Raising environmental awareness in the community through large-scale park development coupled with the Gohon no ki Project

The ongoing Tehaleh Community Development Project located on a 19-square-kilometer site near Seattle is a large-scale development of 9,500 planned dwelling units alongside commercial, office, and R&D facilities. Discovery Park, an extensive 7.3-hectare project, is currently under construction. Working together with the residents, we have created a conceptual plan that creates synergies with other preservation zones and open spaces in the surrounding area.
In addition, from a location adjacent to the local elementary school, we have planted native tree species and installed birdhouses as part of the Gohon no ki Project so that young people in the area can learn more about the natural environment.
Here, we are developing an environment in which plants naturally pollinate and are creating spaces that make local residents more aware of the need to live in harmony with nature.

The Tehaleh Project

Collaborating with Woodside Homes to develop more environment-friendly products

California, a state committed to environmental conservation, has been proactive at enacting environmental legislation. Laws mandating reductions in greenhouse gas emissions have been enacted, and legislation requiring new homes to be equipped with photovoltaic panels was introduced in 2020, marking the first time such a policy has been adopted in the U.S.A.
Our subsidiary, Woodside Homes, is strengthening the development of environment-friendly products to promote Zero Net Energy (ZNE, the U.S. equivalent of ZEH) housing in line with revisions to the state’s environmental and energy-efficiency standards for buildings.
In Glendale, Arizona, plans are under way to obtain LEED Certification* for an environment-friendly community that is scheduled to open in 2022.

*Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, an environmental performance evaluation and certification system for buildings and sites that was developed and operated by the US Green Building Council (USGBC)

A home office setting in a model home

Offering options for healthy home living

In October 2020, Woodside Homes introduced the Healthy Home Package, which embodies the idea that the health of residents is of paramount importance. Furthermore, in December, the company released the Conscious Comfort Package, an option that combines solar panels, high-performance thermal insulation, and high-efficiency home appliances to offer a comfortable way of life that is also eco-friendly.

Our “concept home” exhibit at IBS 2020 paved the way to our new SHAWOOD pilot project.

In January 2020, we became the first* Japanese house builder to exhibit at the largest U.S. trade show for the housing industry, the International Builders’ Show (IBS) in Las Vegas. There, we constructed and opened to the public the first SHAWOOD concept home in the United States (Sekisui House’s original wooden house model). Built to the U.S. equivalent of ZEH housing, it incorporates Bellburn porcelain panels for exterior walls that offer fire protection and low maintenance. It also features high seismic resistance, solar power generation, and storage batteries. It was highly evaluated by the participants for suggesting ways to address societal issues that have arisen in the United States.
Following the display of this concept home project at IBS, a new SHAWOOD pilot project was launched in April 2020. These efforts represent a valuable opportunity for us to convey our commitment to making a better society through housing while aiming to resolve issues through the export of SHAWOOD technology to the U.S.A.

*Our research of various display materials suggests we were the first Japanese housebuilder to exhibit at IBS, an annual housing fair that attracts more than 85,000 participants involved in the construction industry as well as institutional investors from around the world. A “concept home” is a full-size model home exhibited by a selected company. We constructed our concept home exhibit at IBS 2020 in collaboration with Woodside Homes.

Interior view of the SHAWOOD concept home built to ZEH specifications and featuring high seismic resistance

Contributing to local communities by participating in charities and other events

Since 2019, Woodside Homes has been contributing to the Dream Home Giveaway*¹ , a series of charity events held by St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital*² . After its initial participation in Las Vegas, the company added the Sacramento event in 2020 and continued participating in 2021.
These events are held in about 40 cities across the U.S.A. Woodside Homes covered almost all the construction and material costs associated with construction of the lottery homes in Las Vegas and Sacramento. By supporting the activities of St. Jude hospital, it is helping to improve pediatric medical services in the U.S.A.
Woodside Homes also contributes to local communities by participating in various charity events, while its employees take part in local cleanup events.

*1: A charity lottery in which a portion of solicited donations, in the form of houses and land, are awarded to the lottery winners
*2: Established in Memphis, Tennessee in 1962, this globally renowned pediatric treatment and research facility provides medical treatment to children and supports their families free of charge.

Groundbreaking ceremony for the home provided by Woodside Homes to the Dream Home Giveaway charity event

Appointments of first female corporate officer and division head announced

The percentage of female employees tends to be higher in companies outside Japan, and the number of women appointed to management positions is also increasing year by year. In 2020, the Central Valley Branch of Woodside Homes in California appointed the company’s first female branch manager; moreover, in April 2021, a female employee was appointed to the position of Chief Insight and Marketing Officer (CIMO), representing the first woman named to the position of corporate officer.