Research Center Stockholm, Sweden, Building, Architect, Design, Images

InsectCity and BuzzBuilding in Stockholm

Insect Centre in Sweden – design by Belatchew Arkitekter

9 Jun 2014

InsectCity and BuzzBuilding in Stockholm

Design: Belatchew Arkitekter

InsectCity and BuzzBuilding make Stockholm Self-sufficient

Belatchew Arkitekter’s studio Belatchew Labs presents InsectCity and the insect farm BuzzBuilding, with the aim of making Stockholm self-sufficient in protein.

In the year 2050 it is estimated that the Earth will be populated by 9 billion people and a question that is raised 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.

In 2018 it is estimated that the city of Stockholm will have 940 700 inhabitants. In order to produce protein from insects corresponding to the inhabitants’ meat consumption about 500 000 m2 farmable surface is needed. By placing insect farms in nine roundabouts throughout Stockholm the goal of making Stockholm self-sufficient in protein can be obtained.

To illustrate what an urban insect production might look like, Belatchew Labs has developed the insect farm BuzzBuilding for cultivation of crickets, offering 10 350 m² of farmable surface. 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 Stockholm into a blooming and fertile city.

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.

– Last year we presented the urban power plant Strawscraper which received great interest throughout the world, says Rahel Belatchew Lerdell, CEO and founder, Belatchew Arkitekter.

– This year we are following up with a proposal for ecosystem services in the form of InsectCity and BuzzBuilding, in order to show that cities can become self-sufficient, which is central not least to Stockholm and Sweden, with EU’s fastest urbanization, concludes Rahel Belatchew Lerdell.