‘Temple Of Trash’ Turns Waste Streams Into Circular Architecture
A new office and visitor centre for waste-processing company Omrin demonstrates how biobased, reused and recycled materials can form the basis of a high-quality workplace. Designed by TWA Architecten, the 2,600-square-metre building in Heerenveen, the Netherlands, was completed in 2025. Its extensive use of materials recovered from waste streams has earned it the nickname ‘Temple of Trash’.
A Demountable Timber Structure
The main load-bearing structure consists of cross-laminated timber (CLT) sourced from European forests. The robust construction requires relatively little metal to anchor its connections. Designed for disassembly, the timber frame supports future adaptation and potential material recovery. Raised access floors and movable partition walls also allow spaces to be altered or combined as needs change.
The exposed timber structure gives the interior a warm appearance. Meanwhile, passive-building principles and a high-performance envelope reduce the need for mechanical systems, helping to limit energy consumption and maintenance requirements.
Recycled Materials Throughout The Interior
Several recovered materials feature visibly within the building. Carpet tiles come from existing buildings or residual stock, while recycled paper provides cellulose insulation. Lightweight internal walls contain Métisse insulation made from discarded denim.
A reception desk made from Smile Plastics panels consists entirely of plastic waste. Acoustic elements contain 75% recycled PET fibres. The three-dimensional façade cladding, produced by Nedcam, uses Acrylic One (A1), a composite material selected to support the project’s circular ambitions. Together, these applications communicate how different waste streams can become functional architectural products.
Daylight, Flexibility And Comfort
The layout takes inspiration from temple complexes and cruciform churches, reflecting the idea that discarded materials are valuable resources. Walkways guide visitors from the surrounding landscape into the building. Large central axes, an entrance atrium and visual connections between floors create an intuitive route through the interior.
Workplaces sit along the façade to benefit from daylight and views, while shared facilities cluster around the central core. A canteen and large hall occupy the upper floor. Colour, lighting and material choices aid orientation and draw attention to the various material streams.
Strategically positioned canopies control solar heat gain without blocking important views. ETFE air cushions in the atrium roof combine daylight admission with dynamic solar shading.
Part Of A Regenerative Landscape
The building forms part of the ‘Work Landscape of the Future’ at Ecopark De Wierde. Landscape designer Peter de Ruyter restored filled-in ditches to reveal the historic structure of the Haskerveen polder and improve water retention during prolonged rainfall. Replanted wooded banks further reference the area’s eighteenth-century landscape.
Source & photos: TWA Architecten