Nikken Sekkei Architects

Vincente Guallart

”In the digital world, we should reinvent globalization in such a way that we produce resources locally—energy, elements, and things—while we are globally connected.”

Lucas Epp

" China is definitely the largest market outside North America. But what is missing is local manufacture which can produce good quality woods that can be used in large constructions. "

Dr. Maarten Hajer

"When talking about wood urbanism, the importance is by re-relating nature to the society and finding a way to do it in a sustainable manner and that by no means is easy"

Ortiz Leon Architects

"Spain is the second country with the highest number of LEED certifications in the world."

The Talks

Interviewee

Nikken Sekkei Architects

Credits

Interviewer

Haruka Maeda

Published

July 10, 2022

D|W How do you think the timber construction will accommodate the density within a big city and at the same time create a better social environment?

N.S. Wood is a material with a lower heat capacity than reinforced concrete. By increasing buildings with wooden facades, heat radiation at night and densified cities will be reduced. We believe that it will contribute to the mitigation of the heat island phenomenon. Also, compared to reinforced concrete and steel frame structures, the wooden structure is easier to process, so it is in the construction stage. This will lead to a significant reduction in CO2 emissions, and as a result, contribute to a better urban and global environment.

THE TALKS

Nikken Sekkei Architects

Nikken Sekkei is an architectural, planning and engineering firm from Japan, with headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Today, Nikken Sekkei ranks as the second largest architectural practice in the world.

Wood scraper

D|W We all know Japan is a country with frequent earthquakes and that the built environment must be resilient. How is a timber-based structure more resistant to earthquakes than other construction materials?

N.S Besides earthquakes in Japan, it is necessary to design in consideration of the effects of wind such as typhoons. It is not possible to handle the height of 350m against earthquakes and winds with pure wooden construction. It's difficult and it is not worth holding on to it. The outer periphery of the building plane has columns and beams made of a hybrid material of wood and steel, and braces of steel. Adopting a combined wood steel hybrid structure to ensure safety in the "right place" is our plan.

" Adopting a combined wood steel hybrid structure to ensure safety in the "right place" is our plan"

D|W We read that the building cost will be twice as high as conventional construction methods with state-of-the-art technology. In what way does technology develop in order to reduce this amount?

N.S The cost difference depends on the scale, construction method, country, and region, etc., so it cannot be said unconditionally. There is no doubt that many technological innovations are needed to make wood a more user-friendly material. In the case of Japan, the forests where trees are cut down are steep, so heavy machinery does not enter and must rely on human labor. For this reason, domestic timber has become expensive, and as a result, forestry has become obsolete. In addition, a large amount of CO2 is emitted due to inefficient transportation processes and drying factories. In the future, the use of technological innovations such as robotics in each phase will be necessary. Logging, drying, processing, transportation, tree planting, etc. must be sustained even in an aging society and generating less energy.