Solar Lab: Spatial

The sun, our source of life, has become the cheapest source of energy today. Yet designing a fossil-free world for all, powered by the sun, requires more than technocratic solutionism and one-size-fits-all panels. This solar-powered world needs to be mindful of circadian rhythms, of human behavior, cultural practices and energy needs tied to a specific place and system. The Solar Biennale envisions and critically reflects on the future of solar energy.

The Solar Lab - Spatial explores the natural integration of solar energy into buildings and the new "active" building materials and design methods this entails. Think of Solar as the new material, a building block similar to a brick. What could that 'brick' look like? Regard it as something that is essential to and part of the assembly of a building. Not just a facade or something that is added onto a surface, but an integral part of its design. How can we develop and use new materials that are organic and circulair to build these future cavities with?

Solar designers are both questioning and expanding the materiality of solar technology by proposing new ways to integrate the technology with other materials. Their work gives new emotional and aesthetic values to solar technology by making it for instance colorful, soft and cuddly, pliable, invisible, modular or full of playful patterns. This makes solar energy more user friendly, understandable and approachable.

Design and develop a Solar Design “probe” around the question what solar, as the new, circular building material, could look like?

How will we design if solar is an essential material for construction and assembly, and not an afterthought? How will we make sure buildings and cities produce energy? What will our future cities look like and how will they function when all surfaces are harvesting energy from the sun? If every surface becomes active, powering its surroundings, will we consider a building or city to be broken if it doesn’t generate its own energy?

The Solar Lab program will feature several leading solar and bio designers, researchers and material engineers to provide inspiration, share their extensive knowledge and provide feedback on participant's ideas. Among others with Marjan van Aubel, Teresa van Dongen, Emma van der Leest, Ermi van Oers, Kameleon Solar and Ed van Hinte.

This lab is for everyone who wonders: how to become a solar designer? Both beginners as more advanced designers are welcome. No solar insider knowledge is necessary.

The lab will take place at BlueCity Lab, an advanced bio-circular playground, and will include several introductions to concepts and technologies like bio mimicry, biotechnology and bio-engineering, in addition to a 'dry' fabrication lab.

The 4-day program will focus on getting to know a multitude of natural and technological techniques for harvesting energy from sun light to providing the participants with a diverse toolbox that can be applied to the research question.

Please note that, due to the relatively slow character of especially the bio-based methodologies, the 4-day program will most likely not allow for sufficient time to create a tangible prototype. We will therefore focus mostly on developing theoretical concepts.

Two Solar Labs are taking place as part of The Solar Biennale program, and both offer a 4-day intensive program focused on knowledge sharing and knowledge development.