Welcome to Takram’s Newsletter — a regular digest of news, projects, events and activities, keeping you up to date with the London, Tokyo and New York studios.

Over the past few months, we in Europe have been caught up in an energy crisis. An unexpected surge in gas prices combined with lower than usual renewable output led to gas and power prices spiking across the continent. At the same time, COP26 was occurring in Glasgow and it got us wondering about our relationship with energy in the context of the climate crisis.

We wonder what an alternative relationship to our energy systems might look like. What would happen if we understood where our energy came from, or what it took to produce it? What would happen if we planned our days around energy availability, rather than expecting it always on demand? Should energy continue to be anonymous?

In this special winter edition of the Takram Newsletter we focus on energy as explored in a recent project released by Takram London.

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Energy Proverb Net is an experimental forecast tool that proposes an alternative world, where an energy forecast is a part of our daily lives.

Upon entering the website, visitors are immersed in a real-time energy forecast for the British Isles. Using current weather readings and electricity consumption data, the ongoing forecast cycles through different energy regions across the landmass. In this world, borders are ignored, and regions are created based on the distribution of power-producing sites within the landscape.

The experiment encourages observation of local environments, the nurturance of a new language with which to describe energy production, and action furthering responsible use of energy.

To aid in shifting the language of electricity from dry, incomprehensible, and overly technical, an accompanying proverb helps visitors remember their region’s daily forecast. Each proverb has been created using the open source artificial intelligence tool, GPT-J, but the platform imagines a future world where new proverbs are generated and submitted by individuals.

Visit Energy Proverb Net

Climate catastrophe is looming, but the future is still ours for the shaping. So what needs to change and how do we change it?

On 27 January 2022, A World In Transition will bring the Takram team together with leading thinkers and activists in the field of sustainability. During the online event, we’ll discuss diverse perspectives on climate emergency, explore new ways of thinking about transition, and map out the pathways that will lead to better futures for all. A World In Transition will be held online, free to attend and BSL signed.

Register for the event here

Close to Home is based on probing and questioning our relationship with energy.

The project investigates a future in which the visibility of energy production, origin, and use becomes embodied in our everyday lives - sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Further explorations examine how domestic objects, language and even time might be altered to better reflect the growing role of energy in our lives.

Takram invites visitors to explore Close to Home and Energy Proverb Net and ask – should energy continue to be anonymous?

(Now reading) The visual storytelling team at FT explores where Europe gets its gas supplies, in the context of the recent energy crisis. Read

(Now writing) Michael Pecirno, Designer and Researcher at Takram London, wonders if energy should be anonymous and speculates on design's role in making energy accessible. Read

(Now watching) A round-table discussion focussed on Log 47: Overcoming Carbon Form, an issue exploring architecture's role in climate change. Watch

(Now monitoring) This website acts as the world's first carbon intensity forecast and has been an invaluable resource for our team. Observe

(Now Inspired by) In 2014 Rem Koolhaas directed the 14th International Architecture Exhibition at the Venice Biennale. Although an older piece, we're still heavily inspired by the the work of the show in expose the beautiful complexity of the built enviornment. Explore

(Now discovering) The Thingness of Energy is a piece we've been inspired by from 2012 that explores the material realities of energy. Discover

To keep up to date with Takram’s latest news, please follow us on Facebook and Twitter, and visit our website for more details about our work.