Greenhouse by Joost: A Zero-Waste Pop-Up Shipping Container Restaurant in Sydney

In early 2011, Greenhouse by Joost appeared on the Sydney waterfront as an innovative pop-up shipping container restaurant. Designed by renowned eco-architect Joost Bakker, this temporary installation combined sustainable construction, local food systems, and low-waste operations to form a powerful statement about the future of food and cities. Located at Campbells Cove, the pop-up restaurant in Sydney served over 1,000 diners daily during its short residency.

Built from recycled materials and delivered in shipping containers, Greenhouse offered more than food—it offered a glimpse into the future of regenerative design. This mobile installation later toured internationally, but its Sydney debut left a lasting mark on urban sustainability.

Shipping Container Restaurant Design with a Mission

Joost Bakker designed the structure using three 12-meter containers. These formed the core of the building, which included a kitchen, bar, bathroom, staff areas, rooftop garden, and vertical farm walls. The Greenhouse by Joost Sydney build demonstrated the speed, flexibility, and eco-benefits of shipping container mall and restaurant architecture.

The lightweight steel frame, roll-formed on-site using a Framecad system, served as the structural backbone. Workers clad the frame in plywood to boost strength and thermal performance. For insulation, the walls and roof were packed tightly with straw bales—sourced from local farms—to minimize heat loss. Externally, corrugated steel cladding and a vertical wall garden created a distinctive facade, while internally, the team used natural and recyclable materials for all finishes and fittings.

This construction method reflected Bakker’s “Productive Building” philosophy: buildings should contribute positively to their surroundings by producing food, capturing energy, and managing waste.

Waste-Free Operations in a Pop-Up Format

Greenhouse operated as a zero-waste pop-up restaurant, rejecting common hospitality practices in favor of circular systems. All suppliers delivered goods in reusable containers—no single-use plastics or unnecessary packaging entered the site. Milk arrived in stainless steel buckets. Chep crates carried fresh produce. Nothing was sent to landfill.

Food waste was composted on-site using a JoraForm in-vessel composter. The nutrient-rich compost fed a rooftop garden planted in liquid transport bins—containers once used for olive oil, now repurposed for herbs and vegetables. These fresh ingredients went directly into the kitchen, closing the loop between food production and consumption.

Even the cutlery followed this philosophy. Spoons, forks, and knives were crafted from plantation-grown timber. Water was harvested on-site, and energy came from a generator powered by used cooking oil.

Food as a Vehicle for Environmental Change

Led by chef Matt Stone, Greenhouse’s menu celebrated whole foods and hyperlocal sourcing. Bread, yoghurt, pizza bases, butter, and tonic water were all made from scratch on-site. Each dish changed with the seasons and available ingredients. By focusing on traceable, low-impact ingredients, the restaurant reinforced its role as a sustainable restaurant in Sydney, not just in construction but in culinary ethos.

The experience encouraged guests to consider the environmental impact of their food choices. By eating from the rooftop garden and observing waste-free service, diners engaged directly with the systems that produced their meals.

A Showcase of Sustainable Design Principles

Greenhouse Sydney embodied the key principles of Joost Bakker’s Productive Building System. These included:

• Use of recycled and recyclable materials

• Chemical-free surfaces and untreated natural materials

• Minimal environmental impact during construction and transport

• Adaptability across climates and uses

• Capacity to be built and dismantled quickly using unskilled labor

• Integration of food, water, and energy systems into the building envelope

The building was not just efficient—it was educational. Every design choice invited visitors to rethink the purpose of architecture in the 21st century. As a shipping container restaurant, it offered a compact, movable blueprint for urban dining. As a productive building, it demonstrated how temporary structures could leave lasting environmental benefits.

Global Tour and Legacy

After its Sydney season, Greenhouse packed back into its containers and headed for Milan’s International Furniture Fair, with further stops in Europe. It had already appeared in Perth and Melbourne, but the Greenhouse by Joost Sydney project reached wider international audiences.

Its message aligned with broader trends in shipping container mall design and the rise of pop-up restaurants in Sydney and beyond. These formats prioritize speed, modularity, and minimal land impact—critical features for future urban development.

Greenhouse also supported larger goals in Sydney’s urban planning. The Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority saw it as part of its long-term plan to “green” The Rocks and Darling Harbour. Previous initiatives had already reduced local energy use by 21% and water consumption by 32% compared to 2000 levels. Greenhouse extended that ambition by showing how architecture and food could work together to shape better cities.

Rethinking What Restaurants Can Be

Greenhouse challenged the norms of hospitality. It proved that a restaurant could be temporary yet meaningful, mobile yet grounded, beautiful yet built from waste. It also showed that sustainable restaurants in Sydney don’t need to compromise creativity, flavor, or guest experience.

While the installation is now closed, its impact remains. Greenhouse became a case study for architects, chefs, and city-makers exploring modular sustainability. Its influence continues to shape projects that combine dining, agriculture, and environmental design.

By integrating architecture, food, and waste into a single experience, Greenhouse by Joost became more than a building. It became a system—a vision of cities that feed people while restoring the planet.

Courtesy Of: Greenhouse By Joost
Images ©Matt Irwin Photography/Greenhouse by Joost and Simon Food Favourites