Auke Bleij is the co-founder of Respyre. With Respyre, Blij pioneers new possibilities for urban greening. At the heart of this start-up is an ingenious concrete specially developed to enable spontaneous moss growth. Respyre offers simple, green solutions that can transform vast, unused urban surfaces into green infrastructures featuring the air-purifying and temperature-regulating properties of moss.
The unique DDA Public Award was designed this year by Christien Meindertsma. It was produced in real-time by the FLOCKS Wobot during her exhibition and is crafted from discarded European wool. With this creation, Christien not only made a beautiful award but also marked a unique ‘full-circle’ moment: she was the first Young Designer to win a Dutch Design Award in 2008.