SANU（Takahiro Homma / Yusuke Ishikawa） + ADX（Kotaro Anzai） × OBAYASHI CORPORATION Architectural Design & Engineering Division （Sho Ito / Shun Takayama / Mari Ota / Chiho Hoyama）

　

SANU and ADX have developed villa subscriptions ("SANU 2nd Home" etc.) in forests around Lake Shirakaba and the Yatsugatake Mountains to draw city dwellers into nature, while OBAYASHI CORPORATION is working to bring nature into urban areas by converting to timber construction and greening.
At first glance, the approaches may seem to be coming from opposite directions, but our goals should be very similar. While introducing each other's activities, we discussed the symbiosis with nature, the wellness created by such symbiosis, and future visions at OBAYASHI's training facility "Port Plus" in Kannai, Yokohama.

Promising Future with Port Plus

Mari Ota｜Please tell us your impressions about Port Plus that you have just seen.

Takahiro Homma｜The first impression was very stylish on the outside. When I was heading for this building, a wooden structure distinctively different from its surroundings caught my eye. Although the wooden structure wouldn't look like wood due to the fireproof treatment, I could see the design solution worked very well to show the use of wood recognizable from the outside and the inside. Then the building made me wonder what the meaning and the benefit of constructing a wooden high-rise were in the first place. Eventually, I came to conclude that its wooden appearance itself must have significance. There are some aspects that make us wonder if it is beneficial to nature, if it is costly to transport, and if we are using extra materials by using the outer skin, but I am looking forward to seeing more wooden buildings in various forms following this pilot project.