Okazaki Kikai's New Headquarters Office and Factory Using Okayama-Sourced Timber Completed

Life Design Kabaya Co., Ltd. (President: Kentaro Kubota, HQ: Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture) has completed the design, supervision, and construction of the new headquarters office and factory for Okazaki Kikai Co., Ltd. (President: Masami Seki, HQ: Kurashiki City, Okayama Prefecture) in Kurashiki City. The facility was handed over on March 30, 2026, and the headquarters office began operations on May 7, 2026.

This project involved the construction of a two-story wooden headquarters office and a two-story steel-structured factory on the same site. By consolidating previously scattered factory operations and placing them adjacent to the headquarters office, the company aims to improve operational efficiency.

Okazaki Kikai, the client, is a major seller of woodworking machinery. They built their headquarters office using wood to "demonstrate a real-world example of wooden construction and to promote the revitalization of the lumber and woodworking industries, as well as the significance of wood utilization, to their business partners."

Of the 159.2 cubic meters of total structural material, approximately 73% (116.3 cubic meters) is timber from Okayama Prefecture. Furthermore, 106.7 cubic meters of CLT from Okayama were used, with the roof designed to extend broadly, leveraging the strength of the CLT.

The office embodies a dedication to wood, featuring scorched cedar (yaki-sugi) on parts of the exterior walls, exposed structural frameworks in the interior, and custom furniture made from CLT. The building also incorporates barrier-free features such as an elevator, providing a comfortable environment for employees and visitors.