The construction plan of LOOP50, a city that thrives alongside forests
About 70 percent of Japan’s land is covered by forests,
amounting to a land area of 25 million hectares.
The forests nurture the soil, which then stores,
purifies, and slowly releases water into rivers.
For forests to carry out these multifaceted functions,
it is necessary to promote a self-sustainable loop through conservation activities.
However, some forests in Japan have become noticeably neglected
with the decline in timber demand and of the forestry industry.
Obayashi Corporation has envisioned a city in highlands and mountainous areas
that would utilize the rich resources of the forest in the most effective ways,
as well as provide both sustainability and an attractive lifestyle.
This city is LOOP50.
With LOOP50, trees are felled according to their growth stage,
and buildings are constructed depending on the amount of felled wood available.
Specifically, buildings are added at a rate of one section each year
using trees that have been allowed to grow over a period of 50 years in the local forests.
And, at the same time, one section of a building with a lifespan of over 50 years,
that has finished its purpose as a residential building, is demolished,
with the resulting wood used as an energy source for the city.
from a local
forest
The city is self-sustaining through using
only the resources it obtains from the forest.
This is the conceptualization of a new kind of co-existence,
in which the city grows in a 50-year cycle alongside the forest.
As a step toward
making LOOP50 a reality,
Obayashi Corporation began construction of Japan’s first all-timber high-rise fire-resistant building in March 2020, with all structural elements, including columns and beams, made of wood (scheduled for completion in March 2022).
The company is also undertaking a variety of other
initiatives linked to reducing carbon dioxide emissions,
with the goal of realizing sustainability in society.
LOOP50 is one kind of
ideal sustainable society.
The realization of
LOOP50 may also
lead to sustainability
across the world.