Tohoku sogokizai corporation head office and a shipping storage

This building comprises the office and warehouse for the storage of construction materials, located in Miyagino, Sendai city.

The site is located near Route 45 which is approximately 5km inside from the coast line. The original building was completely destroyed in the Tohoku earthquake and they wanted to re-build their new facility combining the office with the warehouse. We focused on the concept of the distribution business that includes 2 three-dimensional mechanical storage warehouses which is the main function of company, and 3 stocking warehouses.

The west side of the three-dimensional mechanical storage has the highest roof point, creating a roof line of various heights. This allows for high ceilings in the meeting rooms and lounge area, and as well in the office and cafeteria. Walls were minimized to the extent of the local building code to allow workers greater visual communication and transparency of the whole space.

After the Tohoku earthquake of March 11th people have become more reliant on natural sources of energy, because of the high water table we adopted a geo-thermal system that runs through the wall transferring energy from the ground to cool and heat the facility.

Using double-sided iron panels covered on the back side with insulation for the exterior walls and roofing that contributes to highly efficient energy savings through the panel air conditioning system. A high sight light window at the top of the ceiling creates natural ventilation, contributing to better air-flow.

We aimed for a simple monochrome exterior design which meets the functional needs contrasted with a rich and comfortable office space inside the building.

 


Design
 　2011.08-2012.07
Construction period
　2012.08-2013.03
Structure
　steel structure , 2 stories
Photographs
　Shigeo Ogawa