See these incredible recycled buildings made out of trash
The first town in Japan to make a "zero-waste" pledge, Kamikatsu in Tokushima Prefecture commissioned a Zero Waste Center in 2016 to help residents sort their waste into 45 categories. Designed by Hiroshi Nakamura & NAP Architects, the center opened in 2020 and incorporates donated items including farming tools, old windows and imperfect tiles. Look through the gallery to see more awe-inspiring buildings made from waste.
Koji Fujii TOREAL
Featured on Netflix's "Amazing Interiors" in 2018, the Smithey Container Home is located in Missouri, US. According to Zack Smithey, around 90% of materials are upcycled, with the main structure of the house comprising eight shipping containers. The eclectic furnishings match the exterior of the home and are largely salvaged or second-hand.
Zack-Smithey, Courtesy of Gussie Barnidge
Using three shipping containers for its structure and recycled wood pallets as a facade, 85% of the materials that make up the Infiniski Manifesto House -- located in Curacaví, Chile, and completed in 2009 -- are recycled. Architect Jaime Gaztelu integrated energy-saving technology in the design, reducing consumption by 70% through renewable water and space heating, and using cellulose extracted from unread newspapers as insulation.
James & Mau
David Hertz Architects created this house in Malibu, California, by repurposing the wing and tail fin of a decommissioned Boeing 747. The building has gone on to win multiple awards and was featured on Netflix's hit series "The World's Most Extraordinary Homes" in 2017.
Laura Doss/Carson Leh/Solent/Shutterstock
Hand built by Édouard T. Arsenault in the 1980s, The Bottle Houses are located on Prince Edward Island, just off the coast of New Brunswick, Canada. The project, which features a six-gabled house, a tavern, and a chapel, used over 25,000 bottles and took three years to complete. While the upcycled structures were originally just a hobby for Arsenault, they are now open to the public, attracting visitors from all over the world.
Adwo/Alamy Stock Photo
Located in Mumbai, India, Collage House was constructed in 2015 by S+PS Architects. The facade of the building is made up of repurposed windows and doors from demolished buildings in the area, allowing plenty of natural light to filter in. The group also combined metal pipe leftovers to form a courtyard feature wall.
Photographix/Sebastian Zach
Donald "Cano" Espinoza constructed Cano's Castle using a multitude of recycled scrap metals. Predominantly built with aluminum beer cans, the upcycled structure also includes hubcaps, bicycle reflectors and screen doors. The 35-year-long project was conceived after Cano came back from the Vietnam War and can be seen just off Highway 285 in Antonito, Colorado, US.
JLH in DESIGN, Jessica Hughes
Nestled in the forests of the Campos Novos Paulista region in southern Brazil, this elevated house was designed in 2019 to minimize the impact on the terrain. According to architect Daniel Assuane Duarte, around 80% of its materials are repurposed, with the majority of the building made from shipping containers and recycled wood.
Daniel Assuane and Nadia-Barros, Courtesy of Celso Mellani
In Melbourne, Australia, Phooey Architects transformed four shipping containers into a Children's Activity Center in 2007, constructing a zero-waste playground space. From the carpet to the joinery, all materials used in the project were either salvaged or re-used. By staggering the containers, the group were able to create a variety of indoor and outdoor zones.
Peter Bennetts
This temple in Sisaket, Thailand, was conceived by a group of Buddhist monks in 1984. It is estimated that over one million glass bottles were used for the build, adorning the entrance, roof and walls of the concrete structure. Inside, intricate patterns and mosaics made from bottle caps cover the walls.
Adobe Stock
Taking just four days to construct, Carroll House is a New York City residence designed by LOT-EK. Built in 2016, it utilizes 21 stacked shipping containers cut diagonally from top to bottom, and the back of the building features large glass doors and balconies.
LOT EK/Courtesy of Danny Bright
In a bid to reimagine generic work spaces, architects Luigi and Raffaello Rosselli renovated their office in Sydney, Australia, in 2017. The pair stacked used terracotta tiles to form the facade, arranging them in a honeycomb pattern to deflect harsh sunlight while still allowing natural light to filter in -- earning the building the nickname "Beehive."
Luigi Rosselli Architects
Using ice cream containers to form the building's facade, the Microlibrary in Bandung, Indonesia, was designed by Dutch studio SHAU in 2016 as a communal reading space. The architects hollowed out the base of some of the containers to create the illusion of color, arranging them in binary code to spell out, "Books are the windows to the world."
