It not only defined the aesthetic – it also sparked something of a regional recycling movement, with countless people taking the initiative to start collecting them on their own. ‘We thought about the idea of sustainability right from the start, about where the materials come from and how things are produced.’Ī winning move was Nakamura’s realisation that old fittings could be recycled into his designs. ‘It all began by shifting the paradigm of the entire design process,’ the architect explains.
#13.jpg open with kami windows#
Tapping into the town’s already fast-growing reputation for sustainability, the privately owned brewery shares a similar aesthetic to the new recycling centre, with double-height walls made up of doors and windows from local homes, albeit on a much smaller scale. Tokyo-based architect Nakamura first became involved in Kamikatsu 12 years ago, when ‘friends of friends’ asked him to design the nearby brewery, café and eco-shop Rise & Win. ‘The recycling centre is a strong addition to Kamikatsu’s conventional rural vernacular’ The fact that this contemporary structure has been so warmly embraced by this remote rural town – where more than half the residents are over the age of 65 – is testimony to a deep sensitivity to community ties, which was nurtured by Nakamura from the start. Interestingly, it also attracts a growing number of visitors from outside the region who are keen to explore, experience and take home with them new ways to lead more sustainable lives.ĭesign-wise, it is also a deeply bold vision for a small town in rural Japan. The new centre is now recognised in Japan as a paradigm for community recycling initiatives and the architectural embodiment of the town’s identity as leaders in rural environmentalism. The new Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre opened in May 2020, replacing an earlier more makeshift industrial open-air space, which was located just across the road.
By 2016, the town had boosted the number of rubbish types into 45 categories and hit a goal of achieving a recycling rate of 80 per cent. These include replacing house-to-house rubbish collection with a community waste centre where residents can recycle directly launching a rental service for reused tableware opening remake and reuse shops and creating a popular incentive system, enabling residents to stockpile points in return for eco-friendly goods. Since then, town officials have worked closely with the community on a raft of initiatives aimed at reducing its waste output – with impressive results. Yet despite its diminutive proportions, Kamikatsu is a high-profile byword for pioneering environmentalism in Japan: the town hit headlines in 2003 when it became the first municipality in the country to make a zero-waste declaration. Hidden in folds of dense forested mountains about an hour’s drive from Tokushima, the nearest city, the small town is home to a declining forestry industry and a shrinking, ageing population hovering around 1,400 – a typical demographic trend in rural Japan.
Kamikatsu is just a speck on the map in Japan. ‘The idea is that windows that used to bring light into homes are now being used in this centre, which is like a lantern of hope for Kamikatsu,’ explains Nakamura. A colourful patchwork of reclaimed fittings spans the exterior walls, an effect which is both visually distinct and a tangible symbol of the emotional connection between community and structure. Each one tells a different story.ĭonated by residents, these fittings have been resurrected and pieced together to create the jigsaw-puzzle-style facade of Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre, an innovative new recycling complex imagined by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP. These are among an eclectic cornucopia of around 700 door and window fittings that were once installed in homes, shops and schools across Kamikatsu, a small far-flung rural town in Tokushima Prefecture, south-west Japan. The peeling green paint of a wooden frame wrapped around frosted glass. The metal door with a post-office sticker above the letter box. The sliding window with retro‑patterned glass. Hiroshi Nakamura and NAP’s Kamikatsu Zero Waste Centre is a new type of recycling facility and an unexpected visitor attraction
0 kommentar(er)
