Taisei Unveils ‘Zero-Carbon Building’ in Japan’s Saitama Prefecture

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:46 JST, February 17, 2026

Taisei Corp. unveiled a building on Monday that can practically achieve net-zero carbon dioxide emissions, including throughout all construction and demolition processes. The “zero-carbon building” built in Satte, Saitama Prefecture, can also address CO2 emissions that come from building materials.

Taisei aims to promote its decarbonization technologies used in the building to attract more customers and increase orders for construction.

The company constructed the four-story building at its research facility in Satte as a hub for decarbonization technology research. According to Taisei, this marks Japan’s first zero-carbon building.

Taisei constructed the building using steel materials made from iron frames, which were collected from demolished buildings and recycled in electric furnaces, as well as concrete that produces low CO2 emissions during manufacturing. The third and fourth floors are made of wood.

Buildings that generate electricity through solar power and other means and consume practically no energy when they are in use are known as Net Zero Energy Buildings.

Zero-carbon buildings, meanwhile, can achieve net-zero CO2 emissions throughout their entire life cycle, including construction and demolition. However, they are said to be significantly more expensive than conventional reinforced concrete buildings.