{"id":25410,"date":"2025-05-13T17:06:57","date_gmt":"2025-05-13T07:06:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/?p=25410"},"modified":"2025-05-13T17:07:00","modified_gmt":"2025-05-13T07:07:00","slug":"could-japans-2x4-housing-fix-solve-australias-housing-crisis","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/woodcentral.com.au\/could-japans-2x4-housing-fix-solve-australias-housing-crisis\/","title":{"rendered":"Could Japan’s 2×4 Housing Fix Solve Australia’s Housing Crisis?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Post-and-beam construction\u2014where workers (and robots) build hundreds of two-by-four-framed houses \u2014could be a silver bullet or Australia’s housing crisis, with a group of Australian architects, engineers, and developers visiting a “factory builder” in the shadows of Mount Fuji.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flanked by Nippon TV, one of Japan’s flagship television networks, the delegation, led by Andrew Dunn from the Timber Development Association, visited the Marudai Co Ltd, a precut timber factory that specialises in building post-and-beam-styled single- and multi-storey houses in seven weeks or less.<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"IMG
The delegates today were shadowed by Nippon TV – one of Japan’s leading television networks – who interviewed the Australians as they toured the factory today. (Photo Credit: Andrew Dunn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

Touring the facility – which includes a real-life NASA capsule – Simon Love, director of Japanese Timber Australia, said the Japanese post-and-beam system is highly efficient and fit-for-purpose and could be an ideal solution for built-up areas like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane…and even smaller cities like Newcastle:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

“The system is efficient, accurate, and easy to install on-site. Everything is delivered on time. They only deliver one or two days’ worth of material to the site. It’s all precut, so no waste. They get a lot more deliveries and, thus, can complete the construction in a fast time.”<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n
All timber is pre-cut and installed using robots that load and stack the pieces into place. All bottom plates are incised treated. (Photo Credit: Andrew Dunn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Set up in the 1950s, the factory opened its first precut facility in the mid-1990s, secured PEFC certification in 2010, and has had multiple upgrades over the decades, including a high-speed feather pattern 3D cutting machine in 2022. Largely automated, it has (since COVID) used loading robots to load and stack precut timber into place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"IMG<\/figure>\n
Inside a real-life NASA capsule located inside the factory. (Photo Credit: Andrew Dunn)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Sponsored by WoodSolutions<\/a>, delegates will tomorrow visit the world’s oldest timber building – the H\u014dry\u016b-ji temple – before a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to experience traditional processing, forestry and carpentry demonstrations. “Guided by the experts, we will look at the traditional joint method, log polishing and Shou Sugi Ban charred timber,” Dunn said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n