“Recycling. Ho hum… Everybody does it, but what difference does it make? That was my original reaction. How wrong I was! Recycling has morphed into a new concept called ‘Zero Waste’ and suddenly recycling is posing a fundamental challenge to business as usual. Zero Waste has the potential to motivate people to change their lifestyles, demand new products, and insist that corporations and governments behave in new ways. This is a very exciting development.”
Peter Montague, director of the Environmental Research Foundation
Education as a necessary part of the waste management process
We believe that educating the public plays a pivotal part in a sustainable approach to the reuse of materials. Therefore, we have designed a waste disposal centre which, aside from fulfilling its primary function of collecting and sorting waste, also serves as an educational gallery of waste. The gallery provides the public of all ages with an opportunity to discover the essential principles and the importance of sustainable waste management. The premises are divided into three basic parts. The first part consists of an educational loop while the second one is a shop where reusable objects may be purchased. Finally, the third part is the waste management centre as such with a number of storage areas for various types of waste.
The building as a showroom for reusable materials
The building uses only recycled materials currently used in construction, and the design aims to create a paradigm of how these materials can be employed in real life. This approach gives rise to a building that aspires to become a showroom for recycled materials. In addition, the building is designed to serve as a laboratory in which these materials and their combinations are tested in real life. It will be interesting to observe how these materials age and how the building transforms during its projected lifespan. In the future, the inner boxes inserted into the concrete superconstruction can easily be changed or substituted by newly developed recycled materials, providing engineers and architects with an opportunity to test these materials in real life as well. The reconditioned furniture seeks to demonstrate that the interior can take on a contemporary look even if older equipment is used.
Waste disposal centre as an essential part of the community
The aim of the project is to transform an unattractive waste disposal centre into a sought-after site, which will become one of the symbols of a town and a region. Presently, waste disposal centres are generally seen as “black holes on city maps”, a conception our project strives to overcome by offering a building whose function and form will draw the public’s attention and become a significant part of the community and its public facilities.
