From Waste to Wellness. A Regenerative Restaurant Experience
From Waste to Wellness is a regenerative restaurant in London that has been created beneath Victorian brick archways. The project investigates how food production, material reuse, and biophilic design might actively enhance ecological health using Vectorworks. Combining structure and function, a semi-open kitchen surrounded by mycelium panels and a visible aeroponic wall is accessed by visitors via a luminous LED-lit staircase enclosed by a trailing Hedera helix plant. A root-to-fruit menu and acoustic zoning support the restaurant's goals of fostering a connection with the natural world, cutting waste, and transforming eating into a restorative sensory experience.
Designer
Polina Bielova
University
University of East London
Design Course
BA Interior Design
Coontact
u2617263@uel.ac.uk
"From Waste to Wellness" showcases regenerative design in experience, cuisine, and setting in addition to materials.
Materials are sourced and reused in a cyclical fashion: mycelium panels are low-carbon and biodegradable, having been created in a university lab from pistachio waste. Reclaimed terracotta, recycled glass, and FSC wood all help to lower embodied carbon. Every choice is suited for the site and, when feasible, locally sourced.
The aeroponic wall grows delicious greens and herbs inside the area with very little water and no soil. This promotes the idea of "root-to-fruit" cooking, which uses every component of the ingredient in a unique way to reduce kitchen waste and educate customers.
Rainwater and irrigation are supported by rainwater gathering, and operating energy is decreased by solar-integrated windows. To improve comfort, acoustic zones are carefully controlled using mycelium panels and natural sheathing.
The regenerative journey from the busy street to a place of restoration and greenery is symbolised by the LED-lit stairway. Its Hedera helix-lined interior brings year-round plant life indoors, boosting wellbeing and biodiversity. This self-supporting, evergreen climber improves interior air quality and requires no upkeep.
