Focussing on several neighborhoods surrounding the Philadelphia Zoo, ReGeneration is a master plan for a new energy infrastructure. The existing neighborhoods have suffered decades of urban flight, leading to a slow deterioration of the urban fabric. ReGeneration will seek to create a new social energy that inspires current residents to actively participate in the transformation of their neighborhood into a vibrant, energized, net-zero model for future urban redevelopment projects.

Beginning with an analysis of the energy cycle, ReGeneration looked at existing flows of energy through the neighborhood and compared them with a historic energy cycle. The outcome of this analysis revealed that the primary source of current energy use comes from fossil fuels that have been extracted off-site. This off-site generation of energy removes the residents from their own energy cycle and this lack of personal energy knowledge further isolates them.

To close the loop on the neighborhood’s current energy cycle, a new system was created. In this new system, energy (in the form of sunlight) is transformed through a variety of photo voltaic canopies into electricity. The canopies serve as both physical energy collectors, and social energy generators, collecting and storing energy from the sun while activating social spaces within the neighborhood.

ReGeneration is a concept that addresses the need for energy independence while creating a variety of social gathering spaces within the neighborhood. By designing a menu of canopy types and structural support systems, this strategy can be implemented over time to create a variety of social spaces that lead to a stronger community and more sustainable neighborhood.