Energy Babble

Energy Babble is a radio-like audio device that broadcasts environmental and energy related content. The devices are networked, drawing content from online sources, most notably Twitter, and listeners can use a built-in microphone or text messaging to join the conversation. Developed by the studio as part of the Energy and Co-Designing Communities project, Babbles were deployed to thirty homes and public spaces in ‘energy communities’ around the UK, where they provoked illuminating discussions about their struggles to support sustainability.

Click here for a conference paper about the project.

Date: 2015

A photograph of the Energy Babble showing a person holding the microphone which is attached to the device by a curled cable
A photograph of the Energy Babble in situ on a desk of a participant
A photograph of the disassembled Energy Babble, showing every component, carefully arranged on a white surface
A photograph from a participant workshop, showing a person adding a sticker to a large worksheet containing ideas about energy matters
A photograph from a participant workshop, showing a speculative front page of a fictitious tabloid with the headline 'It's Full!!! Climate refugee camp in Hyde Park'