HACKING THE STEAM: Repurposing Geothermal Power

Olkaria, Kenya

Spring 2023, Columbia University GSAPP

Collaborators: Claire Koh, Carley Pasqualotto, and Yifei Yuan

Critics: Mireia Luzarraga and Alejandro Muino

T.A.: Andrea Molina Cuadro

The project focuses on the controversy of the Geothermal Power Plants in Olkaria, Kenya, and a design that hacks the geothermal energy to give back to the community and promote environmental justice. The geothermal steam is the major agent of the Olkaria development. Noise, air pollution, and habitat fragmentation are decreasing or completely wiping out a number of important animal species at the park, including migratory birds and vultures that are extremely sensitive to noise and vibration. To target the challenges, our intervention takes in two different parts: one at the wellhead, and then the other four along the pipe. The permanent wellhead silencer and water filter will mitigate the noise created by the wellheads and will filter / condense steam into potable water. Individual train carts can provide a space of safe cohabitation for the agents affected by the development. To combat habitat fragmentation and promote environmental justice, our design is strategically devised to live and move upon the existing and future expansions of the geothermal pipes, harnessing the energy that will be used to benefit the local ecosystems of Hell’s Gate National Park.

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