Below is a sampling of some of the workshops and courses we've taught. Please contact us if you're interested having Sol Design Lab contribute to your educational program.

Hampshire College
"Urban Eco-Design: Solar Charging Station Design/Build for Campus"

What role can design play in finding or promoting solutions to climate protection, clean mobility, renewable energy, waste reduction, and social equality?

This course is for students interested in exploring the relationship between design, public art, urban sustainability, and renewable energy.  The major focus will be to collaborate in the design and fabrication of an off-the-grid solar charging station for the Hampshire campus. Focus teams will include: station architecture, wiring/engineering, furniture design, info-graphics, and site management. Together, we will address the unsustainability of the current petroleum-based energy production and distribution system with creative and innovative solutions. For example, urban solar charging stations have the potential to help our society transition from gas-dependent cars to electric vehicles by creating an engaging and evocative connection to the way we use electricity.  We will cover the basics of small-scale solar energy production, digital design methods, and prototype fabrication with research and hands-on workshops. Students interested in art in the public forum, industrial design, prototype development, and the applied sciences are welcome to attend.

photos from the first course at Hampshisre, January 2011

Re-envision theFuture of Urban Mobility

This workshop will start with a design charrette to re-envision the infrastructure of our current petroleum based transportation system and collaboratively design alternatives based on innovation and renewable energy.  Participants will use maps and recycled materials to create models of their future mobility concepts to be exhibited after the workshop.

Repurposed Common Street Objects for Solar Charging Stations

We will envision and repurpose common urban street infrastructure to be functional solar charging stations for electric vehicles, laptops, cell phones, and LED lighting.  Workshop leaders will cover the basics of solar energy, repurposed industrial design techniques and how to create interactive solar charging stations for public use. We will discuss the artist’s role in combining art and technology to find creative solutions to the world’s transportation and energy crisis. Participants will have the opportunity to try out electric vehicles and use the Solar Pump charging station in front of the South Hall.

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view & download the SolarPump Info Sheet