51: Biophilic Design | JR Kumamoto Railway Station Building

In this episode, Cherise is joined by James Scott Brew, Associate Architect, Komatsu Yoshiaki, Director Landscape Architect, and Inoue Mizuki, Acoustic Engineer from NIKKEN SEKKEI, an architectural, planning and engineering firm from Japan, with headquarters in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

The team shares their insights into working on the JR Kumamoto Railway Station Building, Kumamoto, Japan. The 12-story building, plus a basement, is built on a site area of 19,946 ㎡, structurally cast in steel reinforced concrete, reaching a height of 55m. It is a mixed use building with restaurants, retail establishments, a wedding venue, and a multiplex-mimicked theatre on the eighth floor. But its biophilic interior is the centerpiece of the building.

You can see the project here as you listen along.

Recently recognized for the International Living Future Institute’s (ILFI) ‘Stephen Kellert Biophilic Design Award,’ the JR Kumamoto Railway Station Building features a large indoor garden of water, waterfalls and greenery that extends from the ground to the seventh floor.

This project had unique challenges and opportunities:

• analyzing daylighting conditions to appropriate locate landscape within the building,
• replicating a natural waterfall while mitigating its noise for occupant comfort,
• creating a beacon of hope and a symbol of recovery and rebuilding for the people of Japan after a devastating earthquake significantly damaged the area,
• and much more!

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