We already have tunnels in the Netherlands for wildlife and even complete ecoducts. In this way, animals can migrate from one nature area to another, just like in the past, unhindered by the freeway that cuts the landscape in half. Now a similar crosswalk has been devised for insects. After all, flies, butterflies, bees and other winged creatures have the greatest difficulty crossing a freeway because of air bubbles. And this net can also generate renewable energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a densely populated country as the Netherlands, the need for solutions to safeguard biodiversity is high. Particularly, protecting insects is one of the priorities. Their pollination is behind 85 percent of the food we eat every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In a joint effort, VenhoevenCS<\/a>, DS landschapsarchitecten<\/a>, and Studio Solarix<\/a> designed an ultra-light web to be installed over a motorway passing through Strabrechtse Heide heath – a natural area in the Dutch region of North Brabant. The network restores natural connective routes for wildlife and generates renewable energy at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Butterfly Effect<\/a> is the proposal\u2019s name. It helps small-scale ecosystems while making an impact on the large-scale fight against climate change. Motorways are dangerous to insects, as they either die, or they need to wait for traffic jams to cross the road. On top of that, highways affect biotopes<\/a> \u2013 areas having stable environmental conditions for plants and animals to live in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOur approach was to instigate a new way of thinking about generating sustainable energy in a way that is in harmony with our existing landscape. We wanted to look at the concept of \u2018capital\u2019 not only in an economic sense, but to broaden this out to encompass natural, human, infrastructural, and social capital\u201d, told Innovation Origins C\u00e9cilia Gross, Partner and Director at VenhoevenCS architecture+urbanism.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposal was created for The Design Challenge organised by Kunstloc Brabant<\/a>, Staatsbosbeheer<\/a> and Het Groene Woud. After unveiling The Butterfly Effect, the cohort is looking for a partner to complete the first pilot project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Steel columns work as a modular support structure for the web of cables, inspired by the ones gossamers weave. The structure is easy to reuse and dismantle. Honeycomb-shaped surfaces \u2013 each of them divided into smaller triangles \u2013 compose the web, which produces solar energy through organic solar cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn comparison to the construction of a field of solar panels, we produce three times less CO2<\/sub> in building this web\u201d, says Gross. According to the architect, the structure could be furtherly upgraded with new technical developments. New generation energy-generating fibres represent an example, as they could be stretched into the web. In addition to that, the energy-generating membranes will also evolve into better ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMinimising impact<\/h3>\n\n\n\n