Japan insurance giant to replace HQ with large-scale timber high-rise

I’m curious to learn more about this. It sounds good on some levels (using renewables, less concrete, etc.) but what about weathering, seismic precautions, etc?

Cool! Concrete is incredibly energy-intensive to produce and difficult to recycle. I'd rather be in a wooden highrise than a concrete/rebar one during an earthquake for sure. Properly cured, weathering should not be a problem.

So we need to cut down more trees? Just last week there was a story about Japan needing more trees.

Hmmm ... OK?

@kyushubill, we definitely need to cut more trees here. Most of our forests are no longer as well manage as it use to be. Most of the trees are at a mature age where you suppose to cut them. Which was the reason why we even planted them the first place decades ago.

This prevent forest fires and overgrowth within the forest. If you are talking planting new young trees, then yes, we should. And more different ones. But our old trees has to go. Plus most of the cedar and cypress ones are becoming too much of a menace due to the large amount of pollen they produce every year.

That picture is not Tokio Marine’s headquarters. It’s Nisshin Fire and Marine’s HQ in Urawa, not anywhere near Tokyo Station. You should look at sources other than Wikipedia.

I see hardly any windows in that building. Ugh.

I think the existing HQ building is very nice, probably designed by a local architect, now , timber buildings high rise is nothing new nowadays, in Japan they seem to demolish new buildings as if they were old.

Yes, these sugi and hinoki plantations are mostly monocultures that are poor for biodiversity, and they have no understory vegetation (due to lack of sunlight, as the trees aren't properly thinned), thus high soil erosion.

@kyushubill, we definitely need to cut more trees here. Most of our forests are no longer as well manage as it use to be. Most of the trees are at a mature age where you suppose to cut them. Which was the reason why we even planted them the first place decades ago.

No mention of cost.

Seems they have the money for a new building.

Wonder if they have money for a pay rise for staff?

It doesn't really matter as the government is on the job, urging a pay rise.

fallaffelToday 08:32 pm JST

Yes, these sugi and hinoki plantations are mostly monocultures that are poor for biodiversity, and they have no understory vegetation (due to lack of sunlight, as the trees aren't properly thinned), thus high soil erosion.

Refereed to as Green Deserts

Better go above and beyond on installing the sprinklers...

Ok I got it! They have fleeced enough people to buy a new building. Have you noticed that insurance buildings are some of the most tallest building in cities. They are nothing but a big pyramid scheme, people give them money thinking they will have an accident to offset their cost. The insurance companies say ok we will hold your money and they use the people money to make their pockets fatter saying ok we will pay for that cost so that when you dot have an accident you won't have to pay a huge bill just a deductible, but when you make a claim they increase your insurance rate and consider you a liability even if you make a claim and paid for years. What a scam!!

So we need to cut down more trees? Just last week there was a story about Japan needing more trees.

nothing wrong with cutting down trees, as long as you replant new trees in their place, many pine species grow very fast so they can be ready to cut down again within 20yrs

I read somewhere, that Trees absorb Carbon, and when you cut them down, they release that Carbon... I guess they only release it when burnt - but I may be wrong.

Other than that, I don't see a problem with building a Wooden building - though 20 floors ? Wooden buildings tend to sway a lot more than concrete ones, so I guess there's going to be a lot of steel in-between ?

Yeah it would be great if trees cut down were replanted but the fact is on this island chain it is not done. Prefectures especially the smaller and poor ones accept bids from the timber industry to clear cut entire native growth forests. That is the reason mud slides have become more and more common.

Replace, implies demolishing the current hq? Or just rent out

And the reason given for getting rid of Harajuku's beautiful station? It was made of wood, so it was a fire risk.

As they cannot import so much wood from Russia, perhaps they will chop down some of those wretched cedars that give everyone hayfever, and build it with those.