Modular Cricket Shelter grows edible insects in Brooklyn

The future of <a href="http://inhabitat.com/environment/sustainable-food-2" target="_blank">sustainable food</a> could look cooler than we ever imagined. The visionaries at <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/terreform-one" target="_blank">Terreform ONE</a> just unveiled a working prototype of the Cricket Shelter, a modular <a href="http://inhabitat.com/tag/insect-farm/" target="_blank">insect farm</a> that offers both shelter and a source of sustainable and locally grown protein in the form of insects. Capable of producing 22,000 crickets at a time, the innovative structure can pop up almost anywhere, including on a dock at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where the designers have set up their first working prototype.

Unlike conventional livestock, these locally harvested crickets do not require immense amounts of water or space to produce a large amount of protein.

The flavor of crickets also changes based on their diet—the designers are experimenting with feeding the insects orange peels, apple cores, and lime rinds—and can also be ground into cricket flour for a variety of uses.

The Cricket Shelter was originally designed as a shelter for disaster zones that doubles as an easy and nutritious food source.

The minimal white structure can be easily manufactured offsite and comprises a CNC-milled plywood archway that can be fitted with easy-to-clean plastic containers and is large enough for a person to sleep under.

Each design can be modified in a computer program that optimizes the shape for solar orientation and natural ventilation.

A wind quill ventilation system amplifies the sounds of cricket chirping.

Cricket Shelter by Terreform ONE