Energy Commons: Reimagining Energy Infrastructure as a Place for Civic Engagement

Author: Radhakrishnan M S
Site Location: Kaloor, Kochi
Institute: SEED APJ Abdul Kalam School of Environmental Design
Advisor: Ar. Chinchu Kumar Sreekandan

Description

Energy Commons begins with a simple question: why should the infrastructure that powers our cities remain inaccessible to the people who depend on it? Located at Kaloor, Kochi, the project reimagines an existing substation through a second enquiry: when changes in infrastructure leave spaces underused or inaccessible, does architecture have a role in giving them back to the city? By exploring the future typological transformation of substation infrastructure, the project opens up the infrastructure and its residual spaces and reclaims them as part of the city’s commons.

The project is organised around three connected cores: Infrastructure, Awareness and Making. The Infrastructure Core houses essential energy systems, including battery storage and distribution; the Awareness Core creates spaces to see and understand energy systems; and the Making Core supports manufacturing, repair and exchange of electronic goods. Three courts connect these cores, creating spaces for gathering, neighbourhood life and engagement with the energy system, while linking the project to the existing metro network and surrounding neighbourhood.

Rooftop photovoltaics, photovoltaic fac;ades and kinetic surfaces integrate energy generation into the architecture. Energy Commons transforms inaccessible infrastructure into an accessible civic resource-giving space back to the city and bringing energy into the everyday commons.