The development of an AI design support tool specifically for medium- and large-scale wooden buildings
Continued selection for the Forestry Agency's subsidized project.

The use of wood is accelerating, driven by the trend toward realizing a decarbonized society and amendments to the Wood Utilization Promotion Act. While the single-family home market, which accounts for a large portion of domestic timber demand, is shrinking, the medium- and large-scale wooden building sector for commercial use, such as offices, commercial facilities, hotels, welfare facilities, nurseries, and educational facilities, is expected to see market expansion in the future. However, the design of such buildings requires advanced expertise and experience in multiple fields, including structure, fire resistance, and wood procurement. Furthermore, frequent changes such as legal amendments and deregulation mean that practical know-how and public guidelines are scattered and buried among various government ministries and industry associations, making it difficult to easily access the necessary knowledge, which is a barrier to expanding the workforce.

In an independent survey conducted last year by four companies targeting design professionals who are working on or interested in non-residential wooden construction (n=460 people), approximately two-thirds (68.7%) responded that their interest in and willingness to work on medium- and large-scale wooden construction has increased compared to a few years ago, taking into account recent developments surrounding wooden construction. On the other hand, the top practical challenges cited were "comparative information on cost, details, and structural performance is not well organized," "design, procurement, and construction information is scattered and difficult to grasp," and "it is difficult to keep up with the latest legal revisions, notifications, and guideline updates." It was also revealed that about half of the respondents (46.7%) spend more than one hour a day gathering information.

This project aims to consolidate and structure design knowledge dispersed across various locations and build a foundation for continuous utilization. Three design firms (Nikken Sekkei, Nihon Sekkei, and Mitsubishi Jisho Design) are responsible for collecting reference data and conducting trial operations, while ArchiTech is in charge of system development and data processing. These four companies are working together to develop an AI chatbot for design support, collect and organize data that forms the basis for generating responses (legal regulations, design examples, technical documents, procurement information, etc.), and consider a sustainable operational system. For generating responses, the system uses highly reliable materials published by national and administrative agencies, research institutions, industry associations, etc., and presents source information. In the previous year's project, under this system, the chatbot's foundation was built, reference data was organized, and a survey was conducted for design stakeholders. In addition, continuous tool improvements were made through trial operations by designers and the collection of feedback.

In this year's project, which has been selected for continued use, we will move into a phase of improving accuracy, building upon the foundation established in the previous year, with a view to practical application in design work. While continuing the collaborative system of the four companies, we will focus on promoting the following three points.

• Evaluation and Improvement of Answer Accuracy: We will develop evaluation metrics intended for use in design practice and continuously verify and improve the accuracy of source citations and the comprehensiveness of answers.
• Continuous organization and updating of reference data: Reorganization of data collection targets, collection system, and update flow to reflect legal revisions, new standards, and the latest design examples.
• Expanding data integration partners: By collaborating with industry associations, local governments, companies, research institutions, etc., we will expand the sources of information directly relevant to practical work, such as design case studies, technical documents, and timber procurement information.

Through these efforts, our goal for this year is to further improve the accuracy and reliability of responses, which was the most frequent request from designers in last year's survey, and to establish a quality foundation that designers can confidently use in their work.

Based on the systems built and expanded through this project, we will continue to improve the accuracy of design support tools and expand the information infrastructure, aiming for full-scale utilization in design practice and the establishment of a sustainable operational system in the medium to long term. Specifically, we envision continuous functional improvements based on usage data, gradual expansion of supported areas, and promotion of cross-industry utilization, with the goal of establishing it as a social infrastructure supporting the design of medium- and large-scale wooden buildings.
Through our efforts last year, we identified challenges related to handling various rights when using case studies and research papers as reference data, as well as issues concerning maintaining chatbot quality and building a sustainable organization. Moving forward, we aim to build a network with the goal of promoting public-interest activities that advance the use of wood.

Nikken Sekkei is a professional services firm that provides architectural and civil architectural design and construction supervision, urban design, and related survey, planning, and consulting services. 1900 Since its founding in [year] 125 For many years, in order to meet the demands of society and the diverse needs of our clients, we have been working to create value through "social environment design" that addresses both apparent and potential social issues. To date, we have worked in Japan, China, ASEAN We have been involved in various projects in the Middle East, and in recent years have expanded into India and Europe.
URL: https://www.nikken.jp/ja/

Nihon Sekkei is a comprehensive design firm specializing in architecture, Landscape design and Construction Supervision, urban planning, regional development, urban infrastructure, Renovation, and consulting. Founded in 1967, our philosophy is "Thinking of people, respecting nature, and thinking of the future." We have worked on a wide range of projects, including urban development, offices, hotels, commercial buildings, government buildings, schools, museums, and stadiums, to meet the needs of society and our clients. We address challenges related to the environment surrounding cities and architecture, actively propose environmental solutions toward carbon neutrality, and contribute to the sustainable development of society.
URL: https://www.nihonsekkei.co.jp/

Aiming to create truly rich environments and cultures, Mitsubishi Jisho Design is an architectural design firm that has been engaged in a wide range of work both domestically and internationally since its founding in 1890, from urban planning to Architectural Design and Construction Supervision, planning and consulting, and construction Construction Management. As a member of Mitsubishi Estate Group, which has a system that handles everything from timber procurement to planning, design, construction, and facility operation, Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkei leverages its network and high level of execution to develop various projects, products, and Architectural Design and project management that introduce wood into cities. Through the resource circulation of cities and forests, it aims to make cities "second forests."
URL: https://www.mjd.co.jp/

ArchiTech Inc. operates under the philosophy of "creating a society where beloved architecture is continuously born and nurtured," developing and providing services that leverage the power of technology throughout the entire lifecycle of architecture. Since its founding in 2015 and incorporation in 2018, the company has developed multiple businesses in the architecture x technology field. Currently, with its virtual tour service "Miserva," which utilizes spatial data, as its main focus, the company is expanding its business into the field of Architectural Design support utilizing generative AI.
URL: https://architech.co.jp/