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This paper discusses the following three key issues on passive control using dampers for seismic protection of buildings:1 Major experimental research on passive control of buildings: Tests using the world’s largest shaking table “E-Defense” from March to April 2009 evaluated a full-scale 5-story steel building with and without dampers. 2 Codes and specifications: The Japanese building code requires that the nonlinear time history analysis be performed for buildings with dampers or that energy-based analysis be conducted when steel dampers are used. Unlike code rules leading to iterative design, the specifications of the Japan Society of Seismic Isolation (JSSI) give direct design method (DDM) for target performance set by designers. 3 Damage-free structure and its design: Backed by government support, a large team of researchers and designers has developed a structure damage-free against a catastrophic earthquake, using dampers and super-high-strength steel frames. The structure and its design rule using DDM are being studied for inclusion in projected code.

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As building trends move to integrate façade architecture and structure, collaboration between architects and structural engineers has produced a number of novel buildings. In earthquake-prone countries such as Japan, however, where considerations such as earthquake load dominate design, structural engineers must often make difficult design decisions in meeting the requirements of building owners and architects. This article introduces the Prada Boutique Aoyama building project integrating façade and structure concepts while implementing earthquake-robust base isolation.