With all of the natural disasters in recent times, and so close to home, it’s a good time to think about what we can do as designers to help our planet and reduce our impact on natural resources.
Opening on Saturday 12 February, Greenhouse, by artist Joost Bakker, is an ingenious eco-friendly cafe built using recycled materials. But that’s only the beginning, at Greenhouse water is collected on site, waste is recycled, herbs and vegetables are grown on the roof and even the generator runs on cooking oil.
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is bringing this installation to Sydney in partnership with Joost to demonstrate to visitors, builders, designers and restaurateurs a wide range of sustainable practices in an urban environment.
Greenhouse has been designed and built from broken down shipping containers and packing crates, with all of its furniture, light fittings, glasses and even staff uniforms made from recycled and recyclable materials.
The walls of the building are made of straw bales, which are safe and long lasting if kept dry, while featuring a high insulation rating. Steel is also used extensively throughout the building as it is 100 per cent recyclable.
The cafe uses whole foods to make menu staples on site, including breads, pastries, pizza, yoghurt, butter and even tonic water. The menu will be served up by one of Australia’s best new talents in the kitchen, Matt Stone, and will be based on what is available locally and in season, encouraging diners to be more aware of the impact of food choices on the environment.
With spectacular views of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House, Campbells Cove will also provide an idyllic location to begin Greenhouse’s 2011 international tour, showcasing NSW as a leader in creative sustainable design.
Joost Bakker, creator of Greenhouse, will next take this innovative travelling restaurant to Milan for the International Furniture Fair, followed by stops in a number of other European cities. Joost said that the installation demonstrates that technology needed to live more sustainably is now readily available.
Read more on the Joost website. Thanks to Joost, The Design Files and Goodie Design for the images.
