Solving social problems from
a different perspective as a designer

Poverty, education, economy, resources, environment—Many of the social problems confronting the world are closely related to energy.
To date, energy issues have often been debated from the perspectives of engineers, politicians, and investors. However, Associate Professor Takuya Onishi takes his approach from the perspective of a designer in his call to transform the world through energy design.
Associate Professor Onishi is engaged in research on social contribution through energy design. What kind of future does that lead us toward?

 How is energy related to a designer?

Today, changes are emerging in the ways that we engage with energy. It has become easier for us to handle energy; for example, individuals can carry solar devices around to charge their mobile phones, or bring along battery packs to use their communication and electronic devices even in the mountains. Unlike the conventional form of energy that we had to plug a device into a power socket before we could use it, a new world of energy has begun.

My intuition tells me that there is potential for bringing about significant changes to the countless social problems that are building up around the world, through a reconsideration of our relationship with energy. My students and I are conducting trials and tests repeatedly to identify the types of design solutions* that are effective in solving these problems, with the aim of eventually reaching a phase of project implementation.

When driving social contribution projects such as projects on the utilization of renewable energy, it is vital to have the ability to steadily build up a store of ideas that are feasible and can be put into practice, as well as to be able to come up with a vision, and propel and improve the project from outside the field. Design serves as this ability “from outside the field.” The involvement of a large number of people is indispensable to the success of a project. How much more appealing should a project be in order to attract people to be participants and supporters of the project? I believe that my role, as a designer, is to come up with these ideas.
*To design a method for solving the problem

  From social contribution activities to a space elevator

In 2010, I established an energy design company named “ENERGY MEET,” which works together with clients on projects. The specific contents of these activities vary widely, including participation in design events, engaging in social contribution activities such as presenting used solar panels to areas that have not undergone electrification, organizing conferences for local government bodies, providing consulting services that offers potential energy proposals that match the needs of the individual cases, and developing power generation devices.

We also position the establishment of an ultra-long term vision as an important part of our work. For example, the global population is set to exceed 10 billion people by the year 2100, and energy and food problems are expected to reach a critical level. With the aim of overcoming this crisis, we came up with a method known as “SKYHARVEST” that we have disseminated information about. This project involves building solar systems and zero-gravity farms in space, and connecting it with the Earth’s surface through a space elevator. As a designer, I believe that it is my mission to tackle projects of a scale that is far removed from our everyday lives, create projects based on ideas that are not bound by technological, political and economic limitations, and present these ideas to the world.
I believe that the mission of a designer is, sometimes, to sketch our dreams and indicate the direction toward the future, as well as to help others feel that there is some hope in following that direction. I think that the presence of such people is precisely the reason why we are able to explore and develop a new future.

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• ENERGY MEET
  

  Established in 2010. It approaches energy issues through creative work, and aims to connect energy and society. It is engaged in a wide variety of activities, including design, consulting, media management, human resource development, and social contribution.

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• SKYHARVEST
  

  This project involves creating solar systems and zero gravity farms in space, and connecting them to Earth with a space elevator, with the aim of solving energy and food problems. It was designed to supply the food and energy that would become necessary when we enter an era of a global population of 10 billion in the year 2100.

  Presenting the “Gift” of energy to areas in Thailand that have not undergone electrification

  Sustainable cities of the future, created in the heart of the desert

I think that the conditions for an ideal city of the future lie in the sound establishment of the city within a specific area, without bringing in infrastructural facilities and resources. In short, it would be a city that has established systems that are capable of effectively producing and consuming everything within the area, including energy, water and sewage systems, air circulation, and food. Masdar City, located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, was planned as a city that embodies the realization of this ideal vision, and it is scheduled to be completed in 2030. This project, which involves establishing a new city by utilizing the latest technology and harnessing the wisdom of many people, is one that aims to pass the baton on to future generations. The vision of a city that stands along in the middle of the desert exudes a sense of romance, and has drawn the attention of urban planners and architects around the world.

On the other hand, I think that rural villages of the past had developed in a compact manner that is close to that ideal vision. There are hearths and fireplaces in the homes, and this fire was used for cooking, heating, and lighting. They also served as the center around which families gathered. We could perhaps describe it as a complete micro ecosystem. A lifestyle that encompasses the circulation of energy used to exist in our lives. Today, we are injecting massive budgets, cutting-edge technology, and knowledge into creating such a lifestyle, and Masdar City is one such example.