Saitokoyu Forest Management Office

The Saito Koyu Forest Office is the first government office building in Japan to use the wooden CLT panel construction method, with the intention of creating new demand for lumber in the coming era. In order to make active use of wood and to promote understanding and use of CLT, the interior finish is made of wood, and CLT joints, which are normally invisible, are made visible. The building was designed to be both comfortable to work in and environmentally friendly, with sound insulation against noise from airplanes and roads, natural lighting and ventilation through the use of high sidelights, and LED lighting. To harmonize the exterior with the surrounding environment, which includes shrines and ruins associated with the Kojiki and the Chronicles of Japan, a sloping roof was adopted and plantings were placed outside to enhance the local landscape.