Our initiative to develop an AI design support tool specifically for medium- and large-scale wooden buildings has been selected for continued funding from the Forestry Agency.
Bringing together dispersed design know-how and creating a shared platform that can be used by design professionals, and implementing it in society.
A joint project between three architectural design firms and ArchiTech.

Nikken Sekkei Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: President and CEO: Atsushi Omatsu; hereinafter “Nikken Sekkei”), Nippon Sekkei Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: President and CEO: Atsushi Shinozaki; hereinafter “Nippon Sekkei”), and Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: President and CEO:Junichi Tanizawa, hereinafter “Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei”), and ArchiTech Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture; Representative Director President and CEO:Takuya Ito, hereinafter “ArchiTech”)—a joint initiative to develop a chat-based AI design support tool specialized for medium- to large-scale timber construction—has been selected for continued funding under the Forestry Agency’s subsidy program, “Project for the Development and Promotion of CLT and Other Wood-Based Building Materials (Reiwa 7 Fiscal Year).”
This marks the second consecutive year the project has been selected. Building on the results of the prototype system developed and trial operations conducted last fiscal year, the project will focus this fiscal year on improving accuracy for practical implementation and preparing for a pre-release.

Against the backdrop of trends toward realizing a decarbonized society and amendments to the Act on the Promotion of Wood Utilization, the use of wood is accelerating. While the single-family housing market—which accounts for a large portion of the demand for domestically produced timber—is shrinking, the sector for medium- to large-scale commercial wood-frame buildings—including offices, commercial facilities, hotels, welfare facilities, daycare centers, and educational facilities—is expected to expand in the future.However, the design of such structures requires advanced expertise and experience across multiple fields—including structural engineering, fire resistance, and timber procurement—and, given the frequent changes resulting from legislative amendments and deregulation, practical know-how and official guidelines are scattered and, making it difficult to easily access the necessary information—a barrier to expanding the pool of professionals in this field.

Based on an original survey conducted last fiscal year by four companies targeting design professionals involved in or interested in non-residential timber construction(n=460) conducted last fiscal year—targeted at design professionals involved in or interested in non-residential timber construction projects undertaken by four companies—revealed that, in light of recent trends in timber construction, approximately two-thirds (68.7%) responded that “their interest in and willingness to engage in medium- to large-scale timber construction has increased compared to a few years ago.” On the other hand, the top practical challenges cited were “comparative information on cost, detailing, and structural performance is not well organized”“Information on design, procurement, and construction is scattered and difficult to access,” and “It is difficult to keep up with the latest legal amendments, notifications, and guideline updates.” The survey also revealed that approximately half of the respondents (46.7%) spend at least one hour per day gathering information.

This project aims to consolidate and structure design knowledge currently scattered across various locations and build a foundation for its continuous utilization. To this end, three architectural firms—Nikken Sekkei, Nippon Sekkei, and Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei—are collaborating in a four-company consortium to collect reference data and conduct pilot operations, ArchiTech is responsible for system development and data processing. This four-company collaborative framework is working integrally to develop a design-support AI chatbot, collect and organize data (such as laws and regulations, design case studies, technical documents, and procurement information) that serves as the basis for generating responses, and explore a sustainable operational framework. For response generation, we have adopted a system that references highly reliable materials published by national and local government agencies, research institutions, industry associations, and other sources, and provides source citations. In the previous fiscal year’s project, under this framework, we built the chatbot’s foundation, organized reference data, and conducted a survey of design professionals. Additionally, we implemented continuous tool improvements through pilot operations by designers and the collection of their feedback.

For this fiscal year’s project, which has been approved for continuation, we will build upon the foundation established last fiscal year and move into a phase focused on improving accuracy with a view toward practical application in design practice. While maintaining the collaborative framework among the four companies, we will prioritize the following three areas:
● Evaluation and improvement of response accuracy: We will establish evaluation metrics tailored for use in design practice and continuously verify and improve the accuracy of source citations and the comprehensiveness of responses.
● Ongoing Organization and Update of Reference Data: We will reorganize the scope of data collection, the collection framework, and the update workflow to reflect legal revisions, new standards, and the latest design case studies.
● Expansion of data partnership networks: Through collaboration with industry associations, local governments, companies, and research institutions, we will expand sources of information directly relevant to practical design work, such as design case studies, technical documents, and timber procurement information
Through these efforts, our goal for this fiscal year is to further enhance the “accuracy and reliability of responses”—the top request from designers in last year’s survey—and to establish a quality foundation that designers can confidently utilize in their work.

Building on the systems established and expanded through this project, we will continue to improve the accuracy of design support tools and expand the information infrastructure while aiming, over the medium to long term, to fully integrate these tools into actual design practices and establish a sustainable operational framework.
Specifically, we plan to implement continuous functional improvements based on usage data, gradually expand the scope of applications, and promote cross-industry adoption, with the goal of establishing the system as social infrastructure that supports the design of medium- to large-scale timber buildings. Through our efforts in the previous fiscal year, we identified challenges regarding the handling of various rights when using case studies and academic papers as reference data, as well as maintaining chatbot quality and building a sustainable organization. Moving forward, we aim to build a network with the goal of conducting public-interest activities that promote the use of wood.

Nikken Sekkei is a professional services firm engaged in architectural and civil engineering design and supervision, urban design, and related survey, planning, and consulting services. For 125 years since our founding in 1900, we have been committed to creating value through “Social and Environmental Design,” which seeks solutions to both apparent and latent social issues, in order to meet the needs of society and the diverse requests of our clients. We have been involved in a wide range of projects in Japan, China, ASEAN, and the Middle East, and in recent years have expanded our operations to India and Europe as well. Nikken Sekkei

Nihon Sekkei is a comprehensive design firm engaged in architectural and landscape design and supervision, urban planning, regional development, urban infrastructure, renovation, and consulting services. Guided by the philosophy of “Caring for People, Respecting Nature, and Envisioning the Future,” we have been working on a wide range of projects—including urban development, offices, hotels, commercial facilities, government buildings, schools, art museums, and stadiums—since our founding in 1967 to meet the needs of society and our clients. We address challenges related to the urban and architectural environments, actively propose environmental solutions aimed at achieving carbon neutrality, and contribute to the sustainable development of society.

Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei, which aims to create truly enriching environments and cultures, is an architectural firm that has been engaged in a wide range of projects both domestically and internationally since its founding in 1890, covering everything from urban planning to architectural design and supervision, planning and consulting, and construction management. As a member of the Mitsubishi Estate Group—which maintains an integrated system covering everything from timber procurement to planning, design, construction, and facility operations—we leverage the Group’s network to deliver high levels of execution in various initiatives to incorporate wood into urban environments, including product development, architectural design, and project management. Through the resource cycle between cities and forests, we aim to transform cities into “second forests.”

Guided by the philosophy of “creating a society where beloved architecture is sustainably created and nurtured,” ArchiTech, Inc. develops and provides services that integrate the power of technology throughout the entire architectural lifecycle. Since its founding in 2015 and incorporation in 2018, the company has expanded into multiple business areas at the intersection of architecture and technology. Currently, with “Miselba”—a virtual tour service utilizing spatial data—as its core offering, the company is broadening its business scope into the field of architectural design support using generative AI. ArchiTech

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