FUSION RE: ACTION Architecture’s Role in Energy Transitions

Abstract

Nuclear fusion promises clean, abundant energy, yet public understanding of it remains thin, abstract, and confused with nuclear fission. Fusion has had little public presence, limited cultural familiarity, and few spatial experiences that help people understand its meaning and relevance. As we accelerate toward this energy transition, with fusion approaching commercial deployment, architecture becomes a critical interface between science, energy infrastructure, and everyday life. This thesis asks what it means to make fusion energy urban and public. Set on Baltimore’s Canton waterfront, the project proposes a fusion energy campus with a science center, fusion power plant, and a harborfront park. This campus aims to educate the public on energy systems, bring energy autonomy to Baltimore residents, and improve the urban fabric through resilient landscapes and biophilic design. These elements work together as a single system to translate scientific complexity into legible civic experiences, positioning fusion not as distant infrastructure, but as a visible and integral part of urban public life.