Non-profit initiative AssiaX have redefined the previously announced ‘Queen Bee Contest’, by adding the biodiversity dimension to the global project that had been originally introduced during an online event organised the İstanbul Kültür University Faculty of Architecture.
Launched by interior design architect Annabella Nassetti and digital technologist and international communications expert Fiorenza Mella, AssiaX recently partnered with Angus Cunningham a master in biodiversity who founded the London-based Scotscape in 1986. Scotscape has grown to become an innovation-led Company, employing over 100 staff, with a product ecosystem of urban greening products and services, designed to introduce sustainable biodiversity to the built environment. Cunningham is the inventor of the living walls and he actually has been bringing life to urban centres by creating Living Pillars which are solar powered lamp posts that come with bird and solitary bee boxes.
“In the 35 years since I started Scotscape and with global warming, pollution and urbanisation achieving regular headline space, an exciting marketplace is appearing where we really can make a difference. With our patented Smart Greening systems we have the technology to face up to these challenges using nature as our ally.” Angus Cunningham, Managing Director of Scotscape, stated. “We are as excited as passionate about introducing and maintaining living green and biodiversity into the most challenging of urban areas. Happy to partner with AssiaX and support this contest that provides participants with the chance to be designing our future.”
The ‘Queen Bee Biodiversity Contest’ and its participants will focus on creating green ‘corridors’ with planting to encourage biodiversity and improve air quality. Entries will highlight the idea of adding biodiversity to the existing urban infrastructure. The city of London will be the first, thanks to Scotscape, to welcome the winning project.
Inspired by Scotscape’s ‘Living Pillars’, the participants will be designing an outdoor multifunctional lamp post to increase pollination. It will include living plants (6m & 8m) and a wayfinder for the streets in London.
The following principles will have to be taken into account:
- Maximise street greening throughout the seasons with eyelevel planting;
- Air pollution mitigation utilising plant species with complex foliage to capture particulate matter at street level;
- Create biodiversity corridors, links between public and private spaces to support urban wildlife and insect population;
- Irrigation recycle system – no water wastage easy to install & low maintenance;
- Create a new method of signalling to help the public to navigate the urban environment;
- Increase biophilic connectivity: facilitate human connectivity with plants and nature;
- Community enrichment: create a common theme with specified green connecting residential and business communities;
The contest is open to all female architects and product designers, young talents and professionals who will be conceiving ideas on this exciting environmental theme and will submit a design to info@assiax.com by February 9th 2023 at 5.00 P.M. GMT. More details will be available on the AssiaX website.
