Needoo Bird-Friendly Outdoor Lighting by Davide Oppizzi for Artemide

Needoo Bird-friendly outdoor lights

Davide Oppizzi, whose modern bathroom fixtures for Graff we shared with you here, has created Needoo, new outdoor lighting system for brand Artemide designed to reduce light pollution, provide shelter for birds and other small animals while minimizing the impact on flora and fauna so as not to disturb their photo-biological cycle.

Needoo Bird-Friendly Lighting

needoo wood nest atop light

As indicated by numerous studies, the lack of nesting spaces is one cause of the loss of biodiversity. The new Needoo lighting system aims to be a small but practical step toward helping to reverse this trend. It’s not only an outdoor system to illuminate pathways, but also a place ready to welcome biodiversity.

Needoo configurations in green IIHIH
Green needoo in situ

Needoo is a new project that puts the environment first. Comprised of a thick post base and three different height poles, it offers perfectly controlled lighting designed to respect nature by illuminating only what is strictly necessary.

Needoo light close up and in situ IIHIH

Atop the pole there is a shelter for birds. It’s made of a special material that guarantees weather resistance, longevity, low maintenance and exceptional insulation for all seasons, thus recreating optimal conditions for the life of birds, small mammals and some species of insects.

needoo bird-friendly outdoor lights

The light head is positioned below the nest and consists of a plate which screens the light and forms a surface upon which small animals can rest.

It combines an approach that is mindful of the perceptive needs of humans and animals and that speaks to respecting and sharing spaces. Because birds navigate their way using their natural reference points which are the night sky with the stars and the moon, the lighting is controlled with sensors so it doesn’t interfere with this. The carefully designed optics and their position assure the harmonious co-existence of humans and nature, respecting the circadian rhythms of each species and a positive energy balance.

sketches by Davide Oppizzi
Needoo sketches by Davide Oppizzi

To design Needoo for Artemide, designer Oppizzi collaborated with biodiversity conservators Birdlife Swisse on all aspects linked to the different species’ behaviour.

The product, which is not quite available yet, will be offered in either Green or Rust and it will be possible to choose the most suitable nest for each species, which differs mainly in the diameter of the entrance hole.

wood openings needoo

In accordance with the standards already studied by the largest manufacturers of professional nesting boxes, it is made of moulded wood-concrete: a material made of 100% natural materials without the addition of adhesives.

The approach of the creator Davide Oppizzi (in his own words):
“Needo respects the alchemy of night and nature. It significantly reduces light pollution and the impact on flora and fauna so as not to disturb their photo-biological cycle. It is a silent light, it fits into the delicate balance of biodiversity and supports it.

Today it is the duty of every designer, architect or manufacturer to integrate attention to biodiversity into every square metre stolen from nature for all outdoor installations, so that future generations can continue to marvel at the beauty of the biodiversity that has existed on our earth for billions of years.

It was while immersing myself in this incredible project that I realised how the importance of preserving our diversity necessarily involves re-learning to observe nature, its needs and its behaviour.“- Davide Oppizzi

images courtesy of Artemide and Davide Oppizzi