The BuzzBuilding Taipei
With the goal of showing how Taipei, Taiwan, could become self- sufficient in protein, Belatchew Arkitekter suggests the construction of an insect farm in the Ren-A Circle roundabout – the BuzzBuilding Taipei.
In the year 2050 it is estimated that the Earth will be populated by 9 billion people and a question that arises is how a sustainable food-production that produces enough for everyone, without posing additional stress on the environment, can be designed. A solution is to find an alternative to meat production, and one such protein source is insects. There are approximately 1900 edible species of insects, and 2 billion of the world’s population already eat insects today. Protein production from insects is much more efficient than meat production, for example, 10 kg fodder is needed to produce 1 kg of beef, but the same amount of fodder can produce 9 kg of insects.
To illustrate what an urban insect production might look like, Belatchew Labs has developed the insect farm BuzzBuilding for cultivation of crickets. BuzzBuilding consists of a building that integrates the whole insect production flow, from the egg to the ready-to-eat insect.
Additionally, BuzzBuilding is a safe haven for endangered wild bees, which, apart from ensuring endangered species of bees’ continued existence, also turns the city into a blooming and fertile city.
With the goal of showing how Taipei, Taiwan, could become self- sufficient in protein, Belatchew Arkitekter suggests the construction of an insect farm in the Ren-A Circle roundabout – the BuzzBuilding Taipei – offering 10350 m2 farmable surface.
The main structure is a steel exoskeleton, an outer skeleton, inspired by the structure of insects. On the ground floor there is a restaurant where insects are prepared and sold. The goal is to make the production public; in contrast to the hidden meat production it invites the public to observe and participate, and offers accessible knowledge about where our food comes from. By situating the farms at unused places in the city, such as roundabouts, the goal of making the city self-sufficient in protein can be obtained.
– We are overwhelmed with the interest the world has shown Belatchew Labs and BuzzBuilding, and it is gratifying that we now have the opportunity to show how BuzzBuilding can resolve Taipei’s need of protein within the framework of the Taipei World Design Capital, says Rahel Belatchew Lerdell, Principal Architect, CEO and founder of Belatchew Arkitekter.
BuzzBuilding Taipei is currently on display at World Design Capital Taipei 2016 as part of the exhibition Design Solution – Swedish Design for 170 years, arranged by Taipei City, Svensk Form (the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design) and Business Sweden Taipei.
BuzzBuilding has received several awards including the Architectural Review MIPIM Future Project Award, the Smart Living Challenge award and the national Swedish Design S award.
