Jericho Support Centre
Location
Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan
Size
473
Developer
Architects
The Jericho Support Centre provides rehabilitation and training services for over 1,000 disabled people who were displaced by the Great Eastern Japan Earthquake. It is also the third building under the Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project to be constructed using B.C. wood and building technologies.
The 473m2 facility incorporates a wide variety of Canadian forest products with a hybrid post-and-beam and platform-frame design. The building’s main post-and-beam structural components consist of Coastal B.C. Hem-Fir (N); the joists, studs and rafters include SPF dimension lumber from B.C.’s interior; the structure is sheathed in JAS-certified OSB panels. The centre also features a variety of value-added Canadian building materials, including Western Red Cedar decking and siding, Hem-Fir (N) wainscoting and mouldings, Maple hardwood flooring, and custom cabinetry made in B.C.
As part of the reconstruction efforts, Canada Wood led this project and provided technical support to the Japanese design and construction teams.
The Jericho Support Centre provides rehabilitation and life skills training services for individuals with physical and mental disabilities. Following the devastating Great Eastern Japan earthquake and subsequent tsunami of 2011, nearly 1,000 disabled children and adult patients were evacuated from the nuclear exclusion zone and tsunami-hit communities.
Footnote:
In November 2011 the governments of Canada and of British Columbia – in partnership with Canada’s forestry industry – announced $4.5 million in support of the Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project. The project aims to assist in the construction of community facilities in Japan’s disaster-affected region. Reconstruction was done using a Canadian wood-frame construction technique and Canadian wood materials.
The Canada-Tohoku Reconstruction Project operates thanks to the invaluable support of its stakeholders, partners and contributors: Canada Wood Group, Government of Canada – Natural Resources Canada, Province of British Columbia, Province of Alberta and Canadian forestry companies including: Ainsworth Engineered; Ardew Wood Products Ltd.; AP Group; Canadian Forest Products Ltd.; Hampton Affiliates; International Forest Products Ltd.; Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd.; Taiga Building Products; Teal Jones Group; TimberWest Forest Corp.; Western Forest Products Inc.; and Interex Forest Products Ltd. representing Carrier Lumber Ltd., Dunkley Lumber Ltd., Millar Western Forest Industries Ltd. and Sundance Forest Industries Ltd.
