Following a number of lockdown-related delays, work has finally begun on Joost Bakker’s highly anticipated Greenhouse, which is set to open at Federation Square in Melbourne this September.

Over the years, the Dutch-born environmentalist has created numerous Greenhouses, each one home to a pop-up cafe or restaurant. This time, the three-storey structure will function purely as a place of residence for acclaimed zero-waste chefs and partners, Matt Stone and Jo Barrett, and eventually, the human race – or at least, that’s the plan.

The deliberately designed eco-friendly and economical structure is said to be a prototype for a new ‘house of the future’, which would see food and energy systems brought – quite literally – in-house.

“In the past, people have been so excited by the idea of it being a restaurant, but it was always supposed to be a house, that’s why we made it 87 square metres, which is the average size of an Australia home. This time around, we decided to move away from the idea of a hospitality venue altogether so as to remove any confusion,” Bakker said.

The sustainable structure is made from barley, rice, oats, wheat and other crop waste along with biochar sawdust to absorb toxins in the air. Fresh produce is grown on-site on a sprawling rooftop garden, while freshwater mussels, prawns and fish are kept and bred using an aquaponics system. All organic waste is either composted or converted into gas using a special biogas digester, with all other energy needs fulfilled by the sun.

Matt Stone and Jo Barrett will move into their new home in September (pandemic pending), where they will reside until May next year. During this time, they will live a completely waste-free life, sharing their home-cooked meals –  with all ingredients grown and raised completely on-site – with the public via Instagram.

As well as taking the pressure off the environment, Bakker believes that this kind of lifestyle is also greatly beneficial to one’s physical and mental health. “When people grow food and are immersed in their food system, they feel good, they feel happy,” he said.

To put the theory to the test, Matt and Jo will undergo rigorous testing before and after their stay at Greenhouse, with CSIRO monitoring their health throughout the experience.

While the zero waste house might seem extreme to some, Bakker believes there is no other way forward. “I think we have to go down this path,” he said. “The way we have been living for the last 50 years, it’s finished. We need to change.”

“Our current food systems are just so destructive. Agriculture is the primary cause for clearing forests, and its the number one use of chemicals in the world.”

“Localising the food system is the only sustainable way forward.”

And to prove that it can be done, at the end of the project, Greenhouse by Joost will make its way to Monbulk, where it will become the future home for Bakker’s mother.