URBAN GARDEN WINS DESIGN CHALLENGE

Joanna Szczepanska was congratulated by the Danish minister of the environment, Troels Lund Poulsen, who highlighted the collaboration of cutting edge design and green technology as a cause for celebration. “This is a project that has a good chance of making it to reality, especially with the support of the money,” said Troels Lund Poulsen as Joanna Szczepanska was awarded the $10,000 prize.

Edible urban garden

The winning design is an edible garden for urban landscapes. It allows people living in the city to cultivate food in restricted space in urban areas. The design addresses the problem of food miles, water waste and packaging and has various features that makes it interesting to those concerned about the climate:

• Modularity: VeggiePatch is adaptable to small urban spaces as it can literally be bought by the meter, in 30cm increments, off a roll or sheet. Its size and contours are determined by the user’s requirements, with four initial base contours to choose from.

• Compositing: VeggiePatch has the capability to vermicompost food waste within each one of its pockets, closing the loop in the food cycle.

• Irrigation: VeggiePatch has Irrigation lines molded into the product, reducing need for external components, additional materials and making assembly and recycling easier.

• SeedDisks: Allows users to quickly and easily sew seeds. Their format prevents over planting, eliminates the need for excessive seed packaging, and provides protection and nutrients for seedlings as they grow.

• Materials: Using post-consumer and industrial waste such as ceramic coated cardboard, banana paper and tyre crumb for its construction, Veggiepatch provides recycled materials with new applications providing a chance to be viewed in fresh ways. The materials selected not only support the products functionality, economic viability, but final disassembly and recycling.

Cradle to cradle

Joanna Szczepanska explained, that her work was inspired by the book ”Cradle to cradle – Remaking the Way We Make Things” by William McDonough and Michael Braungart. The Veggie Patch is simple to produce and can be produced by anyone in any part of the world.

“The plan is to start producing them in Melbourne. I am going to do one more prototype and then we will start,” said the 25-year old Joanna Szczepanska who is moving from Australia to Antwerpen this fall to study a Master in Man and Humanity at the Design Academy.

“I have learned so much from participation in the Design Challenge. The design experts and business people that has worked with us, helped me refine my project in to a five minute talk.”

Water Challenge Exhibition

The INDEX:AIGA Aspen Design College Challenge has been running since May last year, and more than 700 students from 28 countries have participated. From the 700 participants, an international jury selected seven finalists that are on display at CODE09.
The exhibition is a joint project between INDEX:, THE CONFEDERATION OF DANISH INDUSTRY and CODE09. The prize is sponsored by JL-FONDET.

Background

In May 2008, INDEX: and AIGA posed a challenge to students around the world, asking them to address the world’s water crisis. The idea came from a session at World Economic Forum in January 2008, where Collins Design and Circle of Blue presented water related issues from both the 1st and 2nd world.

More than 700 students from 28 countries answered the challenge and in March 2009, 7 finalist was chosen by an international jury. The 7 finalists met in Aspen, Colerado in June 23 - 25, 2009 to work on their projects and develop business plans. On August 25 – 26 they met again in Copenhagen for a workshop with social investors, venture capital and business leaders to seek implementation of their projects. The INDEX: Student Award is $ 10,000.

The INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge is sponsored by JL-Fonden.

Water is the axis issue that intersects the world's challenges. From health, poverty and security to climate, energy, immigration and environment—even financial and commodities markets are affected. We're just beginning to grasp the scope of the challenges and their intersection points. Many solutions exist, yet policy makers and the public must first be aware of the complexities and then be called to act, from implementing water management measures in Las Vegas to bringing safe water to rural Africa.

The water saga is complex and requires a 360-degree, multidimensional design approach that includes powerful, fact-based, relevant narratives, accessible information and coordinated channels for action.

Globally, the United Nations estimates that two-thirds of the world's population will live in areas of water stress within the next 20 years, and that five million people – mostly children – die each year due to contaminated drinking water.

In the developing world, solutions may mean drilling wells for children in a Ghanaian village or applying new or traditional filtering technologies for families in Bangladesh. In the developed world, drought, climate, pollution, agricultural misuse and failing infrastructures beleaguer even the most advanced civilizations.

The INDEX: | AIGA Aspen Design Challenge grew out of discussions held during the January 2007 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. At the World Economic Forum, a select group of global thought leaders noted:

• The global water crisis presents a communications design challenge of urgent immensity.
• Current public understanding about the use and management of water (especially in developed countries) is narrowly defined by outmoded experiences and assumptions.
• Powerful, fact-based narratives are needed to engage and inform diverse, international audiences of varying demographics and geographies.
• The water crisis needs a visual identity, a mantra, new mythologies and stories carried by innovative vehicles to inform and inspire audiences that may be separated by demographics, education and immediate need.
• We currently lack the full scope of raw field data and the presentation tools needed to make it understandable and actionable for policy makers and solutions.
• The crisis may be complex in its global implications, but the solutions are "local, local, local."

The International Jury

Peter Gleick, Founder of Pacific Institute
Margaret Catley-Carlson, Chair of Global Crop Diversity Trust
Gerard V. Magbity, Logistics Specialist of UNICEF
Porter Anderson, Senoir Advisor INDEX:
Chris Luebkeman, Innovation Strategist, ARUP

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