Out of 19 submissions, Soft Sight from Natrufied Architecture has been declared the winner of the Start-up Challenge 2025. This challenge invites innovative entrepreneurs to develop a biobased sound barrier that does more than just block noise. The barrier must retain water, enhance biodiversity, and visually contribute to the environment.
The challenge is an initiative of Rijkswaterstaat and Nieuw-Zwanenburg : the workshop of the future for biobased construction in civil engineering in Oirschot.
From Concrete Colossus to Living Landscape
Where traditional sound barriers often consist of concrete or glass and add little to their surroundings, Soft Sight offers a radically different perspective. The design combines natural fiber crops, a wooden support structure, and integrated water retention with nesting facilities and native planting. The result is a modular system that not only absorbs sound but also buffers rainwater and provides a home for plants and animals.
Prototype in Development
In the coming six months, Natrufied Architecture will realize a prototype of 6 m wide and 4 m high at Nieuw Zwanenburg. This prototype marks an important step towards sustainable infrastructure and shows how sound insulation can go hand in hand with ecological and aesthetic value.
Collaboration for Social Impact
The challenge is part of the Startup in Residence (SiR) Intergov program. This program brings start-ups, SMEs, and governments together around social challenges. The selected start-ups work intensively for five months with government agencies to prepare their solution for implementation.
In the long term, the sound barrier can be tested at InnovA58 .
