Zero-Waste Japanese Town Builds Unique Building from Reclaimed Building Materials
				Posted. 2nd August 2016
				
				
	
				
					Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP just won the WAN Sustainable Buildings Award 2016 for their stunning Kamikatz Public House, a sundries shop and pub that symbolizes the Japanese town Kamikatsu’s commitment to zero waste. The eco-conscious structure is affordably built out of reclaimed building materials and showcases reuse in creative and inspirational ways.
				
				The small yet ambitious Japanese town of Kamikatsu has achieved an 80% recycling rate and residents sort their waste into 34 categories. The Kamikazt Public House embraces the 
zero waste mission in its design, particularly with its eye-catching eight-meter-tall window wall made from a hodgepodge of windows reclaimed from nearby abandoned houses. The eight-meter-tall window wall and other openings bring in cool breezes in the summer, while a 
carbon-neutral radiation heater warms the structure in winter.
				
				The building is filled with creative displays of reuse, including reclaimed tiles for the flooring, a bottle chandelier, and newspapers 
upcycled into wallpaper. The exterior is clad in 
locally produced and reclaimed cedar boards colored with naturally derived persimmon tannin paint.
				
				“It’s trying to illustrate architecturally a very strong idea which is to do with zero waste,” said juror and Managing Director at EPR Architects Chris Castle. “There’s a very strong community engagement here, there’s been other buildings for the community, but this is being fed into by the community. There’s also a fantastic integration of the community, with genuine community involvement in the fundamentals of the design which is just great.”
				
+ Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
				Images via 
Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
				Source: 
inhabitat.com