Zoöp

The outdoor space of the New Institute was redesigned in 2022. Increasing biodiversity was a key priority in this process. For example, a mycelium was installed to draw attention to the role of fungi in the soil, and bat boxes were hung on the façade of the building.

Since then, the outdoor space has also been managed in a nature-inclusive way and now functions as the world's first Zoöp. Zoöp is an organisational governance model for cooperation between human and non-human life. The board includes an independent representative for non-human life. This “spokesperson for the living” ensures that non-human interests are taken into account in every decision. This means that every decision, from whether or not to clean the façade to pruning the bushes, takes into account not only human interests, but also those of the ecosystem. It is an interesting experiment that has already been replicated: several organisations at home and abroad are now also working according to this model.