Spinning factories in the 1950s

In the 1950s, in Gifu Prefecture, the birthplace of our company, the spinning industry was thriving, and there was a demand for spinning factories that were efficient and could maintain high quality. Two founders of Irie Miyake Architects and Engineers, the architect Yutarou Irie and the structural engineer Shin Miyake, collaborated and designed numerous spinning factories. By adopting the steel truss construction method to achieve a large span and creating a column-free large space, the layout of the equipment was made more flexible, thus improving production efficiency. In addition, by using artificial lighting with fluorescent lamps that started to being used at that time, there was no need for skylights on the ceiling. This was effective in reducing the heat load, preventing dust, and suppressing dust, which contributed to the improvement of production efficiency. Furthermore, by installing ducts inside the steel trusses, a complete air-conditioning system using groundwater was realized, contributing to the improvement of product quality. Through ingenious design, many factories with excellent production efficiency, quality management, and labor environment were built. These achievements were not only recognized within Gifu Prefecture but also adopted in Osaka. These achievements also include the factory of Gunze Seishi, the predecessor of the current Gunze Co., Ltd. In the 6th year of the Reiwa era, we received a happy news from Gunze Co., Ltd. that the factory is still in use today, and the building plaque from the time of its construction has been found.