Event report: “Memories embedded in school gym floor begin a new journey of circularity—exhibit and workshop at ‘Yokohama Architecture Plaza 2024′”

On November 9, 2024, Circular Yokohama, an organization dedicated to promoting circular economy in Yokohama City, participated in the “Yokohama Architecture Plaza 2024” held at the Yokohama City Hall. Circular Yokohama showcased unique items crafted from repurposed gymnasium flooring.

note: This article is from Circular Yokohama’s report, “Memories embedded in school gym floor begin a new journey of circularity—exhibit and workshop at ‘Yokohama Architecture Plaza 2024’.” (in Japanese)

Exhibition and workshop report at “Yokohama Architecture Plaza 2024”

On November 9, 2024, the “Yokohama Architecture Plaza 2024” was hosted at Yokohama City Hall. This event, organized by the Yokohama City Architecture Bureau and the Yokohama City Building Maintenance Corporation, aimed to inspire the next generation with the joy of architecture and craftsmanship. The event featured a wide array of exhibits and workshops from local businesses and organizations, drawing families and local residents alike.

Scene at the venue

Circular Yokohama participated in the “REYO Yokohama city reuse material project” (hereafter, REYO), an initiative spearheaded by the Yokohama City Architecture Bureau through the city’s “thematic co-creation front” policy. At this event, we exhibited original items crafted from repurposed gymnasium flooring as part of the REYO project.

This article provides a detailed look at the exhibits and workshops associated with REYO.

Breathing new life into gym floor

The highlight of the event was an exhibit featuring products made from upcycled gym floor as part of the REYO initiative.

Yokohama City currently has 502 public schools as of fiscal year 2024. The gym floor in these schools has an average lifespan of approximately 40 years. To ensure the health and safety of students, the flooring is periodically replaced, resulting in an annual surplus of approximately 5,000 square meters (equivalent to 10 gymnasiums) of retired floor in Yokohama alone.

While much of this used floor is converted into wood chips for fuel, these materials carry significant sentimental value, having witnessed countless moments from entrance ceremonies to graduation events.

The REYO project was established under the concept, “memories of materials for the future,” to explore unique reuse opportunities for these extraordinary materials.

During the event, a variety of products made from gym floor once used in Yokohama public schools were on display, including flower stands, planter covers, science lab stools, and clocks.

Featured exhibits (partial view)

Circular Yokohama showcases slope toys made with bottle caps, mini bookshelves from “Hoshiten Circular Library,” and display stands for the “Yokohama Circular Design Museum.”

Display stand exhibited by Circular Yokohama (background) and two mini-bookshelves (foreground)

In preparation for the event, Circular Yokohama undertook the meticulous task of manually processing the gymnasium flooring. The material, made from strong and durable woods like cherry and maple, was originally designed to support the daily physical activities of children.

The process began with understanding the unique properties of the wood and determining the best methods for working with it. Despite limited time, space, and tools, the team conducted numerous experiments to create practical and aesthetical items. Challenges included dealing with nails, adhesives, and splinters inherent in the repurposed wood, which required innovative design and engineering solutions.

Processing work in progress

Once displayed at the event, the crafted items quickly became a focal point, drawing the attention of numerous attendees. Among the highlights was the slope toy, which proved to be a crowd favorite among families. Children delighted in creating their own courses using the movable wooden parts, their smiles filling the space with joy.

The children also displayed remarkable behavior, taking turns, cleaning up after themselves, and following self-imposed rules while playing—a testament to the engaging and educational nature of the activity.

This initiative demonstrated the value of utilizing reclaimed materials to promote sustainability while creating enjoyable experiences for future generations.

Hands-on workshop: crafting with gymnasium flooring scraps

In addition to the exhibits, there was an interactive workshop that attracted significant participation.

Workshop booth activities

Using gym floor scraps, children were invited to craft Soma cube pieces for a 3D puzzle activity. Enthralled by the process, some children stood to focus intently on the instructions. With their handmade seven pieces, they constructed cubes, mountains, crystals, and other shapes, joyfully exclaiming, “I did it!” upon completing each challenge.

The workshop not only encouraged creativity and problem-solving but also provided an opportunity for participants to appreciate the value of wood as a resource and learn about sustainability through hands-on engagement.

Post-event note

For Circular Yokohama, specializing in media operations, this was their first venture into upcycling building materials. Initially uncertain about whether the project would succeed, the team learned to use unfamiliar tools like saws and belt sanders and poured considerable effort into crafting each item.

The sight of children and adults alike enjoying the finished creations made the challenges worthwhile, leaving the team with a profound sense of accomplishment.

The items produced for this event will continue to be utilized in Circular Yokohama’s future projects. These include the mobile “Yokohama Circular Design Museum” and the shareable bookshelf project, “Hoshiten Circular Library.”

Moving forward, Circular Yokohama aims to deepen collaboration with the Yokohama City Architecture Bureau and advance circular economy initiatives through the “REYO” project.

[Reference] “Memories embedded in gymnasium flooring begin a new journey of circularity—exhibit and workshop at ‘Yokohama Architecture Plaza 2024’.” | Circular Yokohama (in Japanese)
[Related Site] Circular Yokohama