‘Aqua tower’ wins Hiscox workplace design competition

A sustainable ‘aquaponic’ meeting has been named as the winner of the Hiscox ‘Tomorrow’s Workplace’ design competition and earned a place in the company’s new office building.

Tomorrow’s Workplace gave ten York St John University design students, in collaboration with five psychology students, the opportunity to pitch product or environment design ideas that could be displayed or utilised in Hiscox’s new landmark building in York, which will open in 2015.

The ‘Aqua Tower’ concept, designed by student Andrew Cannon, was announced as the competition winner by Robert Hiscox, Honorary President of the company at a special event last week. Aqua Tower is a 5ft aquaponic planting tower incorporating individual tiers of plants and vegetables along with a fish tank which is instrumental in sustaining the plant growth.

Andrew said: “The Aqua Tower aims to bring nature indoors to give a focal point where staff can meet and cultivate the plants whilst sharing business thoughts and ideas. The system works by pumping nutrients from the fish waste up from the bottom tier to feed the plants in the upper tiers.

“I utilised principles from my dissertation about how design of the future will bring outside elements inside to create better indoor environments. I am very excited to have won and am really looking forward to working with the Hiscox team to develop the product.”

Alan Millard, Chief Operating Officer at Hiscox UK, said: “We were extremely impressed with the overall quality, diversity and creative ambition of the students’ work. With support from the Hiscox Design Consultants and the lecturers at York St John the standard of the entries was highly professional. The competition was closely contended, but ultimately Andrew Cannon’s proposal won through.

“His design for the Aqua Tower - a sustainable aquaponic meeting point - captured the Hiscox culture and challenged the convention of third-space thinking to promote a new kind of informal collaboration in the workplace that continually reminds us of the importance of nurturing and growing relationships.”

Sue Reece, Pro Vice Chancellor at York St John University, said: “The competition has given our design and psychology students a fantastic opportunity to learn from some of the design industry’s greatest minds. It has given them opportunities to use research, pitching and design skills, and all of the students have taken a great deal away from the process.

"Hiscox wanted a product or environment that would echo their cutting-edge working environment to foster collaboration, and Andrew’s design fits the brief perfectly.”

Andrew Cannon will now work with Hiscox’s design partners to develop the concept that will be utilised in the new Hiscox office building. He will also receive a £2,500 prize from Hiscox and a two-day trip to the Vitra Factory in Basel.

Concepts were judged against strict criteria by the Hiscox Design Team, which included representatives from Make, Vitra, York St John University, Hiscox, PTS Consultancy, Chapman BDSP, Arup, The Brand Experience consultant, City of York Council and CBRE.