On November 15th, 2025, at the National Convention Center (Hanoi), the Institute of Building Science and Technology (IBST, under the Ministry of Construction) in collaboration with Life Design Kabaya Company (Japan) organized the Workshop "Japanese timber buildings structure, standards and applications in Vietnam".
The event attracted the participation of managers, experts, researchers from universities, research institutes, and enterprises in the field of construction and building materials, demonstrating Vietnam's great interest in the trend of developing green buildings, low emissions and using environmentally friendly materials, towards the goal of Net Zero by 2050.
In his opening speech, Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai - Director of IBST emphasized the results of extensive and effective cooperation between IBST and Life Design Kabaya Company in researching and transferring modern Japanese timber buildings technology.
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Director Nguyen Hong Hai delivered the opening speech of the workshop.
According to Dr. Nguyen Hong Hai, prefabricated timber buildings technology and engineered timber structures (glulam, CLT, etc.) have been widely applied in Japan for decades, proving their good load-bearing capacity, earthquake safety, fast construction, high economic efficiency and especially environmental friendliness. In Vietnam, the policy of reducing net emissions to "0" by 2050 and the trend of developing green materials create strong motivation to research and apply modern timber building models into practice.
IBST has been assigned to develop a system of foundational standards for timber materials and structures, an essential basis for gradually forming a system of Vietnamese Standards for this type of construction. Numerous research activities and experiments on load-bearing capacity, material stability, and the mechanical and physical properties of engineered timber components have been conducted directly at IBST with support from Japanese experts, providing a solid scientific foundation for application in the coming period,” Hai added.
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Mr. Kubota Kentaro - President of Life Design Kabaya Company spoke at the workshop.
Assessing the potential for cooperation between the two sides, Mr. Kubota Kentaro - Chairman of Life Design Kabaya Company affirmed that Vietnam is one of the countries with the fastest economic growth rate in the world, opening up a great demand for sustainable materials, green buildings and low-emission urban areas.
Meanwhile, with rich experience in developing timber buildings and possessing a complete system of standards, from material standards, design, construction to acceptance, Japan identifies Vietnam as a key partner in the cooperation strategy on timber construction and architecture.
Chairman of Life Design Kabaya Company expressed his desire to continue accompanying IBST and Vietnamese enterprises to widely apply engineered timber technology and prefabricated timber buildings, contributing to the construction of green, safe and climate-resilient cities.
At the workshop, Prof. Fukumoto Koji from Kindai University (Japan) provided an overview of Japanese timber architecture and technology, from its hundreds-year-long development history to modern technologies based on engineered timber. He also noted that Japan considers timber to be a “material of the future” thanks to its ability to store carbon, light weight but still ensuring high mechanical performance, reducing energy consumption during construction, while bringing a natural, healthy living space. High-rise timber buildings, shopping centers, schools, and community housing models have demonstrated outstanding effectiveness and strong potential for widespread adoption.
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Dr. Do Tien Thinh introduces five basic standards for materials and structures of timber buildings.
One of the key topics of the workshop was the presentation by Dr. Do Tien Thinh, Director of the Institute for Building Structures (IBST), on a system of five foundational standards for timber materials and structural timber buildings, compiled by IBST. This system of baseline standards establishes the first technical framework in Vietnam applicable to engineered timber materials such as GLT (glued laminated timber) and CLT (cross-laminated timber), structural components, design requirements, load-bearing assessment, durability, quality control, and testing methods.
These basic standards not only absorb decades of Japanese experience but are also adjusted to suit the climate, humidity, temperature and material characteristics in Vietnam. This is an important highlight to help overcome the lack of a unified technical framework in timber construction development, creating a legal basis for businesses to confidently invest, research and deploy modern timber-building models.
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Director Nguyen Hong Hai, Chairman of Life Design Kabaya Company and delegates performed the ceremony to announce Five Basic Standards on materials and structures of timber buildings.
Attending the workshop, Mr. Nguyen Huy Hien, Technical Director of Tran Duc Group, shared the company’s experience in applying GLT and CLT in Vietnam, from design and construction to quality inspection. According to him, the shift toward renewable, environmentally friendly materials is accelerating, and the availability of foundational standards developed by IBST is an essential condition for businesses to confidently expand production.
During the discussion session, delegates were interested in practical issues such as the ability of timber to resist moisture and shrinkage in hot and humid climates; compatibility of glue used in laminated timber; requirements for fire prevention and fighting; as well as State policies to promote the development of green buildings.
Answering questions, Deputy Director of the Department of Science, Technology, Environment and Construction Materials Le Minh Long said that the State always pays attention to and strongly promotes the use of green materials and renewable materials, including engineered timber; evaluating the Basic Standards developed and issued by IBST as an important step to form a complete system of National Standards, ensuring that timber materials are used properly, safely and effectively in construction works.
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Workshop scene.
According to Deputy Director General Le Minh Long, the development of modern timber buildings is not only a global trend but also an important solution for Vietnam to achieve its Net Zero target by 2050. Timber is a natural carbon-storing material; prefabrication technology helps save energy; construction is fast, clean, and reduces dust and noise, well suited to the requirements of sustainable urban development. However, for widespread adoption, it is necessary to strictly control the origin of the timber, processing procedures, and glue materials to ensure safety, quality, and sustainability.
The workshop “Japanese Timber Structures: Standards and Applications in Vietnam” marks an important step forward in the cooperation between IBST and Japanese partners, particularly Life Design Kabaya and experts from Kindai University. The in-depth discussions, practical experience from Japan, and the system of five foundational standards developed by IBST have provided a clear direction for applying timber-building technology in Vietnam. This represents a significant milestone toward gradually bringing modern timber building models into practice, in line with Vietnam’s green economic development goals and its emission-reduction commitments in the coming period.