This morning at the Valldaura Self Sufficient Labs, the Wind Energy MachinesStudio lead by Javier Peña, Rodrigo Rubio, Oriol Carrasco and Stefanos Levidis, presented their finalised prototypes, designed specifically for the site, to a international jury featuring Manuel Kretzer (ETH Zurich), Josep Lascuraín (SGM Biologist), Jose María Pujol (TECHNOWIND), Pep Mascaró (Chief of Collserola Park Projects), Pep Salas (ENERBYTE), Enric Ruiz Geli (Cloud 9), Manuel Gausa (IAAC Dean) and Areti Markopoulou (MAA Director).
The prototypes studied the ambiguous links between energy and society, through the fabrication of an energy production machine, aiming to activate new social spaces, strategic engagements and community making processes. The machines were deployed in Valldaura, transforming IAAC’s forest campus into a prototype testing field, proving that energy cycles are not only key factors in the current change in the urban paradigm, but that they can also be serious social catalysers.