It’s Time to Recognize Japanese Building Excellence

Green Home Builder’s Builder of the Year Award recognizes Ichijo USA who brings innovative and efficient design to the United States

Ichijo USA entered the market in the United States in 2009, bringing decades of homebuilding experience from Japan. As a subsidiary of Ichijo Co., who has built over 100,000 homes to date, across Japan and Australia. Ichijo USA incorporates Japan’s quality, sustainability and unique design innovations in the U.S. home market. The growing presence of Japanese homebuilders in the U.S allows for a distinct design perspective to enrich and diversify the market. This year, Ichijo USA received the award for the Most Earth Advantage® Platinum certified homes for the fourth consecutive year. Ichijo means ‘One, or first, road,’ and that is how they strive to build.

Ichijo USA coordinates with in-house Japanese architects and interior designers to create their unique home designs. The style of their architecture marries comfortability with maximum efficiency. “Our experience with technology and focus on craftsmanship creates sustainable homes that are energy efficient and artfully constructed,” said President Tetsuya Asano. “One at a time, it’s not just the next thing, it’s the right thing.”

Better Building Envelope 

Their homes are designed with high airtightness with a goal of achieving an ACH (Air Changes per Hour) of 2.0 or lower. Their exceptional airtightness minimizes the intrusion of external pollutants and harmful substances which significantly improves indoor air quality. To achieve this exceptional airtightness Ichijo USA uses a two-layer insulation system of two inches of spray foam and three-and-a-half inches of blown-in fiberglass. This approach enhances both thermal performance and comfort. With an R-Value of 29, their insulation exceeds standard building code requirements. The higher R-Value (wall R-29, floor R-38) is remarkable as well as their window U value averaging .25 in the community.  

This is all complemented by advanced framing techniques. With studs spaced 24” on center, wider than in typical construction, the walls offer room for more insulation between studs. This helps improve energy efficiency and thermal performance. Additionally, their precision-engineered raised heel roof trusses that lift the roof base by 16 inches to create more space for attic insulation and ventilation. Their dedication to develop better building envelopes enhances heating and cooling efficiency for the project, reduces energy consumption while providing a comfortable and healthy living environment.  

Extraordinary Efficiency 

The homes built by Ichijo USA are built to exceed energy efficient industry standards. Their meticulous design and construction management starts with the HVAC system. The integration of the ENERGY STAR® certified Rheem ProTerra Hybrid Electric Water Heater combines advanced efficiency with eco-friendly design. Wi-Fi connectivity of the Heat Pump Water Heater allows smartphone control and built-in leak detection to ensure peace of mind for the client. 

Expertise in Motion

Ichijo USA currently builds across the Pacific Northwest including Oregon and Washington. They built the  first net zero energy townhouse complex in the US in collaboration with the Port Blakely community and the City of Issaquah. Their most recent project, Miyabi at Frog Pond is in Wilsonville, Ore. The development started in 2023 with construction of homes beginning in 2025.. The homes range from 2,552 to 4,310 square feet. The interior design is clean and simple reflecting their motto to, ‘have more passion and enthusiasm for building great homes than even our homeowners.” The piano finish cabinetry features adjustable tray dividers, knife holders, spice racks and earthquake safety lock cabinet door hardware. The interior doors include architectural metal inlay, pivot hinges, magnetic door stops and door locks with locked/unlock indicators.Full build out on this project is expected in 2026. Ichijo USA is at the forefront of advanced sustainable building technology. Recognizing builders who hold themselves to exceptional quality encourages everyone to build more efficient and sustainable homes. 

By Sofia Feeney. She is an assistant editor at Builder Media and can be reached at sofia@builder.media. 

This is featured in the November/ December issue of Green Home Builder, read the print version here.