Making Construction Sites Places Welcomed by the Community.

Our company supports April Dream, an initiative that aims to make April 1st a day to broadcast dreams. This press release outlines the dream of Shinwa Construction Industry Co., Ltd.

Our dream is to
make construction sites places that are welcomed by the community.

A construction site is originally the starting point for building a town.
In reality, however, they are often perceived as "noisy," "dangerous," and "unapproachable." The construction industry itself has long been associated with the "3Ks" (Kitsui [demanding], Kitanai [dirty], Kiken [dangerous]), making it an industry that younger generations find hard to aspire to.

On the other hand, communities are facing various widespread issues, such as a lack of playgrounds for children, the isolation of elderly people living alone, a shortage of places for local residents including single mothers to gather, and concerns about community watch and crime prevention.

We believe there is immense potential here.

Could construction sites be places not just for construction work, but also for connecting with the community, generating interaction, and creating safety and vibrancy?
Could they become an entity that makes workers, nearby residents, and children think, "I'm glad this place is here"?

That is the future we envision.

Background of the Dream

Shinwa Construction Industry has been working on the "Zoo Project," which likens construction sites to fictional zoos, driven by a desire to change the construction industry's image.
This is a challenge to transform construction sites into places to "see," "touch," and "learn" through animal-themed temporary enclosures and heavy machinery, events where parents and children can participate, and community interactions. Continuing this initiative since 2014, the total number of event visitors has exceeded 1,000, and we have begun to feel a tangible shift in impressions of the construction industry, with children even saying, "I want to become a carpenter."

Furthermore, at the Zoo Project events held at our sites in Hirakata and Sakai, we have implemented interactive, experience-based content that treats the construction site as a zoo.

For example,

• "Animal Heavy Machinery Test Rides," where participants can ride and experience operating actual heavy machinery, such as an excavator with a giraffe pattern.

• "Kenchi-Quiz" (Architecture Quiz), a multiple-choice quiz combining architectural knowledge with animal elements.

• "All-You-Can-Stuff Animal Sweets," where participants fill a bag with animal-themed snacks.

We are rolling out such programs that can be enjoyed by everyone from children to adults.

Additionally, before the events, staff members wearing animal masks conduct community cleanup activities, striving to build communication with local residents.

As a result, over 160 people visited the Hirakata venue and 86 visited the Hazeshinmachi (Sakai City) venue, creating new points of contact between construction sites and the local community.

The Future We Want to Realize

Our goal is to make construction sites not just places for construction, but "town hubs" open to the community.

For instance,

• Becoming a playground where children can drop by safely.

• Becoming a gathering place where people prone to isolation in the community, such as elderly individuals living alone or single mothers, can casually meet up.

• Contributing to community watch and crime prevention by gathering the eyes of the public.

• Leading to local job creation by setting up cafes and restaurants at construction sites.

• Transforming the construction site from a "nuisance" into an "entity welcomed by the community."

We believe that if the number of sites with these functions increases, the construction industry can become an entity that supports community connections and safety, rather than simply building structures.

Challenges Already Underway

This dream was not drawn from absolute zero.

At Shinwa Construction Industry, in order to change the very value of construction sites,

we have reviewed the nature of our sites from five perspectives based on the concept of "Site Branding."

Specifically,

1. Overwhelming Environmental Preparation (Thorough 5S)
By thoroughly implementing Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardize, and Sustain (5S) within the site, and organizing everything down to the placement of materials and tools, notices, and flow lines, we are creating sites that anyone would find safe and pleasant.

2. A Site Approach Unmatched by Competitors (Zoo Project)
By applying animal-themed designs to temporary enclosures, curing sheets, heavy machinery, and more, we treat the construction site as a "zoo," creating a space that is approachable for children and local residents.

3. Strengthening Communication with the Neighborhood
In addition to community cleanups and regular greetings, we are working to build relationships with nearby residents through information dissemination using temporary enclosures.

4. Creating a Work-Friendly Environment for Craftspeople (DX and Work Environment)
By advancing the use of digital tools and site visualization, we are promoting a reduction in the workload of site supervisors and craftspeople, and creating an efficient and comfortable working environment.

5. Environmental Consideration (Zero Waste and CO2 Reduction)
We strive for environmentally friendly and sustainable site management by working on waste separation and reuse, as well as tracking and reducing CO2 emissions.

Through these initiatives, we have transformed construction sites from mere places of work into "points of contact with the community."

Towards a Site That Workers Can Be Proud Of

Our dream is not just for the community.
We also want to make the site a place that people working in the construction industry can be more proud of.

As part of this, we are conducting study sessions for craftspeople on ways of living and using money, and
we are also working on training second-generation managers facing business succession for our partner companies.

Furthermore, moving forward, by equipping sites with shower rooms, changing rooms, and lockers,
we envision realizing a comfortable work environment where one could commute in a suit,
and providing warm, healthy meals as a welfare benefit at cafes and restaurants set up at construction sites.

To this end, we will advance site visualization and efficiency through the integration of AI technology with "BIM," a technology that completes buildings in a digital space first, and the use of a "Cockpit" system that centrally manages all sites remotely in real-time.

Through this, we will realize labor savings and work style reforms for site supervisors, while

leading to the creation of a management structure where even young people can easily thrive.

And we want to change the construction industry
from "demanding work" into "cool work that is needed by society,"

changing the very value of the site itself.

For construction sites to become an "indispensable place" for both the community and the workers.
That is the April Dream of Shinwa Construction Industry.

Expanding to the Industry

This dream is not something that ends with our company alone.
We want to spread this approach to construction sites throughout the entire industry.

Ending the era where the construction industry is called 3K.
Making construction sites places welcomed by the community, rather than places shunned by them.
Making construction companies entities that build not just structures, but the future of towns.

We are seriously aiming for such a future.

* "April Dream" is a project by PR TIMES where companies broadcast dreams they eventually want to realize on April 1st. Shinwa Construction Industry is seriously aiming to make this dream a reality.