Since 2022, Japan-based Sekisui House, one of the largest homebuilding and developing companies in the world, has been revolutionizing homebuilding in the Pacific Northwest and throughout the United States — by introducing a tried-and-true Japanese approach. They will now import Japanese technology here as well, within truly functional, climate-resilient, SHAWOOD homes. "We couldn't be more excited to be bringing Sekisui House’s design philosophies and technology to our region," says Roger Gannon, Chief Operating Officer of SHAWOOD. 

Company executives believe that certain commonalities and focuses — like on sustainable practices — create an obvious alignment between Japanese and Northwest homeowners. And on an even more exciting note, SHAWOOD is building homes in a way that no other U.S. homebuilders currently offer.

SHAWOOD homes have already been implemented in communities in California and Nevada, and this January, they'll make their debut in Camas, Washington, as the first to appear in the Pacific Northwest. The 24 homes will feature a proprietary framing system that helps protect during natural disasters (from earthquakes to wildfires), elevating the level of safety and peace of mind for buyers in the region. These houses will start at $1.2 million and range in size from 3,200 to 3,600 square feet. Over the course of the next few years, they’ll expand up to the Puget Sound area, too.

The SHAWOOD brand launched in Japan in 1995 to redefine what homes should be. That year, the Great Hanshin Earthquake had revealed limitations in homebuilding, so the company designed its own material and building technologies to create safer and more resilient homes.   For example, while most traditional home framing systems are constructed with nails and screws, the SHAWOOD joint system is bolted together. 

Fast forward to 2011, when the 9-magnitude Great East Japan Earthquake brought about more catastrophic damage, and 120,000 Japanese buildings were destroyed. Yet of the 178,000 SHAWOOD homes in the area, not a single one experienced structural damage.

These homes also use glulam technology, which uses engineered wood — lamstock lumber, which gets glued together with layering systems that make the beams denser and stronger. The strength can be controlled, thanks to lamstock quality control (engineers can select materials with fewer defects). They age well and resist twisting and warping, which is often common in high-moisture regions like the Pacific Northwest.

SHAWOOD homes have four key philosophies, beginning with precision and durability. Next, they bring transformative design to spaces (based on extensive data and consumer research). It’s crucial to their team members that spaces not only look beautiful, but are functional too. Designers consider sensory elements and details like how light and air flow throughout the home. 

Third, they consider one’s well-being and sense of belonging when actually in the rooms. Indoor-outdoor spaces, for example, help foster human connection with nature. Lastly, the sustainability piece is of great importance in the building of these homes, with all trees being harvested from sustainable forests, and the company intentionally planting two trees for every one used.

SHAWOOD is building for families — and also for the planet.

Each home design incorporates a thoughtfulness that considers present-day elements and our world’s changing elements, too. "We believe a home's true value extends far beyond its walls," says Gannon. "It's about the feeling you get when you’re there. Our goal is to create spaces where families can thrive, build lasting memories, and truly feel at peace.”

The Camas, WA location, SHAWOOD at the Glades, is opening soon!