Struct-Lab partner surpasses 200 registered engineers and 100 corporate structural design requests

Struct-Lab Inc., based in Sapporo, Hokkaido and led by Representative Director Haruhiko Kobayashi, announced that usage of its job-matching service “Struct-Lab partner,” which connects structural designers with companies, is expanding. The service has surpassed 200 registered engineers and more than 100 structural design requests from companies. Struct-Lab partner is a job-matching service specialized in structural design. It was created to address two issues at once: companies’ shortage of structural design talent and structural designers’ lack of opportunities to secure projects. In urgent projects involving complete structural design for wooden detached houses, the service has achieved matching in as little as 24 hours from the initial request, contributing to its growing adoption as a practical service tied directly to business results. The service offers flexible working options through a specialized structural design network, supporting needs such as side work, stable sales channels after going independent, and deeper professional skill development. It also enables structural designers to choose projects according to their career stage. For companies facing sudden loss of outsourcing partners or staff shortages, Struct-Lab partner provides rapid matching, reducing outsourcing dependency risk while creating new routes for designers to obtain projects. Struct-Lab also supports back-office operations including project acquisition, contracts, invoicing, and payment collection, reducing the administrative burden on structural designers and allowing them to focus on design work. Its compensation system is designed around project difficulty and scope of responsibility, aiming to create a fair transaction environment in which structural designers are paid in line with their skills and accountability. Japan’s structural design industry faces chronic labor shortages, limited sales opportunities, and low compensation levels. Demand for structural calculations is expected to rise further following the 2025 legal revision abolishing the so-called Type 4 special exception, making the role of structural designers increasingly important. Against this backdrop, Struct-Lab partner aims to help build a market where designers are properly valued. Struct-Lab is a platform that supports the entire career path of structural designers. Centered on Struct-Lab partner, it also provides Struct-Lab navi for employment and career-change support, Struct-Lab school for online learning, and Struct-Lab growth for management consulting from the founding of structural design offices through business succession. Struct-Lab navi is a job placement and career-change agency specialized in structural designers, and has successfully supported career changes into structural design from other industries by candidates with no prior structural design experience. Struct-Lab says its practical understanding of the field allows it to evaluate candidates’ hidden potential and present companies with a concrete vision of how they may contribute several years later, helping overcome the limits of hiring only immediately ready talent. Struct-Lab school, an online learning service scheduled to open soon, will provide practical design know-how organized by structural category. Its materials are supervised by Sakura Kozo Inc., described as the No.1 company in structural design revenue. The program will offer practical knowledge based on more than 10,000 projects, including engineering judgment and handling uncertainty in the field. Instructors will include first-class architects, first-class structural design architects, and veteran seismic design professionals, supporting both early development of younger engineers and skill rebuilding for mid-career professionals. Feedback from registered engineers highlights common industry pain points: some can design but lack sales experience and do not know how to create work opportunities; others fear their business would end if existing clients disappeared; some face unpaid wages as their firms lose projects; and some have questioned whether they can continue in structural design after being offered design fees as low as 50,000 yen. Struct-Lab aims to address the issue of skilled professionals lacking access to opportunities by improving both project access and fair compensation. Representative Director Haruhiko Kobayashi said structural design is a highly valuable profession responsible for the safety and life of buildings, yet the industry still lacks sufficient fair compensation and flexible working styles to match that responsibility. Through Struct-Lab, he aims to create a society where structural designers can take genuine pride in their work and naturally receive returns appropriate to their contribution.