Hovering Trails nominated as product of the year - Icelandic Design Awards 2023
Hovering Trails by Birgir Þ. Jóhannsson og Laurent Ney is nominated in the category product of the year at the Icelandic Design Awards 2023.
From the jury:
Hovering Trails is a specially designed trail system that protects nature from degradation and provides access for people in wheelchairs.
The design of the trails responds to the urgent call for strengthening the infrastructure in tourism and is a way to upgrade gravel paths in an environmentally and socially responsible way. The project is multi-layered, it meets the need for universal design and nature protection. Better access to nature brings health benefits and a higher quality of life for all who enjoy it. The trails are designed with the most vulnerable areas in mind; such as lava fields, geothermal areas and swamps without the foundation of the paths being destroyed.
Nature protection is the main focus in the design and the installation aims for minimal nature intervention so the trails can be installed and removed without leaving any marks. The construction follows the rules of universal design and thus ensures access to untouched nature for people who use wheelchairs. The trails increase the potential for this group to enjoy outdoor activities, which often is limited due to accessibility.
The designers Birgir Þ. Jóhannsson and Laurent Ney have created a simple and easy solution to facilitate everyone's access to nature.
About
Birgir Þ. Jóhannsson is an architect specializing in urban design from ISACF La Cambre in Brussels. He founded Alternance in 2000 and his projects range from urban planning and architecture to furniture design.
Laurent Ney is an architect and civil engineer. He is CEO Ney & Partners, Managing Director Ney & Partners BXL, Director Ney & Partners LUX, Founder Ney & Partners JPN, Director Ney & Partners NL.
More about Hovering Trails here.
Icelandic Design Awards will take place in Gróska on November 9th - save the date! Stay tuned as we will be announcing the nominations in the upcoming days.
The Icelandic Design Award honours the best Icelandic design and architecture. The importance of design in our society, culture and business has been growing steadily, and it is therefore vital to increase the understanding of good design and highlight the value of quality.
The Icelandic Design Award will be awarded for the tenth time this year (2023), and to mark the occasion, the award categories have been increased to three: Product // Place // Project. In addition, the Icelandic Design Awards also include honorary award and recognition for the best investment in design.
The Icelandic Design Award is established by Iceland Design and Architecture in collaboration with the Iceland Academy of the Arts and the Museum of Design and Applied Art and with support from Business Iceland and SI - the Federation of Icelandic Industries.
