Obayashi Corporation's Innovative Office Design Wins Silver A' Design Award

Revolutionizing the Japanese Construction Industry with High Buildability and Added Value

Obayashi Corporation's design is inspired by the challenges faced by the Japanese construction industry, particularly labor shortage. The structural frame of the building is designed without horizontal connection, simplifying site erection and significantly improving on-site productivity. The design of the interior, based on a motif of vertical and horizontal lines and grids, is inspired by the facade design.

The Oak Konan Shinagawa stands out for its unique properties. The mid-rise office building, located near the harbor in Shinagawa, Tokyo, features a distinctive white lattice-like exterior frame made of precast concrete. This frame serves as a structural frame as well as a sun-shading device. Combined with the steel construction of the core, this hybrid structure creates a column-free office space, enhancing buildability and sustainability.

The technology behind the design is equally innovative. Supply and exhaust air for the office are provided on the east, west, and north sides from equipment units built into the aluminum curtain wall inside the columns and beams. The deep structural frame also controls the amount of direct solar radiation, significantly reducing heat loads.

The building's specifications are impressive. With a site area of 2,635.57m2, a building area of 1,485.79m2, and a total floor area of 16,331.64m2, the building stands at a maximum height of 56.76m. The structure is mainly steel construction, with reinforced concrete construction in some parts.

The design team, consisting of Hiroshi Satake, Kenji Matsuoka, Rei Sato, and Kazuhiro Yasufuku, faced several challenges during the project. The major challenge was the labor shortage in the Japanese construction industry. Despite the progress in new technologies such as construction robots, their use in actual construction sites is still limited. The team communicated with the construction staff to find a construction method that was easy to construct and of high quality, while also creating new ideas for the exterior and interior to add value to the client.

The Oak Konan Shinagawa project started in September 2020 and was completed in July 2022. The building is a testament to Obayashi Corporation's commitment to innovative design and high buildability, earning it the Silver A' Design Award in 2023. This award is given to top-of-the-line, creative, and professionally remarkable designs that illustrate outstanding expertise and innovation.