's common to use specialized and expensive materials such as large-diameter engineered lumber. However, here, we've achieved a 12-meter span at low cost by combining small-section studs commonly used in typical residential construction to form trusses. This method, the first of its kind in Japan, utilizes these small-section studs (measuring 30×120mm) which are widely used in residential construction.
- Project Duration
- This project was completed in September 2020 and is currently in operation. The planned site in Bando City is a place where forest resources are abundant despite being near Tokyo. It is conveniently located as a node of the expressway network in the Tokyo metropolitan area.
- Operation Flow
- This is a project of a new timber processing plant for precut lumber designed by Aida Sekkei Co.,Ltd., one of the leading house builders who specializes in traditional Japanese timber construction.
- Research
- Research Objective: To find a cost-effective method for achieving large spans in wooden structures. Result: The combination of small-section studs into truss structures has enabled the realization of a 12-meter span at low cost. Impact: There is potential for innovative approaches in medium to large-scale wooden construction.
- Inspiration
- Before initiating this design, visiting an existing pre-cut factory left a profound impression. Witnessing the precise, aesthetically pleasing fabrication of columns and beams at remarkable speed sparked inspiration. To capture the dynamism and speed of fabrication observed in the factory, the design concept emerged: a facade featuring a protruding massive timber symbolizing the factory's essence.
- Image Credits
- Image #1-#5: Photographer Nobuaki Miyashita, Variations, 2020
- Patents
- None
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