Written by Rebecca Cairns, CNN
Contributors Junko Ogura, CNNMayumi Maruyama, CNN
The facade of the Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center is placed, to say the least; almost as fitting as the truth that it was built from scrap metal.
Located on the banks of the Katsuura River in a double horseshoe bend in the remote mountain town of Kamikatsu in southern Japan, the center opened in 2020 amid the Covid-19 pandemic and has transformed into a whole new centerpiece of the neighborhood.
Replacing the old “prefab shack” where garbage was sorted, the brand new center was built to support the city’s ambitious goal of achieving 100% zero waste, said Hiroshi Nakamura, the company’s chief architect. and founding father of NAP Architectural Consulting.
The building received an award from the Architectural Institute of Japan last year, and as its appreciation grows in the city, the neighborhood also hopes it can attract new eco-conscious residents to beautify. its residents in decline.
Nakamura and his collaborators began designing the Zero Waste Center in April 2016 during a meeting with the residents of Kamikatsu.
They used mostly local and recycled materials, selecting cedar from the surrounding forests to create the building’s auxiliary structure and skeleton. Kamikatsu had a thriving lumber trade until the 1970s, when competitors from overseas cheap lumber caused the trade to decline. Using domestic supply saved gas in transportation and packaging, Nakamura said, in addition to incorporating a key piece of the city’s historic past. The wood was left in its raw, spherical shape, rather than being cut into square beams or planks to reduce additional waste.
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Almost the entire property has been recycled for the rest of the construction and interior. But making a building out of waste is not an easy task. “We usually design first and then apply ready-made materials that match the design,” the architect told CNN. Instead, the design course took over two years to find and put together each piece like a puzzle.
Some equipment – as well as roofing materials, metals for caulking, bolts and screws for connections, and tools suitable for air conditioning and plumbing – had to be new to ensure compliance with building codes and requirements. security, Nakamura said. However, limiting the number of newer materials reduced the environmental impact and price of the building, which Nakamura says would have doubled had it not been for the use of recycled materials.
Shattered glass and pottery had been repurposed into terrazzo floors and unseasoned glass bottles straight into a recycled chandelier.
Labor had to be resourceful and ask manufacturers for extra or defective materials that are usually discarded, which is tantamount to defective tiles, Nakamura said.
They also used “participatory architecture” practices for the enterprise. While this often involves advising residents on what they need or want from a building, Nakamura explains that the Zero Waste Center takes this idea one step further, as it was constructed using materials from the city’s 1,453 residents.
Shattered glass and pottery have been turned into terrazzo floors, harvest bins from a local shiitake mushroom farm have been turned into shelves, and an abandoned mattress from a nursing home has been turned into a sofa. For the placement of the building’s facade, the residents salvaged earlier windows, some of which came from abandoned buildings.
“The architecture itself was created with the memories of the residents, so they have a connection to it,” Nakamura said.
The Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center helps residents recycle waste in 45 categories
The middle is shaped like a question mark to remind people to question their drinking habits.
Like many places in Japan, Kamikatsu’s population is aging and shrinking, with young residents seeking jobs in the big cities. It is hoped that the town’s green approach will attract new residents looking for a more sustainable way of life – like Otsuka. She sees opportunities for growth through ecotourism, aided by the opening of a boutique hotel at the Zero Waste Center in May 2020.
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Sources-
Images Credit- Koji Fujii
Graphic Credit- Woojin Lee, CNN