An exemplary example of waste-free architecture from Hiroshi Nakamura Studio.

The Japanese village of Kamikatsu is the first municipality in Japan to implement a waste-free production policy. In 2003, the village authorities set themselves the task of completely getting rid of waste without resorting to the services of landfills and incinerators — and succeeded: today 80% of garbage is recycled in Kamikatsu. An important part of the campaign was the creation of a convenient sorting center, the project of which was developed by Tokyo architects from Hiroshi Nakamura Studio. Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center was planned in such a way as to become a pleasant and cute place for regular meetings of local residents. 

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL

The main task of the authors was to create an eco-friendly building, the architecture of which would correspond to the ideas of reuse and waste-free production. In this case, the villagers helped them: for example, the architects made up the unusual collage facades of an elongated building from about seven hundred old windows of different shapes and designs handed over by the owners of the houses to Kamikatsu. The wall in the sorting hall is similarly decorated, which the architects decorated with a combination of unnecessary cabinets and shelves. “We imagined how a grandmother would come here with her granddaughter, see her old buffet and be able to share a piece of family history”» Hiroshi Nakamura says. 

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL

Environmental considerations dictated literally every step of work on the project. To reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the architects chose local cedar wood as the main material. Many beams and supports retained the shape of the trunks — so it was possible to avoid the formation of waste in the process of cutting out clear geometric shapes. A composition like terrazzo was made of broken glass and ceramics, unnecessary bottles were turned into chandeliers, plastic containers from the shiitake mushroom plantation were strengthened vertically and used as bookshelves. Many items and materials for the construction of the center were found in abandoned houses, various municipal buildings, as well as in a closed school in the village. 

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL

Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center includes a sorting station, workshop, office space, a store of recycled materials, a lecture hall and a four-room hotel located in a separate building-a decahedron. In terms of the complex resembles a question mark — a symbol that encourages you to think about excessive consumption and reconsider your lifestyle. “We hope that guests from other cities who have visited here will leave thinking about how they can make their lives more environmentally friendly”» the authors say. 

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL

Photo: Koji Fujii / TOREAL