Energy Education Center | 2012
A museum-style exhibit within a community center open to school groups, the press, and the general public. The exhibition educates the community on their nuclear power plant and the safety precautions in place for their protection.
Client: Arizona Public Service
Audience: press, general public
Role: experiential design lead, interaction design
Creating dialogue
In the wake of the Fukushima disaster, the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station wanted to address public safety concerns. The starting point was acknowledging that nuclear energy is part of our near-term solution to meet the increasing demand for energy here in the US.
Dispelling myths
As fear and polarizing arguments obstruct pragmatic conversations, this exhibit was designed to address those fears through education and facilitating conversation, at the local level, between one energy provider and its community. APS was ready to engage the public with real scientific solutions to these issues.
The exhibit experience
Visitors could walk on a glass floor across a radiating core reactor and venture through a steel-fortified nuclear waste container. They would encounter actual plant employees and learn about day-to-day safety operations through a combination of physical interactive pieces, digital experiences, and guided tours. Visitors were left with a better understanding of nuclear power technology and safety practices — with an open line of communication to the plant operators.
