Our Energy: Bodies, Futurities, Personalities

Abstract

This paper explores the role of architects, designers, and educators in catalyzing a radical shift towards more just and socioecological energy values and practices by scrutinizing three exercises that were introduced to students as part of a theoretical course on territorial design taught at ETH Zürich in the autumn of 2022.Footnote1 Initially, the text presents the course and then outlines its affiliated lecture series focusing on questions surrounding energy entanglements. Following this, it elaborates on the formulation of the exercises, including their conditions, representation techniques, and templates, giving a selection of student work. The paper aims to serve as an exemplar of how we can, in architectural and design education, offer alternative approaches to teaching and un/learning. By sharing this pedagogical framework, the paper ultimately seeks to disseminate these articulations and thought processes, as a way to initiate a discussion around energy entanglements and imagine novel ways of designing our collective and equitable energy futures.