The pure wooden eight-story headquarters building designed and constructed by AQ Group has won the prestigious Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism Award at the Wood Utilization Promotion Competition. The project has been highly praised for both its design and innovative use of wood, marking a significant milestone in the advancement of Japanese wooden architectural technology.
How Wooden Architecture Contributes to Solving Global Environmental Issues
As the world seeks solutions to climate change and the establishment of sustainable societies, wooden architecture is gaining attention. Japan, with approximately 70% of its landmass covered by forests, has immense potential for wood utilization. However, challenges such as fire resistance and seismic durability have long hindered the development of high-rise wooden buildings.
The pure wooden eight-story headquarters building designed and built by AQ Group is a groundbreaking project that overcomes these challenges. The structure is composed entirely of wood, highlighting the effective use of forest resources. Additionally, the building’s construction cost is approximately half that of conventional wooden buildings and about three-quarters of reinforced concrete structures. This cost efficiency is expected to significantly contribute to the widespread adoption of wooden architecture.
This award reflects over 20 years of AQ Group’s dedication to the development of wooden construction technologies. The company’s wooden buildings have earned the Minister’s Award five times, gaining recognition domestically and internationally as tangible solutions to environmental challenges.
AQ Group has declared its commitment to accelerating technological innovations to expand wood utilization and contribute to achieving a carbon-neutral society. This accolade represents a vital step in demonstrating the potential of wooden architecture, with expectations for even broader applications in the future.