Scaled for Power

The infrastructure connected to the production of renewable energy is very complex and intricate. We believe that as architects we have the potential to see and show relationships connected to this vast infrastructure from an angle other disciplines may not. Is scale the problem with overconsumption of energy? That most people cannot grasp the large gap created between the socket at home and what that consumption entails in the landscape. Maybe our traditional understanding of scale is not enough to explain these complex systems. Is there a hidden dimension yet to be uncovered?

The energy crisis led us to investigate hydroelectric power in Norway. A key skill architects have when working with complex systems is our understanding of scale. It is essential to simplify our surroundings. Everything has a scale. We divided the architectural concept of scale into two: Representational scale which is about visualizing, designing, communicating and understanding. It is about dimension, size and proportion (1:50, 1:200). It is about representing our surroundings by making a careful selection, with a specified resolution with the intention of simplifying our complex three-dimensional world. The second is experiential scale. This is the subjective understanding of one’s surroundings in relation to our own body and sensory experience. Experiential scale considers factors such as culture, society, and time. It involves how we sense and perceive the scale of our environment and our place within it. Our project contained an investigation into the vast case of hydropower through our two concepts of scale. A range of reservoirs were represented by seven large fragment models in the exhibition that formed the core of the room and the system. The models were connected to three large curtains illustrating the glaciers presence on the site. We told the story of the powerplant and its infrastructure by making least one visualization that dealt with the representational or experiential scale for each moment of the story. We believe that the architect’s understanding of scale has the potential to contribute to projects and discussions regarding infrastructure and the climate crisis. We concluded our project by asking questions: What is in scale? What is the right dimension and for who? Who has something at stake? How does depiction alter perception?