Taking the Midrise Wood Challenge – STARTS CAM
Starts Construction and Asset Management (STARTS CAM) is a real estate brokerage and property development company that provides planning proposals for land assets, design and construction of rental residential properties, tenant office and other commercial buildings. The company is involved in around 200 wooden projects annually of which 90% are built in the 2×4 construction method – mainly 2-storey and 3-storey buildings.
On a recent visit to one of its construction sites, we were pleased to find out the company is constructing its first 4-storey 2×4 mixed commercial and residential building in central Tokyo that is a perfect exhibition of engineered wood (EW) assemblies use in platform frame construction. The wooden structure is almost 13 m in height being built with 4 Midply double shear walls on the first and second floors and the entire building is being built with SPF, OSB and other North American EW (TJI, LSL, PSL) products. The structural engineering for the building was done by En. Wood and Mitsui Home Component supplied and built the wood structure, and except for the Midply walls the entire building was stick framed on-site – due to a small and narrow (width 3.78 m x length 8.125 m) building lot which is 41 m².
Previously, STARTS CAM’s lead architect for this project participated in our non-residential tour mission to Canada as well as Midply seminars here in Japan. The building is another example of how Canadian engineered structural assemblies and wood products are being employed to design and construct taller wood buildings in Japan.