(Studio Nab)Studio NAB Presents Its Bus Stop Hotel For Insects and Humans
(Studio Nab)
French architectural firm Studio NAB is looking to change commuters’ bus stop experience by introducing an ecosystem of permanent residents to bus shelters in cities. Some will be so tiny that waiting passengers may not even notice them. But they will certainly notice the environment in which these new residents will be living when Hotel Bus Stop project gets underway.
Studio NAB aims at creating living and functioning ecosystems in urban bus stops to provide an ecological and educational experience for commuters by letting them reconnect with nature while they await their ride. At the same time, NAB hopes the shelters will assist in combating the current erosion of biodiversity in cities by providing homes for birds, plants, and those pollinating insects which play a vital part in the reproduction cycle of about 85% of all vegetables, fruit trees and flowers. Where possible, NAB also intends to introduce those insects which fight the natural pests which destroy those plants, such as aphids.
Adding Nature to Utility
The Hotel Bus Stop Project shelters will provide a vastly different visual impact from that created by the starkly utilitarian bus stops currently serving waiting passengers in many busy urban areas. Instead of metal, glass or open rack siding, they will be walled with large vertical gardens growing on water absorbed from rain, which will filter and purify the air around them of fine particles. The basic structure is to be built using recycled materials such as cardboard, wood and stainless steel, and the roofs will be specially designed to provide cover for nesting birds.
