Where does the energy we use every day come from? This project explores that often-overlooked question by visualizing the process of energy production through architectural form. In this New York City–based studio, students were tasked with selecting a sustainable energy source and designing a playful folly that reveals its generation process within an urban context.

My design focuses on Turtle Pond in Central Park, where harmful algal blooms present both an ecological challenge and a potential resource. By harnessing the microbial fuel cell (MFC) process, the project transforms organic waste from the pond into electricity, turning pollution into power. The folly serves as both an educational and experiential space, inviting visitors to witness the invisible conversion of biological activity into renewable energy.

The design takes a multi-layered spatial approach, guiding visitors from Belvedere Castle through Vista Rock onto platforms extending over Turtle Pond. The tiered seating doubles as a microbial fuel cell chamber, converting algae into electricity. Platforms with algae-inspired forms rise and sink along the water’s surface, revealing shifting views of the pond and its algal blooms, while the algal farms at the edge propose a sustainable method for future energy production.