Sophia University Building 15

Building 15 at Sophia University's Yotsuya Campus opened in the fall of 2022 as a hub for adult education and community exchange, with the keyword "transforming the city into a forest," aiming to contribute to achieving the SDGs and realizing a decarbonized society, as well as becoming a sustainable landmark in the region.
This three-story wooden fire-resistant building, designed and construction by Sumitomo Forestry, utilizes "Kigurumi FR®," an original pure wood fire-resistant laminated timber made from Tama-grown cedar, for its main structural concept design. The facade, covered with a cross-shaped wooden lattice, expresses the founding principles of Sophia University: "diversity," "interaction with others," "truth," and "tradition." The first floor will house a café open to the public, and as part of its community contribution activities, space will be provided to neighboring town associations for use as a disaster prevention warehouse. The second and third floors are used as classrooms for the "Professional Studies" course for working adults.
Our company was responsible for design, layout, and construction of the third floor, which is used as a classroom for courses for working adults. Aiming to create a space that fosters knowledge through gathering, learning, and conversation, we also connected the story from the architecture to the materials that make up the space, and incorporated Nishikawa timber (cedar and cypress) from Hannō, which has been used to concept design the city of Edo alongside Tama timber.

- This facility will contribute to "transforming the city into a forest," helping to achieve the SDGs and realize a decarbonized society. It will also serve as a sustainable landmark for the region and contribute to creating a vibrant city by being used as a base for adult education and community exchange.
- Proposing a space that harmonizes with Sophia University's founding philosophy and Sumitomo Forestry's wooden building concept, concept design, and aesthetic.
- In particular, the third floor should not only be usable for lectures, but also function as a salon where people can relax and engage in conversation.
The above requests were received from Sumitomo Forestry.

The building's value as a landmark is further enhanced by a striking space that complements its exterior, and in this era of changing communication methods, we proposed a space that offers a comfortable environment where people can gather in person, spend valuable time, deepen discussions and interactions, or even use it as a small workspace while waiting. Instead of the uniform format of a podium and tables, we adopted a "debate" format with tiered seating to encourage frank and lively dialogue, surrounded by benches and tables.
Furthermore, in line with the facility's philosophy of contributing to the SDGs in the international community and valuing connections with the local community and society, environmentally conscious materials are used in the materials that make up the space. Carbon is sequestrated by actively utilizing traceable timber from nearby production areas (Nishikawa timber), and concept design aims to deepen visitors' interest in the diverse "charms of wood" through the space.