Supported by some of the biggest names in the creative industries, The Rookies is the world's leading international annual competition for young, up and coming designers, creators, innovators and artists. A juror since 2016, having reviewed this year's entries in the category of Architecture, my star picks for 2017 are: 

DNA House [above] by Anna Eckes of Cracow University explores the potentialities of biomolecular computing in architectures within a fresh water habitat. The project evidences study of organic forms in their natural setting, interest in biological processes and structures, and an appreciation of the subtlety of the beauty of faunal species. 

The work of Peter Efe of University of Greenwich [below] resides in the domain of the imaginary city. The entry is one of four cities that he conceived, for which inspiration came from sources including the Lloyd’s Building by Richard Rogers, a city of the dead featured in Hollywood movie The Mummy (1999), and the Neo Apocalyptic City.

The Amalgamation Ritual [bottom] by Martynas Kasiulevicius of University of Westminster is designed around a Cappadocian Maple tree in Kew Gardens, London. The tree was "3D scanned to obtain accurate three-dimensional readings and accurate scale data of every phototropic branch and trunk". Exploring an ancient pagan handfasting ceremony, the project artfully combines inspiration and ideas spanning anthropology, culture, ecology, and architecture, together with a high degree of skill in working with several artistic mediums. 

View the Rookies 2017 Architecture entries at: 
http://www.therookies.co/projects/architecture/

National Park City Foundation's 'Imagine' competition invited artists, designers, and architects to imagine and visualise London as a National Park City. Over 50 entries flooded in from around the world, many exhibiting an innate grasp of the imperative to create greater ecological connectivity in and across London, and in cities about the world.

I had the pleasure to join peers including Andrew Grant (Grant Associates), author and journalist Will Self, Gemma Ginty (Future Cities Catapult), Ben Smith (AECOM), Judy Ling Wong (Black Environment Network), and more, to judge the entries, and give thoughts and feedback on their potential. All agreed the overall standard of entries was superb, indeed so much so that we selected not one, but a handful of winners. 

'Imagine' Winners:

• ReWild my Street by Siân and Jon Moxon [below]
• The Trail by Chris Rossetto and Emma Lubbers [above and below]
• The Living Network by Farrells (Ben Nourse, Donika Llakmani, Maysa Phares, Jaewon Shin) [below]
• London Green Bus Network, Anne Frobeen [below]

'Imagine' Highly Commended:

• The Blue Line by Dimitris Grozopoulos [below]
• Hackney: An integrated Approach by Loredana Micu
• ​Loft Gardens by Studio Octopi

Read more at: http://www.nationalparkcity.london/imagine​

Never has the imperative to think, thereon to act, ecologically been greater. But to our great advantage, humanity is now endowed with such scientific insights; technological means; willing, able, and ready talent, both at the individual, and the organisational scale, as can potentially meet that imperative. Peoples far and peoples wide, peoples of all manner of capabilities are, and in ever-growing numbers, coming together to “make the planet great again”. In our hands rests the collective responsibility to not merely undo environmental damage done, but to utilise our potential, and to its fullest, to ensure the continued integrity of Earth’s systems: atmosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, geosphere, biosphere, and pedosphere. Whereupon we harness our intellect, and the imagination born thereof, we turn immense challenges into exponential opportunities. For all the many possible worlds in our Universe, we stand upon the foremost significant unto our future - and to that of every living creature on the planet, therein all known life. May we rise to the occasion, today, World Environment Day, and every day. ​

Read about World Environment Day at: http://worldenvironmentday.global

Read a few more thoughts on the imperative to protect the environment at:
https://www.speakerscorner.co.uk/blog/why-the-environment-should-matter-to-you