Abstract
As the world faces climate change and its repercussions, it is becoming increasingly important to consider not only the design of environmental sensitive architectures and places but also the sustainability of the systems that facilitate them. Energy infrastructures, integral to the functioning and operations of most architectural projects, are systems whose ramifications profoundly shape their surrounding contexts in terms of landscape, ecology, and architecture; however, despite the substantial ripple effects of differing energy systems, traditionally the design and implementation of energy infrastructures has fallen squarely within the domain of engineering. As society confronts a future that will necessitate increased power production, due to population growths and increasingly frequent severe weather events, there is an opportunity to rethink the way infrastructural systems are selected and designed for places in a manner that engages with designers or architects. In Fall 2022, a design studio at Clemson University sought to reconsider the power generation strategies of Upstate South Carolina. Students used design thinking to experiment with infrastructural development as a tool for placemaking, programmatic reimagining, or restructuring of policy and considered the impact of infrastructure on culture. This speculation on the future of energy infrastructure subsequently inspired master planning and architectural works that speak to the inescapable relation between energy and place. The varied projects developed in the studio showcase how the engagement of creative professions beyond engineering, such as architects or environmental designers, can serve to generate methodologies and ideas for dealing with energy needs of the future in novel ways.
Presenters
Amy TrickAssistant Professor, School of Architecture, Clemson University, South Carolina, United States
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Architecture, Infrastructure, Environmental Design, Climate Change, Energy, Masterplanning, Design Thinking
