Bachelor course

BIAZA GreenHub

Team: Arturo Alvarado Briasco | Luna Pennings | Jordan Groskamp | Maarten Reith | Sarah van Coevorden

Coach: Roald Hoope

Stakeholders: BIAZA | Mieke van der Bijl-Brouwer

Year: 2019

Challenge

This project was in cooperation with BIAZA (British and Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums). The goal of this project was to reinvent the zoo experience with a focus on reconnecting with nature.

In discussion with the stakeholder we stated the domain as: “nature in urban life”

Approach

For this project, my team and I used the Vision in Product Design Method (ViP) which is a context-driven and interaction-focussed approach. This approach first explores the current context and interaction to define a design direction. Once the design direction has been formed, a future interaction is imagined to find innovative solutions for the future context.

“We want people to feel like they are part of a bigger picture by integrating nature and animals in their urban life."

Impact

By transforming zoos from mere attractions to workspaces surrounded by local ecosystems, we integrate nature into daily activities. This fosters a deeper connection to the natural world.

Currently, nature is often relegated to amusement in urban settings. The GreenHub redefines this by embedding nature into the workday, enabling both flex workers and nature to thrive. This BIAZA initiative helps urban areas reconnect with nature, fostering a sense of belonging.

GreenHub: Where Urban Life and Nature Thrive Together

With the concept idea we want to achieve “a sense of belonging to the natural world by making nature and integral part of an urban life”. By repurposing the meaning of a zoo from a fun day out to a place where people can work, we are making nature an integral part of an important everyday activity. In addition, by surrounding those workspaces with local ecosystems we are showing every aspect of the natural world and not taking it out of context. This plays on the effect of nature-relatedness which can provide a sense of belonging.

Main Hub

The concept will consist of the main GreenHub , which will be located in a part of existing BIAZA zoos. The main GreenHub will have a social area where people can have lunch, relax and build a network. In addition, there will be several hubs where people can have meetings or work. All these hubs will stand alone and will be surrounded by a natural environment of diverse greenery and small animals.

Repurposing unused city space

Other GreenHubs will be distributed over the city by placing them in unused spaces in buildings. These unused spaces will be rewilded and designed in a way that both flex-workers and nature can thrive. Each hub will be designed in a way that is appropriate for the type of space it is.

  • New meaning

    NEW MEANING

    As of now, nature is rarely a part of urban life and when it is, it’s often to serve as a form of amusement to people. The GreenHub changes the role of nature in urban areas by making it an integral part of the workday. With this concept BIAZA can bring back nature to urban areas where it has been removed and create spaces where both flex workers and nature can thrive and coexist. By doing this, we allow humans to reconnect with nature and ultimately make them feel like they belong.

  • BRAND BUILDER

    The GreenHub enables one of BIAZA’s main values: to protect and conserve the natural world. The money collected with the subscriptions can be used to fund projects and research to collectively fight for this cause. Additionally, by rewilding unused building stock, BIAZA allows nature to reclaim urban areas. In doing so BIAZA stimulates and conserves local ecosystems. The GreenHub also introduces the new value of restoring the relation between humans and the natural world.

  • PEAK INTO THE FUTURE

    People who work, shape our society. With this concept these workers are in contact with nature on a daily basis. Nature can inspire them in their work which shows potential for a future where humans have a more symbiotic relationship with the natural world.

  • BOUNDARY OBJECT

    This means that BIAZA has the potential to target the minds of people that are currently shaping our society. This new target group also brings new potential BIAZA members. By offering workspace for companies, BIAZA can find new partners in different fields of work. BIAZA can cooperate with these companies and make an even larger contribution to the conservation of the natural world.

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