[Wooden apartment awareness survey: 3] Removing concerns about structural performance such as earthquake and fire resistance is the key to Popularization
Updated by Yuta Takizawa on July 17, 2025, 8:05 PM JST
Yuta TAKIZAWA
（Platinum Initiative Network, Inc.
Joined Nagano Prefectural Government in 2019. He is in charge of public works bidding and contract administration at the construction office, welfare for the disabled and public assistance caseworker at the welfare office, and is currently on secondment to Platinum Initiative Network from 2024.
This third installment of the results of the survey on attitudes toward wooden condominiums, which utilized a sei-katsu-sha questionnaire, focuses on factors that cause concern about wooden condominiums.
Previous ArticleIn the following section, we introduced the results of a survey conducted to determine the price (rent) at which a wooden condominium would be considered for purchase (or rental) compared to a reinforced concrete (hereinafter "RC") condominium. More than 10% of the respondents answered that they would not consider buying (renting) a condominium even if the price was lower than that of an RC condominium. In this issue, we will present the results of the survey, explaining the reasons for the respondents who answered that they would not consider renting even if the price was lower than that of RC construction.
When the 111 respondents who said they would not consider wooden condominiums even if they were less expensive than RC construction were asked in a multi-answer format why, their main concerns centered on performance aspects such as earthquake resistance, fire resistance, and soundproofing.
Specifically, the top concerns were about safety and habitability, such as "seems to have a high risk of collapse during an earthquake" (33.31 TP3T), "seems to be flammable in case of fire" (32.41 TP3T), and "worried about soundproofing" (25.21 TP3T). In addition, a certain degree of concern about structure and durability was also observed, such as "the building seems vulnerable to damage and has a short habitable life" (19.8%) and "concerns about deterioration due to insect damage and moisture" (20.7%, 18.0%).
On the other hand, items such as "concerns about insulation" (8.11 TP3T) and "restrictions on floor plan and design" (10.81 TP3T) received relatively low percentages, indicating that negative perceptions about living comfort and design are limited. In addition, 29.71 TP3T of respondents answered "none of the above", suggesting that their rejection of wooden structures may not necessarily be based on concrete evidence.
Based on these results, it can be said that the first key to alleviating the sense of rejection toward wooden condominiums is to dispel concerns about their structural performance. Specifically, it is necessary to present objective data on various types of performance, such as earthquake resistance, fire resistance, soundproofing, ant repellency, and moisture proofing, and to actively utilize third-party evaluations (performance certification and achievement of technical standards) to correctly convey the reliability and safety of wooden construction.
At the same time, publicity and educational activities that address sensory concerns through the voices of satisfied residents already living in wooden condominiums and the introduction of case studies of high-performance wooden buildings incorporating the latest technology are also considered effective. (Yuta Takizawa, Platinum Concept Network)
