Fuji Xerox R&D Square Wins the Annual Architectural Design Commendation of JSSI for its Seismically Isolated Structure

TOKYO, June 8, 2011 — A research and development site of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd., Fuji Xerox R&D Square, has won the Annual Architectural Design Commendation from the Japan Society of Seismic Isolation (JSSI) at the 12th JSSI Awards.

In constructing a new R&D center in Yokohama Minato Mirai 21, Fuji Xerox aimed at making the building: to have a creative exterior to give a futuristic feel; to provide a work space rich in flexibility where researchers can gather and meet; and to be secure against large-scale earthquakes and long-period earthquake ground motion, a known problem especially for super high-rise buildings.

Therefore, to make the exterior of the building to have a delicate curve form covered with glass as well as to provide wide-open spaces with fewer and thinner columns^{Note 1} to facilitate collaborative innovation among researchers and developers, Fuji Xerox R&D Square adopted CFT (Concrete-Filled Steel Tube) columns^{Note 2} with high load bearing capacity, in addition to adopting a seismically isolated structure for the building itself. This has resulted in high quake resistance that can withstand major earthquakes equivalent to the Great Hanshin Earthquake in 1995. These points were highly evaluated in the 2011 JSSI Awards.

With no damages from the March 11th Great East Japan Earthquake, this structural system has proved to be effective.

Note 1

The number of columns was reduced by 25 percent compared with traditional designs, while the diameter of the columns was slimmed down from 1.3 meters to less than a meter.

Note 2

Shimizu Corporation's CFT columns are concrete-filled steel tubes which combine concrete's resistance to pressure with steel beams' resistance to tension, thus realizing a type of structural member highly resistant to earthquakes, with a high load bearing capacity and superb deformation capacity.

About Fuji Xerox R&D Square

Fuji Xerox R&D Square is a research and development center located in Section 65, Minato Mirai 21 in Yokohama City, Kanagawa; its construction started in March 2008 and the operation started in April 2010. The building owned by Fuji Xerox was designed and built by Shimizu Corporation, a general contractor of Japan. The center aims to create new values for customers from their perspective, forming urban dynamism as well as a global network by taking advantage of its location in the cosmopolitan city of Yokohama.

About the JSSI Awards and the Annual Architectural Design Commendation of JSSI

The JSSI Awards aim at contributing to the steady development of seismic isolation technology as well as to the promotion of safe and high quality buildings through presenting awards to individuals and buildings that play a part in the improvement and dissemination of seismic isolation structure. The Commendation is given to buildings of superior quality that incorporate seismic isolation technology.

• Website of the Japan Society of Seismic Isolation:
  http://www.jssi.or.jp/english/index.html

Outline of Fuji Xerox R&D Square