The Municipality of Saanich had a proposed plan for a solar-powered washroom for Rutledge Park, but the design, in its current state would not engage or educate the public about sustainable energy.

My team sought to design an accompanying piece that would give park users a hands-on experience with tidal energy, one of the lesser-known forms of sustainable energy.

Our objectives were for the piece to be:

• engaging for all ages
• the engagement to be educational,
• intuitive use for all ages
• low repair / replacement cost

Hindsight Perspective

Our design could have been improved by having lights that turned on when the turbines were generating electricity, to give a visual cue to the user that it is working. Overall, I was pleased with how our project went, and could see it being used in a public place.