Japanese Builder Brings Resilient Building Techniques to US Homes

Japanese-based home builder Sekisui House, the nation's 6th-largest home builder by revenue in Pro Builder's latest Top 200 rankings, is introducing new construction techniques to the U.S. market. The company has been expanding its presence across the country over the past eight years and is now bringing forward more resilient building practices with its Shawood line, according to a report from Homes.com.

Through the Shawood brand, homes are built with sustainably sourced Scandinavian lumber that is specially treated, cut, and laminated for strength. Using a post-and-beam kit system, these houses are designed not only to withstand earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons, but also to create open, flexible living spaces, which Sekisui House says is part of its holistic approach to promote wellness and healthy living.

American homes are traditionally built by stick framing, using 2x4 or 2x6 pieces of lumber to create trusses and platforms, but with post-and-beam building, lumber pieces are much larger and able to support more weight. The method allows for larger swaths of open space, creating more expansive floor plans and dramatic placements for windows.

Letting the outside in is part of Sekisui House's focus on wellness. The builder believes its designs offer an added level of well-being for residents. Each Shawood home comes with an environmentally friendly energy package to ensure the home has net-zero emissions with solar panels, a battery storage system, and an electric vehicle charger.

The pre-cut kit also creates less construction waste than traditional homebuilding.