Nissan inaugurates new global headquarters in Japan

Nissan Motor Company Ltd. on August 2 returned to its historic roots in Yokohama, Japan, with the opening of a new global headquarters building, designed with the environment in mind and specifically focused on low CO2 emissions and energy conservation.

In conjunction with the opening ceremony, the company also unveiled Nissan LEAF, the world's first affordable, zero-emission car designed to satisfy real-world consumer requirements, including a range of more than 160 kilometers (100 miles) per charge. Nissan LEAF will launch in Japan, the United States and Europe in late 2010.

"The symbolism of our new headquarters is inescapable," said Nissan president and CEO Carlos Ghosn. "As we return to where Nissan was founded in 1933, we celebrate a new era for our company and a new era for mobility. This is a very significant day as we look with hope and confidence toward our future."

Joining Ghosn for the opening ceremony were former Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Kanagawa Prefecture Governor Shigefumi Matsuzawa and Yokohama City Mayor Hiroshi Nakada.

Environmentally, the new headquarters has already been awarded the highest "S Rank" rating by the Japanese CASBEE organization (Comprehensive Assessment System For Building Environmental Efficiency), and will reduce CO2 emissions by more than 27 percent compared to Nissan's former headquarters in Ginza, Tokyo, as well as conserve energy by effectively harnessing natural resources.

Designed by Yoshio Taniguchi, the new 80,000-square-meter building overlooking Yokohama Harbour, will house 2,800 employees in a building with 22 above-ground and two underground floors.

Dominating the ground floor is the stunning 4,000 square-meter "Nissan Gallery," with space to showcase more than 30 vehicles. A public walkway connects the mainline Yokohama Station to the "Nissan Walk," a bridge that runs through the 2nd floor of the gallery and which will be used daily by more than 130,000 people. In addition, the central area of the new headquarters features "Nissan Hall," which is adjacent to the gallery and provides state-of-the-art auditorium space for up to 600 people.

Workspaces throughout the building were designed to create greater opportunities for collaboration and teamwork among different work groups. With that in mind, pillars and walls have been eliminated as much as possible, which allowed the expansion of areas for informal networking and in-the-moment exchanges of ideas.

Environmental Focus
In keeping with the company's approach to corporate social responsibility known as Blue Citizenship, the new Nissan Global Headquarters was designed with a host of environmental features:

1. Utilization of natural light: Natural light is maximized with a curtain-wall exterior and active use of sunlight in the central channel of the building, which is collected by five sets of condensing lenses that track the sun automatically. One of the distinctive features of the exterior is the use of window louvers, which control the amount of sunlight contributing not only to natural lighting but also to air-conditioning energy savings.
   
    
2. Utilization of fresh air and an efficient air-conditioning system: Super-insulated glass and the louvres regulate interior temperatures. Air-conditioning energy consumption is controlled by external temperature with dampers installed in the exterior wall, which automatically detect wind speed and humidity and allow fresh air to flow into the building. An additional energy-saving feature is the use of ascending air current generated by the building's central channel, which reduces energy required for ventilation systems.
3. Reuse of resources and greening: Rainwater and miscellaneous drainage, including that from the kitchen, are processed and used as sanitation water and for plant watering. With the green roof system on the gallery, the amount of green space in 11% of the total lot area is devoted to green space.
4. BEMS (Building Energy Management System): The building features BEMS, a management and control system that automates and unifies energy conservation monitoring and controlling in the overall energy facilities in a building.
5. CO2 emissions reduction: As a result of improvement in overall efficiency, the Nissan Global Headquarters will emit approximately 3,800 fewer tons of CO2 compared to the facility in Tokyo - (CO2 emitted in the former headquarters: 14,000 tons/year, CO2 emitted in the new headquarters: 10,200 tons/year).

"Nissan has come home to Yokohama after an absence of 41 years. Our new headquarters is a powerful symbol of our commitment to making a better world through innovations that focus on people and care for the planet," said Ghosn.

For more information, visit www.nissan-global.com/EN/COMPANY/HQ/.