Because Wood Project

Big Table 「 silta 」（シルタ）

https://youtu.be/2tOgGYUlsUI

　日本は国土の約７割が森林の森林大国です。そのうち約６割が自然更新される天然林です。天然林には広葉樹が多く、家具や床材の材料として適していることが知られていますが、国内ではホワイトオークやウォールナットなど、外国産の広葉樹が多く使われ国産広葉樹の活用例はまだまだ稀です。
　国内の広葉樹は標高の高いところに生育していることなどの理由から、伐採が困難で費用もかかることから伐採量も少なく、市場への供給も不安定です。しかし、日本の山間地域には人家の側に「里山」と呼ばれる森があります。里山は古くは薪や炭の原料となるコナラや、家屋の土台や食料にもなる栗が植えられてきました。近年は山間地域の過疎化により、放置され荒廃した里山が増加しています。
　そんな里山の代表的な樹であり、日本国内に広く自生している“クリ”を活用し、家具製造の新たなテクノロジーで大型テーブルを商品化することで、里山の荒廃抑制と再生および国産広葉樹の利用促進に貢献するとともに、本物の木の家具をオフィスで使うことがオフィスワーカーにとって、より良い効果をもたらすことを実証実験により確かめ、その結果を広く周知することを目的としたプロジェクトです。

　 Japan is a heavily forested country with approximately 70% of its land area covered by forests. About 60% of these are naturally regenerated natural forests. Many natural forests contain hardwoods, which are known to be suitable for furniture and flooring materials. In Japan, many foreign hardwoods such as white oak and walnut are used, and examples of domestic hardwoods are still rare.
　Domestic hardwoods are challenging and costly to harvest. They grow at high altitudes, with a limited volume of harvesting and an unstable supply to the market. However, in the mountainous regions of Japan, there are forests called ‘satoyama’, which are located close to people's homes. In the past, satoyama were planted with konara oak, which is used to make firewood and charcoal, and chestnuts, which are used for house foundations and food. In recent years, the number of neglected and devastated satoyama has been increasing due to depopulation in mountainous areas.
This project has three clear objectives: (1) to contribute to the control and restoration of these degraded satoyama forests and promote the use of domestic hardwoods; (2) to verify through demonstration tests that using real wood furniture in offices has a positive effect on office workers; and (3) to share the results of these demonstration tests with the world.

【for People】
本プロジェクトでは、実在のオフィス空間において、大型テーブルの天板の材質の違い（白メラミン化粧板、木目調メラミン化粧板、クリ無垢単板クリア塗装の3種）が、ワーカーの勤務時の生理・心理面や集中力・発想力に及ぼす影響について、自社の社員を被験者とし、国の研究機関との共同研究による実証実験で科学的に検証しました。その結果、ワーカーが無垢の家具を使うことで不安感が少なく、ストレスが抑えられ、集中力や発想力の向上がみられました。 (差し替え分）
【for Planet】
里山に自生するクリを天板に採用することにより、荒廃が進む里山の再生が進み、伐採後は切株から新しい芽が育ち自然更新され、新芽の成長過程で空気中の二酸化炭素の吸収量が増加し、カーボンニュートラルへの貢献も期待されます。
【for Profit】
シルタで採用したクリは、伐採（岩手県）製材・乾燥（秋田県）無垢単板製造（青森県）と北東北地方の林業、木材産業など地域産業に貢献をしています。また前述の実証実験の結果から、不安感が少なく、ストレスが抑えられ、集中力や発想力の向上がみられることから、生産性も向上するのではないかと考察しています。

【for People】
In this project, we had the amazing opportunity to scientifically test the effects of different materials used for tabletops of large tables (white melamine veneer, wood grain-looking melamine veneer and clear-coated solid chestnut veneer) on the physiological and psychological aspects of workers at work and on their ability to concentrate and think. We conducted this test in a real office environment, using our own employees as test subjects, in collaboration with a national research organisation. The results showed that workers felt less anxious and less stressed when using solid furniture, which improved their ability to concentrate and think.
【for Planet】
The use of chestnut trees, which grow wild in satoyama, for the tabletop will promote the regeneration of satoyama, which are in the process of being devastated. After logging, new shoots grow from the stumps and are naturally renewed. The growth process of the new shoots increases the amount of carbon dioxide absorbed from the air.　This project is expected to contribute to carbon neutrality.
【for Profit】
The chestnut trees used in ‘silta’ are logged (Iwate Prefecture), milled and dried (Akita Prefecture) and manufactured as solid veneers (Aomori Prefecture), contributing to local industries such as the forestry and timber industries in the north-eastern region of Japan. The results of the aforementioned demonstration experiment show that workers feel less anxious and less stressed when using solid furniture, which improves their ability to concentrate and think. This also indicates the potential for productivity improvements.

＃Sustainable　　#Design　　＃Well-being

https://www.itoki.jp/special/feel-so-wood/story/discussion/index.html
https://catalog.itoki.jp/series/ShowSeries.action?seriesCode=2391&_gl=1*zokq5g*_ga*MTY4ODg2NDMxNy4xNzA5MDE5OTg2*_ga_BNMBXZPSXX*MTcyOTgxNjk1MC41MS4xLjE3Mjk4MTcwMjEuNTEuMC4yMDk4MjM2NDI3

　日本の山間地域に多い里山は、過疎化などの要因から手入れがされず放置され、荒廃が進んでいる地域が増えています。
　そこでシルタは荒廃が進む里山に自生するクリを天板に採用することにより、里山に人の手が入り、獣害の減少し生態系の再生が進み、水源の保全や伐採後は切株から新しい芽が育ち自然更新され、成長過程で空気中の二酸化炭素の吸収量が増加し、カーボンニュートラルへの貢献も期待されます。

　 A significant number of Japan's satoyama are currently neglected due to factors such as depopulation. Consequently, an increasing number of these areas are experiencing a decline in condition.
The utilization of chestnut trees, which flourish in these devastated satoyama regions, as tabletops enables ‘silta’ to facilitate human interaction with the satoyama, mitigate animal damage and facilitate ecosystem regeneration. Additionally, the preservation of water sources and the enhancement of carbon dioxide absorption from the atmosphere during the growth process are also achieved. This is a great step towards carbon neutrality.

　本来里山の樹は人家の側にあり伐採は容易なはずですが、市場に出してもパルプの原料丸太程度の価値しか付かない、だから伐採が進まない、だから里山の荒廃は進んでしまいます。そこでシルタのように里山の樹が家具材料として価値があることをWEBサイトで公開することで、里山の樹の伐採促進と価値向上に努めています。
https://www.itoki.jp/special/feel-so-wood/index.html

Originally, trees in satoyama should be easy to cut down as they are located close to people's homes. However, even if they are put on the market, they are only worth about as much as logs for pulp, which is why logging is not progressing. This is causing the issue that satoyama is becoming more and more degraded. Therefore, we have been working to promote the logging of satoyama trees and increase their value by disclosing on our website that satoyama trees like ‘silta’ have value as furniture material.

　シルタの全工程（伐採→木材市場→製材・乾燥→表面材製造→天板加工→塗装→納品）をWEBサイトで公開することで、顔の見えるサプライチェーンを構築しています。それにより伐採している人や市場、製材所で働いている人たち等、各工程に携わる人々の想いがユーザーに伝わります。また、利用者からのダイレクトな声が関係者に届くので、彼らの里山の荒廃抑制と再生および国産広葉樹の利用促進に貢献するモチベーションが向上されています。

We have revealed the entire ‘silta’ process (logging → timber market → milling and drying → surface material production → tabletop processing → painting → delivery) on our website. This has created a visible supply chain. This allows the users to understand the thoughts of the people involved in each process, such as the people who are cutting down the trees, the people who are working in the markets and lumber mills, etc. In addition, the direct feedback from users is delivered to the relevant people, which motivates them to contribute to the conservation and regeneration of the satoyama and the promotion of the use of domestic hard wood.