Reader Response Re-Write: Port Plus
The article, “Will Pure Wooden High-Rise Building Be a Game Changer for Decarbonisation, Obayashi Corporation’s Challenge” by Clark (2023), examines how the Obayashi Corporation employs wooden construction to create competitive buildings with a smaller carbon footprint. The Port Plus Obayashi Yokohama Training Centre, a showcase of the Obayashi Company's wooden construction, uses cross-laminated timber (CLT) and laminated veneer lumber (LVL) as key structural elements. What sets the Port Plus apart from similar buildings is the implementation of rigid cross joints, which bind columns and beams using glued-in rods (GIR) and a Japanese carpentry technique known as Nuki (Port Plus, n.d.), which involves fitting a precut section of lumber into a similarly sized hole cut in another section. Another feature of Port Plus is the use of " O ・ Mega Wood" which offers fire resistance and earthquake protection comparable to traditional buildings that are made of concrete and steel...