Japan’s largest home builder, Sekisui House sponsored the 2014 UDIA Study Tour for 30 Australian property leaders earlier this month.
Hosted by UDIA’s Stephen Albin, delegates from the Australian property industry visited a number of developments and projects in Tokyo including Sekisui House’s Zero Emissions Centre, a large scale manufacturing factory, and the Housing ‘Dream Factory’.
The group included delegates from Crown Group, Strata Plus, Land & Housing Corporation NSW, PDMS Group, Hyecorp Property Group, Ford Lane Company, Perich Group, Kochate, Brown Consulting, Bartier Perry, Hills Shire Council, National Facilities Management, Development Planning Strategies, and Macarthur Developments.
Mr Albin said feedback from the group was immensely positive about the study tour to Japan, with all the delegates impressed by Sekisui House’s achievements. The UDIA Study Tour is designed specifically for leaders and aspiring leaders in the Australian development industry from both public and private sectors wishing to explore the challenges and solutions implemented by various major cities outside of Australia.
He commented that a major highlight of the tour was gaining an insight into the technologies and various innovations that Sekisui House so generously shared with the delegation.
Sekisui House NSW Marketing Manager, Moonmoon Sahu who hosted the group with UDIA said Sekisui House couldn’t be more delighted with the outcome from this year’s Study Tour to impart and share some of the company insights with its Australian counterparts.
According to Ms Sahu, Sekisui House has spent the better part of the last 50 years focusing on the role and positive impact of technology, sustainability and innovation on its operations across the board. The study tour helped Sekisui House demonstrate some of these with the delegation in Tokyo.
The group visited Sekisui House’s Zero Emissions Centre, which demonstrates world best practice in sustainable development in the private residential housing market. The facility showcases the first Zero Emissions Home, which integrates state-of-the-art technology that results in zero net CO2 emissions during building, occupancy, and demolishing and zero waste generation from construction.
Sekisui House’s large-scale manufacturing plant has a production capacity of more than 1,100 housing units per month. The factory allows visitors to witness the entire housing production and manufacturing process so customers can watch their houses take shape.
Delegates also visited Sekisui House’s ‘Dream Factory’, an exhibition facility of Sekisui House’s housing technologies. Visitors use experimental machines to see, touch and enjoy various aspects of housing, and gain an understanding of the advanced technology applied.
Mr Albin said this year’s UDIA NSW Tokyo study tour itinerary was designed to showcase lifestyle transformations taking place in urban centres to combat global warming, increasing populations, and the high cost of resources.
Delegates learned about Tokyo's approach to strategic planning, development and infrastructure. They met with officials, local and international developers, and consultants to learn and exchange views on planning, urban renewal and development, housing technology, engineering, adaptive reuse, sustainability and much more.
