In the town of Kamikatsu, nestled in a mountainous region of Tokushima Prefecture, there are no waste collection vehicles.

The residents have achieved a recycling rate of 80% by bringing and sorting their own wastes into 45 different categories at Zero Waste Center. This architecture is an environmentally friendly community facility with the objective of recreating community and regional development. The most distinctive feature of the building is that it is made almost entirely out of waste. The log structure and wooden boards are made from local cedar trees with minimum processing to minimise waste.

This project has been longlisted in the sustainable building category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

Architect: Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP
Project: Kamikatsu Zero Waste Center