London Without Bees is an architectural design concept that prepares for the very real possibility that one day bees will go completely extinct. Designed by former University of Westminster student Ben Kirk, these towers will shoot pollen-filled balloons into the air, where the windstream will help them travel to different points throughout London. Strategically-located recycling centers will then collect the floating spores and distribute them to various city gardens using a special funnel.
This design comes on the heels of a controversial news report that cell phones are killing bees. Whether or not that is true, there is no question that bee populations have declined precipitously. This does not bode well for agriculture nor, as Kirk points out, for London’s historic gardens. Though it would be a sad day in human history to see them launched, Kirk’s towers would be able to keep the city’s gardens nice and colorful even without bees.
A variety of artificial pollinators, also designed b Kirk, can be used to fertilize home gardens. A flat pack product would be suspended from terraced back gardens, where it would rely on passive wind and the vertical movement of weighted acetate to brush past the anthers of one garden flower onto another’s stigma. This is a very interesting biomimicry project that demonstrates humanity’s remarkable ability to adapt.
For further information, please email the designer at benkirk1986[at]hotmail dot com.
Via Dezeen
