With over 2 million homes utilizing the 2X4 construction method, Wing is ensuring a safe future for homes in Japan.
The Japanese are renowned for building high-quality wooden housing designed to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters. Today, Wing, a leader in wooden housing construction solutions, aims to bring the Japanese 2X4 method to global markets.
“Japanese companies involved in building and housing construction are required to provide earthquake-resistant building structures. Our core business, 2x4 housing construction structures, is highly earthquake-resistant and airtight,” says Wing president Toshiyuki Kurata.
“This is one of our greatest advantages. We create an environment that increases the value of buildings by using the Japanese 2x4 method in Europe and the U.S. They can withstand pests such as termites, which can damage wooden buildings, and last long term. These advantages are why we are promoting 2x4 housing.”
The resilience of 2x4 housing in Japan was demonstrated in the Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake (1995) and the Great East Japan Earthquake (2011=. The reinforced types of timber used in 2x4 construction, such as laminated timber and layered timber, have been proven to withstand strong forces and as such they have even been even in the construction of high-rise buildings.
There are also, of course, the environmental benefits. “When it comes to the issue of carbon neutrality, timber houses have excellent carbon storage capacities,” adds Mr. Kurata.
Many Japanese housing companies are expanding overseas and Wing aims to expand alongside them, with plans afoot to open factories in the U.S. and Canada.
“The future of housing construction, as I envisage it, is without carpenters or framers on site. Everything – interiors, windows, doors – will be pre-made in a factory,” Mr. Kurata explains. “We hope that this vision will become a reality in Japan in five years’ time and eventually become a global standard. North America is a leader in 2x4 construction but has not yet introduced ready-built construction. In the future, we hope to introduce this efficient construction method.”
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