Citizen

ZWEI are an interiors and architectural studio based in Melbourne, Australia. ZWEI means German for Two. The business was established in 2006.

ZWEI led the development of the Citizen project, a pop-up cafe.

The project explored how the structure and systems behind a coffee outlet can support a circular economy, change behaviour, and lead to sustainable outcomes.

The Citizen pavilion was conceived as a temporary popup form, planned to showcase sustainable off-grid design, and be a test-case for a café that works within the ethos of a circular economy.

Sustainable materials, such as reused milk crates, were used throughout.

The milk crates will have a second life when broken down into plastic flakes and reformed as post-consumer plastic sheeting.

All equipment was assessed for electrical load by Finding Infinity and operations were adapted to work within the constraints of the power generated by the solar panels.

Due to its high electrical demand, the dishwasher was removed and patrons were asked to bring their own cup.

The design showcased growing mushrooms from coffee waste and demonstrated how people could do the same at home.

The pavilion’s structure was designed using scaffolding as the framework and the roof was formed by 118 solar panels.

The generated electricity was stored in three 13.5KWh Tesla off-grid power walls mounted to the scaffold.

The walls were made of repurposed milk crates, curved into folded forms.

They were locked together vertically by clamped webbing, then tied horizontally using hemp ties.

The coffee counter was built from recycled plastic sheet, including flaked milk cartons, with repurposed timber supports under.

All of the built elements will be repurposed or are elements that can be used again and again.

Mushrooms were showcased within plastic tubing in the heart of the structure.

They were propagated into recycled plastic tubes and incubated at a mushroom farm on the Mornington Peninsula.

Once the mycelium was ready, the tubes were transported to site and holes opened in the tubes, where they spawned beautiful mushrooms for show.

Once their life span was over, they returned to compost.

Coffee and coffee equipment was supplied by Code Black Coffee.

The coffee beans are roasted in their Brunswick roastery, largely direct-sourced from growers in South and Central America.

All the coffee grounds during the event were collected into bins and used by Reground for composting, mushroom farming, and worm farms throughout Melbourne.

The pavilion was designed to collect rainwater from the roof through the central gutter that runs into IBC 1000L collection vessels.

This water is not potable (drinkable) but was reused for various purposes throughout the event. Waste water was also collected from the café and repurposed after the event.

Citizen used single group espresso coffee machines and pour over coffee equipment.

Coffee for the duration of the Melbourne Design Week event was free, however a gold coin donation to the Climate Council was requested.

Project Details

Project size – 80 m2

Completion date – 2020

Building levels – 1

Project Team

Architecture

ZWEI Interiors Architecture

ZWEI (German for “2”) are a Melbourne-based multidisciplinary design team specializing in the delivery of hospitality and retail spaces.

www.zwei.com.au

Photography

Jack Lovel

Jack Lovel is an architectural photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. With ten years worth of experience, Jack has worked with some of the leading architects and design practices in the field, including Splinter Society, Carr Design, Christopher Elliott and Biasol. His editorial work has featured in global publications like Dwell, Elle Decoration and Habitus

www.jacklovel.com