Workshops
Designing Energy II (2026)
By Design, Not by Disaster
The energy transition is well underway. Many of the technologies and concepts we need for a sustainable, resilient and future-proof renewable energy system are already available. The challenge today is to intelligently connect these building blocks and to tackle this societal transformation together.
The installation demonstrates how different components can interact to create an autonomous and independent system of energy generation, storage and consumption. Flexibility and digitalisation are key tools in this process: they enable energy to be used, stored or converted when it is available.
Following the principle “By Design, Not by Disaster”, the installation shows that the energy transition does not have to be driven by crises, scarcity or disaster. Through collaboration, compelling concepts and new forms of participation, we can foster acceptance, enable active involvement and create economically viable solutions – paving the way for an energy system that is resilient and independent of external fossil resources. Each compartment of the installation represents one building block of an interconnected energy system.
Energy infrastructure shapes our environment – sometimes visibly, sometimes hidden from view, but always with a spatial impact (11). The installation can therefore be understood as a model of a future energy system: not as a finished solution, but as an invitation to reconsider the interactions between energy generation, storage, consumption, design and societal participation.
Workshop / Development / Assembly:
Verena Köppl, Leonie Schneider, Marco Obermeier, Daniel Hahn, Son Nguyen, Malte Øhlers, Stefan Wittkopf, Anton Brumer (staff of the university and the Digital Energy Transition group); Lukas Struthmann (architecture), Bastian Zeiselmair (video), Christoph Rapp (Lab in a Bag)
With the kind support of the MVV Stiftung Zukunft
Designing Energy I (2025)
A Workshop Week in 2015
What did the energy landscape look like in 2015, at the time of the first workshop week? The energy transition had already been initiated, but was still in its early stages. The expansion of renewable energy was becoming visible, yet fossil fuels such as coal, nuclear energy, gas, and oil still dominated the system.
The Workshop Week in 2025
Ten years later, the picture has fundamentally changed. The expansion of renewables has accelerated significantly, nuclear power is history in Germany, many coal-fired plants have been shut down, and new technologies – such as battery storage, heat pumps, and smart control systems – have entered widespread use. The transformation has drawn even more public attention. Energy has become more visible and integrated into our living environments: wind turbines and solar panels in the landscape, charging stations in public spaces, debates around electricity prices, and the tangible impacts of climate change all influence the discourse.
At the same time, it is clear: the energy transition is far from complete. It is increasingly tied to social questions – about fair access, participation, and public acceptance.
A Workshop Week in 2035
Looking ahead, we envision an energy landscape that has become even more decentralized and digitized. Energy is increasingly produced where it is consumed. Buildings become power plants, neighborhoods evolve into intelligent energy networks. Fossil fuels play only a minor role. Energy flows are transparent, flexible, and deeply interconnected with mobility, housing, and consumption. Participation, community-based projects, and environmental integration become even more important.
These developments will not happen automatically – they result from decisions, design processes, and societal engagement. Designing Energy seeks to ask: How do we envision our energy future?
How can we accompany, shape, and accelerate the transformation?
And what role can creative approaches play in this process?