Obayashi Moves Forward in Pursuit of WELL Certification
TOKYO, May 11, 2017 /3BL Media/ -- We are pleased to announce that Obayashi has completed the document acquisition and submission process for Techno-station for WELL Certification. Techno-station, the main building of the Technical Research Institute (TRI), is the first project in Japan to register and submit this high level of document verification. The WELL Building StandardTM (WELL) is a holistic, performance-based building standard designed to create healthy indoor spaces across seven categories of building performance and human impact: air, water, nourishment, light, fitness, comfort and mind. WELL is the world’s first health and well-being standard for buildings and administered by the International Well Building InstituteTM (IWBITM).
With its goals of promoting physical and mental well-being, wellness is rapidly gaining global recognition as a critical component for a sustainable society. Obayashi has identified that healthier activities and improved interior environmental factors are not only for building users, but also are critical fordesign and construction; i.e. productivity, safety, security, health and comfort for site employees, trade partners and project management. Obayashi recognizes that heathier and more productive project teams deliver higher quality projects for their valued clients. This is expressed as a comprehensive “Wellness construction” philosophy.
Obayashi is seeking WELL certification for its main TRI building, which, last year, was the first (1st) project in Japan to be WELL-registered (in 2016). The process for this building is providing Obayashi with the experience to efficiently understand the relevant capital investment, maintenance and management methods that aid in achieving WELL. Since registering, Obayashi has submitted verification documents to complete the process toward final WELL certification. Pending the results of local testing and verification, Obayashi’s goal is to be awarded WELL Certification.
Since the completion of construction in 2010, Techno-station has been used as an office building and occupant research facility with a state-of-the-art environment that achieves energy conservation (ZEB) and enhanced workplace productivity. In the pursuit of WELL Certification, the building’s energy conservation ability, air quality, water, nutrition, fitnessindoor environment, and lighting systems underwent a re-evaluation based on WELL features. The user flow inside the office space, the surrounding natural environment, the working style of residents and the work place ergonomics, were considered in the evaluation criteria. Obayashi used this opportunity to actively promote the creation of an office environment that contributes to the improvement and management of healthier work places.
Obayashi views the consideration of user health and well-being as a fundamental element that contributes to the positive promotion of their customers’ business and the improvement of their employee’s health. It aims to actively propose building plans that serve the objectives of attracting customers and boosting revenues in facilities and delivering value-added operations in offices, retail, hospitality and higher education environments. Their actions will help their customers attract and retain the highest qualified personnel by improving health , reducing the likelihood of business losses from illness and contributing to improved business productivity.
About Obayashi Corporation
Obayashi Corporation is one of the world’s leading design and construction firms that have the objective of meeting customer current and future needs through the rigorous and disciplined delivery of healthier, higher quality and more productive places in the built environment .
Obayashi Corporation has an annual revenue of approx. US$15.8 billion world-wide and employs over 13,000 professional staff across a global network in Asia, the Middle East, North America and Oceania. Starting with its successful construction of Tokyo Central Station (currently Tokyo Station) in 1911, Obayashi completed a string of iconic buildings for the time, including Hanshin Koshien Stadium, Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, and TOKYO SKYTREE. These achievements made the name of the company famous.
Obayashi Corporation owns the Technical Research Institute and invests approx. US$80 million annually in R&D, developing innovations and technologies that enhance the construction productivity. The main office building of TRI, which is called Techno-Station, is the cutting-edge application for the innovative work space, advanced environmental features and sophisticated seismic control. It was certified as rank-S for CASBEE-NC and Platinum for LEED-EBOM.
To find out more about Obayashi Corporation, visit www.obayashi.co.jp/english
