How Takenaka Corporation Embraces the OPEN BIM and Building Lifecycle Intelligence with Nemetschek Solutions

Sanjay Gangal interviews Viktor Várkonyi, Member of the Executive Board and Chief Division Officer Planning & Design Division at the Nemetschek Group.

Viktor, Takenaka Corporation is working closely with Nemetschek. What is so special about this company?

Takenaka Corporation is one of the largest general contractors in Japan. Since its founding in 1610, Takenaka has specialized in architecture & design. Today, they employ more than 2,400 architects. Takenaka Corporation has been committed to realizing customer dreams and shaping the world since their very beginnings, more than 400 years ago and they have participated in major projects that deeply affect Japan´s society, economy, and culture. Takenaka is following an Integrated Design-to-Build approach to create impressive buildings and structures across the globe.

© Takenaka Corporation

Can you explain in detail which kinds of projects they work on?

Takenaka is specialized in architecture to produce a multitude of buildings that have become landmarks, and in this way, they have played a vital role in the development of our society. Architecture creates vessels to protect life and property that are at the same time social assets. These works carry the culture of their times and pass it on to futures generations. Takenaka has delivered a great number of impressive works and related engineering and technological developments across the world.

One of their major projects was the “Steel Nest” – the new office building for the Japanese Sanei Construction Steel Structure Division. For this project the experts at Takenaka Corporation leveraged digital solutions and an OPEN BIM (Building Information Modeling) approach from the first design draft to construction. The customer, Sanei Construction Steel Structure Division, required the building to also function as a show room illustrating their steel frame processing technology. One of Takenaka’s major challenges was combining this showroom with Sanei’s wish to create more opportunities for employees to encounter. The result is an office building that goes beyond the conventional concept of architecture, presenting an astonishing Voronoi structure, i.e. polygons of different sizes assembled.

Which software solutions from the Nemetschek Group did they use for the “Steel Nest”?

Takenaka Corporation is working with solutions from the Nemetschek Group brands dRofus, Graphisoft, and Solibri to execute on their Design-to-Build BIM strategies and to provide end-to-end services to their clients. For the Steel Nest, Archicad from Graphisoft was used to create the design of the steel frames. The models were then checked for BIM quality and coordination with Solibri, ensuring that they fulfill the project requirements. Due to the complexity of the structure and the individual solutions used in each phase of the project, Takenaka Corporation decided to completely rely on open interfaces and BIM. The 3D model made it easier – and quicker – to form a consensus about the design among the parties involved.

What is so special about their way of work?

The philosophy of Takenaka Corporation is always visualizing their customers´ dreams and maintaining high technological levels, ever since the days of their founder Tobei Masataka Takenaka, who was a master builder of shrines and temples. Today this spirit is embodied in a variety of works, not only in Japan, but all over the world. The construction of the “Steel Nest” has proven that their company’s philosophy and the Integrated Design-to-Build approach works even on demanding projects with complex requirements. By using our solutions and OPEN BIM, they will certainly be able to step on the next stage towards the digital era and transform into a fully data-driven company.

What’s the benefit of your software solutions for customers like Takenaka Corporation?

In the Nemetschek Group we are very proud to be working closely with the inspiring, innovative Takenaka Corporation. We share the same philosophy of leveraging data across the entire building lifecycle. It is great to see how Takenaka delivers outstanding results by enhancing BIM quality and the collaboration between the individual disciplines in the building process.

And the future holds many exciting projects for the industry experts: Currently, Takenaka Corporation is involved in the design and construction of various pavilions for Expo 2025 in Osaka. In addition, they are looking to expand the strategic partnership with the Nemetschek Group to also involve solutions from ALLPLAN and Bluebeam.

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