Can we design ourselves out of our current predicament? It could be argued that we have the technology we need – and that it’s just a question of how be put it all together.

We need a better built environment if we are to become more resilient to those challenges – and that includes where and how we live. Here are some extracts from a recent inspiring piece on how ‘solarpunk’ architecture is inspiring an entire movement:

Floating gardens, clean energy, and community first: Why ‘solarpunk’ architecture gives us climate optimism

Jay Springett is the co-administrator of solarpunks.net, a website that curates articles, stories, and artwork that are representative of the movement. Spend a minute scrolling on the site and common themes will emerge: rewilding efforts, gardening methods, rainwater harvesting, visible mending practices, and so much more. “I have always considered solarpunk to be focused on the practical as opposed to the wishful thinking,” Springett told Built In, a Chicago software company. “And it’s a discussion that’s becoming more and more prominent.”

Visually speaking, solarpunk is packaged in bright, eco-friendly optimism, but beneath the surface, it emphasizes practical, actionable steps toward sustainability and self-sufficiency. Although “greener” designs are synonymous with the aesthetic, it’s not a style without substance. When architects and interior designers lean into eco-aesthetics while ignoring sustainability and affordability, they fail to capture what solarpunk is at its core. 

Human relationships are at the center of the movement. Unlike its sister genres, solarpunk doesn’t worship or, alternatively, demonize technology — it instead asks how we can utilize tech to improve humanity. Springett said it’s all about the “possibilities of changing power relations through changing technology.” In fact, one of the principles of solarpunk relies on decentralizing social media and creating community-centered networks that could survive even the worst natural disasters. 

In “Solarpunk: Notes toward a manifesto,” Adam Flynn said: “Our futurism is not nihilistic like cyberpunk and it avoids steampunk’s potentially quasi-reactionary tendencies: it is about ingenuity, generativity, independence, and community.” “Solarpunk,” Flynn concluded, “is a future with a human face and dirt behind its ears.” 

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