Insect farm
Basic information
Project Title
Insect farm
Full project title
Insect farm – reuse of biological waste for food production in urban areas
Category
Shaping a circular industrial ecosystem and supporting life-cycle thinking
Project Description
I designed the project in the context of the surrounding development and tried to relate to local cultural, restaurant or residential functions and continue the unique atmosphere of local hipster businesses. In my analysis, I began to look at what was happening to the waste of local businesses and residents. Specifically bio-waste. Its about food decomposition cycle and context with insect
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Brno, Czechia
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
INSECT FARM As such, I designed the project in the context of the surrounding development and i tried to relate to local cultural, restaurant or residential functions and continue the unique atmosphere of local hipster businesses. In my analysis, I began to look at what was happening to the waste from local businesses and residents. Specifically bio-waste, which based on surveys makes up 40% of the average person's waste. When a person is vegetarian, the proportion can be much higher. Which is related precisely to local businesses, which are mostly conceived as vegetarian or vegan. Their current waste sorting process, especially bio-waste, is insufficient due to the amount of businesses in the given location. When bio-waste is not sorted, it ends up in landfill sites, where it rots and produces greenhouse gases. If it is sorted and disposed of in so-called brown bins, the waste is taken to composting plants, for example, and the compost can be used to fertilise public green spaces. Another option is community and garden composting or vermicomposting, which can have individual uses. The aim is to create a closed food cycle in the city. Insects are intrinsic to the waste decomposition process, while studies show that about 40% of insect species are dying out. For thirty years, the total biomass of insects has been decreasing by 2.5% per year. Eating insects in general has recently become a trend and it is claimed that insects are the food of the future. Therefore, I decided to design an insect farm/composting place/greenhouse in the city on this location.
Key objectives for sustainability
The ideal solution for organic waste is to throw it into the compost, where it will spontaneously break down into a substance that, with a little help, can be reused as fertilizer. We will use this either by throwing it to public gardens or, in my proposal, specifically in the greenhouse during community gardening or for local residents who can collect fertilizer for, for example, tomatoes on their balcony.
Insects are an integral part of composting and thanks to them (they add nutrients to the soil) the process of food decomposition can be easier and faster. This is one of the reasons why I also designed an insect farm in the greenhouse. Insects as such are referred to as superfoods. Roasted insects, insect flour or insect chips will delight the taste buds and provide the body with the necessary nutrients. They contain up to 70g of protein per 100g of insects, much less fat than beef, and are full of antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins. In addition, it saves the environment. So in my design there is also an insect breeding room, an insect processing room and an insect food store. In my proposal, at the same time, people, schools and nurseries can come to the greenhouse and learn at our workshops how to properly compost, or they can create their own vermicomposter (which requires a set of California earthworms, which we grow here), which everyone can put it on the windowsill at home.
Insects are an integral part of composting and thanks to them (they add nutrients to the soil) the process of food decomposition can be easier and faster. This is one of the reasons why I also designed an insect farm in the greenhouse. Insects as such are referred to as superfoods. Roasted insects, insect flour or insect chips will delight the taste buds and provide the body with the necessary nutrients. They contain up to 70g of protein per 100g of insects, much less fat than beef, and are full of antioxidants, amino acids and vitamins. In addition, it saves the environment. So in my design there is also an insect breeding room, an insect processing room and an insect food store. In my proposal, at the same time, people, schools and nurseries can come to the greenhouse and learn at our workshops how to properly compost, or they can create their own vermicomposter (which requires a set of California earthworms, which we grow here), which everyone can put it on the windowsill at home.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
As an example, I will give a chef from a local vegetarian restaurant. He goes to work in the morning and on his way to work he stops at markets with fresh vegetables and fruits (markets are part of my proposal) grown
in the greenhouse using compost fertilizer. He buys products and cooks them in his restaurant. He throws bio-waste sideways into a bucket and at the end of his shift, on his way home, he takes the bucket and throws the bio-waste into the composter. This creates a closed cycle of food in the city. We grow the products in the greenhouse in the community gardens -> we sell it in the markets -> people process it and the remaining biowaste -> they throw it into the composter here in the courtyard by the greenhouse or themselves in the home vermicomposter -> they can reuse the processed compost for planting and growing new foods.
in the greenhouse using compost fertilizer. He buys products and cooks them in his restaurant. He throws bio-waste sideways into a bucket and at the end of his shift, on his way home, he takes the bucket and throws the bio-waste into the composter. This creates a closed cycle of food in the city. We grow the products in the greenhouse in the community gardens -> we sell it in the markets -> people process it and the remaining biowaste -> they throw it into the composter here in the courtyard by the greenhouse or themselves in the home vermicomposter -> they can reuse the processed compost for planting and growing new foods.
Key objectives for inclusion
This bio-waste sorting process can be applied in households with an initial investment, for example, in a vermicomposter, which is about 3,000 CZK, or you can make it yourself from ordinary things (a bucket, etc.) at home for free or at the workshops held in my proposal. Anyone can come to the markets to buy dead goods or even sell them if you have your own garden in the outskirts of Brno and you can sell a large harvest here.
How Citizens benefit
As such, citizens can contribute or participate in several ways.
The first thing that can be done is that they sort the bio-waste themselves and throw it into the composter in my proposal.
As an additional benefit for them, it can be to collect processed clay (fertilizer) from the composter for their own plants in the apartment or gardening on the balconies.
Another is that if they don't have enough space at home and enjoy community gardening, they simply come to work with their hands in the greenhouse.
As another option here, there is a job offer to people who suffer from some psychological problems and because of them cannot work in normal jobs.
At the same time, gardening as such works in many cases as therapy and relaxation from daily problems.
Another example is the city theater in the given locality, which makes its own theater backdrops in a neighboring building in the courtyard. I follow up on this as in cooperation with the theater that in the greenhouse there is also a workshop for the production of smaller backdrops that can be made by both children or people at workshops, as well as employees with mental disorders. As an additional benefit, there may be a chill zone for students on the upper floors where they can take out a laptop or a book and study. Or they can just relax here with friends, buy a coffee in the cafe and go sit with him somewhere near the plants or right in the center of the action of the greenhouse and observe the gardening.
The first thing that can be done is that they sort the bio-waste themselves and throw it into the composter in my proposal.
As an additional benefit for them, it can be to collect processed clay (fertilizer) from the composter for their own plants in the apartment or gardening on the balconies.
Another is that if they don't have enough space at home and enjoy community gardening, they simply come to work with their hands in the greenhouse.
As another option here, there is a job offer to people who suffer from some psychological problems and because of them cannot work in normal jobs.
At the same time, gardening as such works in many cases as therapy and relaxation from daily problems.
Another example is the city theater in the given locality, which makes its own theater backdrops in a neighboring building in the courtyard. I follow up on this as in cooperation with the theater that in the greenhouse there is also a workshop for the production of smaller backdrops that can be made by both children or people at workshops, as well as employees with mental disorders. As an additional benefit, there may be a chill zone for students on the upper floors where they can take out a laptop or a book and study. Or they can just relax here with friends, buy a coffee in the cafe and go sit with him somewhere near the plants or right in the center of the action of the greenhouse and observe the gardening.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to a physical transformation of the built environment (hard investment)
Innovative character
The nature of the project reflects the needs of local businesses and residents identified during the analyses. The basis for me was to create a sustainable food consumption process. The character of the project is an urban design of the concept of reuse of bio-waste. As a result, the design of the building itself is ideological.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
Disciplines such as gardening, composting, workshops, selling at the market or in the insect food shop, cafe, production of backdrops in the workshop, cultivation and processing of insects, chill zone, outdoor children's playground, parking are found in the proposal.
Methodology used
Project methodology:
At the beginning, I thoroughly studied the proposed area. From the created analyses, I decided to create an object that would fit in urbanistically and functionally with local events and the local atmosphere.
Therefore, I wanted to deal with bio-waste and thoroughly studied all the possibilities. Other processes were drawings, sketches, working models, 3D models, collages and visualizations, material studies, structural scheme, floor compositions, etc.
At the beginning, I thoroughly studied the proposed area. From the created analyses, I decided to create an object that would fit in urbanistically and functionally with local events and the local atmosphere.
Therefore, I wanted to deal with bio-waste and thoroughly studied all the possibilities. Other processes were drawings, sketches, working models, 3D models, collages and visualizations, material studies, structural scheme, floor compositions, etc.
How stakeholders are engaged
For me, local residents and businesses were the starting point of the project that I proposed, both for them, but also for many other city districts that can be inspired by my proposal/project, and basically every part of the city can have their own composters/composting plants according to consumption /greenhouses etc.
My project is designed specifically for this location and for this courtyard. The activities that take place in it are related to the surrounding buildings and the local hipster atmosphere.
My project is designed specifically for this location and for this courtyard. The activities that take place in it are related to the surrounding buildings and the local hipster atmosphere.
Global challenges
As global challenges that my project includes are, for example:
- food waste
- Raw materials (like woodworking for theater sets)
- Water (wanting rainwater for subsequent watering in the greenhouse)
- Energy and climate (double facade and structure designed to be illuminated as much as possible from the south)
- Health and Safety (support and organizations for people with mental illness)
- Education and development (workshops and teaching the next generation to compost and treat it as normal)
- food waste
- Raw materials (like woodworking for theater sets)
- Water (wanting rainwater for subsequent watering in the greenhouse)
- Energy and climate (double facade and structure designed to be illuminated as much as possible from the south)
- Health and Safety (support and organizations for people with mental illness)
- Education and development (workshops and teaching the next generation to compost and treat it as normal)
Learning transferred to other parties
As elements of my project that can be transferred, it can only be that at least a composter can be applied to every inner block in the city and start to help the planet a little at least in such a simple form. As another element, the choice of materials chosen in the design can be, for example, the etfe foil used on the facade of the greenhouse, which has amazing properties but is not often used nowadays. In terms of energy consumption, the structure of the building is based on the principle of one structure within another. The main functions of the building take place in isolated boxes, and around them there are communication spaces and terraces suitable for planting and growing plants.
Keywords
composting
bio-waste
insect farm
community
greenhouse
