Designed by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP, Kamikatsu Public House in Tokushima prefecture is committed to zero waste, aiming to become a sustainable recycling society. The town has already attained an 80% recycling rate by sorting its waste into 34 categories. Used items are displayed at the recycle center like a store. As mass-production and mass-consumption society reaching an impasse, the world holds great expectations for this movement.
Photography: Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners Inc.
On the premise that a paradigm shift for production and sales processes is essential in achieving zero waste, a private-sector business inspired by the principles of this town launched this project with the concept of integrating a shop that sells household sundries, food, and beer by weight, brewery, and a pub. As the word “pub” comes from “public house,” we decided to bring the principles of the community, the wisdom and ways of the people towards waste to form through architecture. Our aim was to create a public house so that the community could feel pride in their actions. Photography: Koji Fujii / Nacasa and Partners Inc.
To create continuity of production and consumption, we started by positioning functions in chronological order in the linear building—from the raw material warehouse to the brewery and then to the pub where the beer will be served. To make the pub a local symbol when looking up from the town, the windows comprising fittings from abandoned...