Canadian Hem-Fir and SPF Lumber Used in Non-Residential Project in Osaka
The Canada Wood Tokyo office recently visited a 4-storey wooden office building under construction in Hirakata City, located in northeast Osaka Prefecture, approximately half-way between Osaka and Kyoto cities. The building we visited will be used as a housing display, pre-sales and administrative center for a new apartment project that will be constructed nearby for Zero Home, part of the Kyoto based Zero Corporation. This is part of Keihan Holdings, a group that operates train lines running between Osaka and Kyoto, as well as hotels and other leisure facilities, mainly in the Kansai region.
This 2×4 structure has a total floor area of 372 m², with model apartment rooms taking up a total of 107 m² on the 1st and 2nd floors. The architectural work for this project was done in house by Zero Corporation and the 2×4 panels and framing were supplied by Mitsubishi Estate Housing Components Kansai plant. Canadian SPF lumber was used for both the walls and floor joists, and to hold the weight of the structure, high quality treated Canadian Hem-Fir lumber – Canada Tsuga – 4×6 sill plates (‘Dodai’) were installed on the ground floor. This project provides an excellent example of the high strength attributes of Canada Tsuga lumber in this application.
With our focus on increasing the market for these larger and taller wooden buildings, strong and durable treated Canada Tsuga sill plates should increasingly be the choice for bearing the load of these structures. Previously these buildings were typically constructed of steel or concrete but increasingly wood is viewed as an economically viable and environmentally friendly material. This building is a great example of how Canada Tsuga and SPF lumber can be incorporated to build solid non-residential structures.