From 16–17 June, Ceren Sezer, Alper Al, and Liyuan Ma represented the Community Collaboration Lab (CCLab) at the Social Sciences and Humanities (SSH) Energy Conference hosted by ETH Zürich. Organized by the Cultural Studies of Science and Technology Group, the conference brought together scholars across disciplines to explore energy not only as a technical challenge, but as a social, spatial, and environmental phenomenon.

CCLab contributed with an interactive augmented reality (AR) workshop, offering participants an immersive glimpse into our living lab concept: the ECHO Pavilion (Energy, Climate, Habitat, Observation). More than just an energy node, the ECHO Pavilion was presented as a hybrid infrastructure—connecting energy systems with everyday social life. Using augmented reality, participants explored how such spaces can spark community dialogue, promote shared experience, and inspire the formation of new energy communities.

By taking the AR experience outdoors, we encouraged fresh perspectives on the energy systems embedded in daily urban life—opening space for both critical reflection and creative engagement.

The workshop sparked meaningful conversations on how social sciences and humanities can contribute to just and inclusive energy transitions. More information and full program of the workshop can be found here.

Special thanks to Bianca Vienni-Baptista and her team for organizing such a thoughtful (and sustainable!) conference. We’re already looking forward to the next exchange. It was also great to meet Matthias Tuchschmid from ETH Energie, Nachhaltigkeit und Consult and hear more about their initiatives.