Wind Stations: Explorations in design of small scale wind turbines
Chris Sancomb
2025 Summer Residency
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Design offers a powerful lens for reimagining renewable energy—not just as technology, but as part of public life. While wind turbines and solar arrays are often seen as distant, industrial, or intrusive, design can make these systems more visible, approachable, and integrated into everyday environments.
This project investigates how design can reframe sustainable energy infrastructure as part of shared civic space. Developed during a summer fellowship at the Institute for Public Architecture, this work centers on the design and fabrication of small-scale wind turbines for public installation. Early prototypes were built to explore form, measure wind speed, and assess performance in varied contexts. These models function both as technical instruments and spatial studies—exploring how renewable technologies might take root in community settings.
The project examines design’s capacity to mediate between complex systems and lived experience. It asks how infrastructure might shift from background utility to civic presence—communicating purpose, inviting engagement, and occupying space with intention.
Through iterative making, the project engages with material, scale, and placement to understand both the constraints and possibilities of wind energy. In doing so, it positions design not only as a tool for problem-solving, but as a framework for shaping public understanding and interaction with energy systems.
This project investigates how design can reframe sustainable energy infrastructure as part of shared civic space. Developed during a summer fellowship at the Institute for Public Architecture, this work centers on the design and fabrication of small-scale wind turbines for public installation. Early prototypes were built to explore form, measure wind speed, and assess performance in varied contexts. These models function both as technical instruments and spatial studies—exploring how renewable technologies might take root in community settings.
The project examines design’s capacity to mediate between complex systems and lived experience. It asks how infrastructure might shift from background utility to civic presence—communicating purpose, inviting engagement, and occupying space with intention.
Through iterative making, the project engages with material, scale, and placement to understand both the constraints and possibilities of wind energy. In doing so, it positions design not only as a tool for problem-solving, but as a framework for shaping public understanding and interaction with energy systems.
COLLABORATORS/SUPPORT
Financial Support: Department of Art and Art History, University of Connecticut
Electrical Engineering Support: Patricio Salomon-Mir
Workshop: Beam Center
Electrical Engineering Support: Patricio Salomon-Mir
Workshop: Beam Center
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