All images by photographer David Russell.

Emerging Melbourne practice Folk Architects are putting an eco-friendly spin on the pop-up this weekend, designing a temporary café with recycled elements in the Centre for Contemporary Photography’s breezy gallery space.

The left-field design addresses the potential to improve processes behind the current pop-up trend, where construction of semi-permanent features gives rise to a wasteful aftermath once the event is over.

“As pop-up spaces are temporary by nature, we are using things that are already on hand, re-purposing them and minimising waste,” says Christie Petsinis of Folk Architects. “Everything not directly from the storeroom is sourced and found locally.”

Working to a basically non-existent budget of fifty dollars, Folk Architects cleverly took materials found at the Centre for Contemporary Photography – odds and ends including plastic packaging, bubble wrap and tape – and vacuum packed them together to form furniture for the pop-up. Large thick sheets of plastic were also sewn together and stuffed to create beanbags, setting the scene for an artsy bohemian crowd to recline among the photography and enjoy a coffee in a uniquely tactile space.

Both Folk founders Tim Wilson and Christie Petsinis spent time at leading practice Denton Corker Marshall, developing Folk as a way to engage people through the activation of space. Though the practice was only founded in 2011, Folk has various industry acclaimed projects under its belt, including the Medhurst Winery (shortlisted for the 2013 World Architecture awards and 2012 AIA Commercial Architecture Award winner) and Smart Works (shortlisted at IDEA 2012, Workspace under 1,000sqm Category).

The pop-up runs as part of the Photobook Fair at the Centre for Contemporary Photography this weekend, 14 – 15 February.

For more information on the fair, visit: www.facebook.com/centreforcontemporaryphotography

www.folkarchitects.com