Dialogue with different fields

The Sustainable Building Subcommittee of the Architectural Institute of Japan defines sustainable architecture as "a building that can maintain or improve the quality of human life in the future while conserving energy, conserving resources, recycling, and reducing harmful emissions throughout its life cycle, while harmonizing with the local climate, traditions, culture, and surrounding environment, within the limits of maintaining the carrying capacity of ecosystems at the local and global levels." If we continue to use fossil fuels, the Earth will die out in the near future, just like in the movie. The construction industry also needs to minimize the burden on the environment as soon as possible and establish technologies and social systems that can continue to maintain the global environment and society.

During the Edo period, Edo, with a population of over one million, is said to have had an ideal recycling society. Sustainable recycling systems were established between the city and rural areas, including a system for recycling manure from human waste as night soil, a system for supplying firewood and other fuels through planned planting of the scrub forests that spread across Musashino, and the use of rapeseed oil extracted from rapeseed for lighting. A water supply network was also developed, and people seemed to be living clean and cultured lives. These systems were supported by the existence of a living local community.

The environment surrounding modern cities, where social systems have become more complex, sophisticated, and bloated, is incomparable to that of the Edo period. The knowledge required of engineers in charge of urban planning and Architectural Design is also increasing, far exceeding the areas of expertise that individuals can handle. Similarly, because people can live with weak neighborly relationships, horizontal connections between residents have become a mere formality, and it is impossible to expect the existence of local communities that support a recycling-oriented social system.

Amid this, Marunouchi has begun a new initiative to rebuild a circular economy. Ecozzeria, opened by Mitsubishi Estate in the Shin-Marunouchi Building, is a base for developing environmentally symbiotic urban development initiatives from both the hard and soft aspects. Through the exchange of various "people, things, events, and information" related to the environment both inside and outside the Marunouchi area, Ecozzeria will create new technologies and systems, while also proposing environmentally conscious lifestyles to the general public. It is expected that this will not only enable engineers to deepen their expertise in their fields, but also provide a forum for gathering collective wisdom from other fields and cultivating a comprehensive perspective that transcends specialization. As an Architectural Design engineer and an office worker working in Marunouchi, I hope to be involved in creating an environmentally symbiotic urban development that can be shared with the world.