Future Works Changes Everything #2

In our first this changes everything presentation we showed a previous image of the timeline of energy. Based upon the original timeline, we further extended our scenario into the future and identified issues and opportunities in the coming decades while considering how different members of the studio’s projects relate to energy and climate (image above).

Each individual project varies and the relationship between projects and energy is different in each case. Across the studio we are exploring various issues relating to climate change including; flooding, energy storage and distribution, zero carbon transport and carbon sequestration.

Our individual projects will be connected to form the collective strategy for the region with a vision of at least 60% of the energy generated in Sheffield by 2050 to be from renewable sources. It is worth noting that there is no quick-fix to climate change. We are currently utterly dependant on fossil fuels, a gradual process reducing our reliance on them is necessary with the ultimate goal of no longer relying on them at all.

Our response to climate change

In the initial stages of the studio we visited Gripple. On this visit we had a workshop mapping energy and climate change in and around the factory building (image below). It is evident from the drawing below that mitigation, adaptation, resilience and emergency response cannot address climate change in isolation, a dynamic response is required. Likewise architecture cannot tackle the issue of climate change alone.

Gripple like to see their factory as a permanent prototype – they embrace changing technology and are constantly testing and exploring new ideas that will move them forward.

This idea of permanent prototype is something we have transferred into our thinking both as a studio and individually. We see this as the way forward when considering new energy. There is no single answer and we anticipate a future that involves testing new ways of producing energy on a variety of scales by a range of disciplines.

Keeping energy central to our work

Working collectively has allowed us to draws on each other’s work to develop our own. Our studio trip to Cromford was somewhat less exotic than most but offered full emersion in the future works frame of mind – industry and energy. We stayed in the Malthouse where we set up studio-camp across the three kitchens. We were joined by researchers from a range of disciplines who are part of the Stories of Change group.

Rich with industrial heritage and the Derbyshire countryside, Cromford offered the studio a welcome break from what has been a busy few weeks in the Arts Tower. As well as a series of visits to local mills we also had design reviews of our projects. Members of the Stories of Change research group offered a fresh perspective of energy while Robert Evans, of local architecture practice Evans Vettori offered architectural insight into how our projects could develop. Local singer/songwriter Lucy Ward sat in on studio discussions and began writing lyrics that tell the story of energy and our projects – a novel experience which we hope will become a hit!

Taking a step away from Sheffield and having fresh eyes from a variety of disciplines look over our work has ensured that issues surrounding energy remain central to our work and undoubtedly given our studio a fresh perspective and a new incentive with our projects.

Sustaining our focus

As our projects have progressed it has been important for us to continue to work collectively in order to sustain our focus. We have achieved this in a number of ways including group workshops. Following the christmas break, we had a drawing workshop where we each pinned a site section on the wall. We moved around the room, drawing on each other’s sections, highlighting the links between each project and energy and establishing relationships between projects.The workshop was extremely useful at a time when we felt collaboration within the group was disintegrating.

The image below reflects the links which we have established between our projects. The red is energy, the blue, trade and the green is knowledge. As a group, we have identified how our individual projects can benefit from each others, forming a cycle of energy strategy from production and storage to distribution and consumption.

Throughout our projects we have had input from a variety of key members of the industry as well as researchers from a variety of disciplines. These stakeholders initially reflected our factory visits, but have since grown along with our projects. Group stakeholders now include John Smedley’s, the centre for sustainable fashion, gripple, the AMRC, Sheffield City Council, Portland Works, the climbing works and many more. Stakeholders will be invited to our exhibition at Bloc in mid March where we will be in residence for the week. During this week we will have an ideas workshop with Gripple to discuss the generation of energy and their new development as well as the design of our machines which will be part of our Complex Material Assembly submissions at the end of March.

Studio Future works continues to work in collaboration in an effort to raise the profile of energy and make it visible.