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 development and Architectural Design is also increasing, far exceeding the areas of expertise that individuals can handle. Similarly, since people can live with weak neighborly relationships, horizontal connections between residents have become a mere formality, and we cannot expect the existence of local communities that support a recycling-oriented social system.

In the midst of this, Marunouchi has begun a new initiative to rebuild a recycling society. Ecozzeria, opened by Mitsubishi Estate Estate in the Shin-Marunouchi Building, is a base for developing environmentally friendly urban development initiatives from both hard and soft aspects. Through the exchange of various "people, things, events, and information" related to the environment inside and outside the Marunouchi area, Ecozzeria will create new technologies and systems, and also propose environmentally conscious lifestyles to the general public. We hope that this will not only be a place for engineers to deepen their expertise in their fields, but also a place to gather collective knowledge from other fields and cultivate a comprehensive perspective that transcends their specialization. As an engineer in charge of Architectural Design and an office worker working in Marunouchi, I would like to be involved in the creation of an environmentally symbiotic urban area that can be shared with the world.