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This website features work from the completion of Phase 1 of the SCALES Project.

We are currently seeking partnerships for Phase 2.

Sustainable Design

  • Final Presentation

    Second, the class will make a final, one-two hour, oral presentation of its solution in early December. This presentation will be open to the entire MIT community. In addition, a panel of experts will be invited to attend the presentation and to critique them in an open forum. Because it would be logistically difficult for everyone to speak during the presentation, the staff recommends that each team elect one member to join a presentation committee that will choreograph the final presentation. The committee member should not bear sole responsibility for the work involved in developing the presentation!

    Read more: Final Presentation

  • Final Website

    First, the class must create a content-rich web site to describe and justify its overall design.

    Read more: Final Website

  • Short Journal Article

    This second journal article should be a brief (1,500 words or less) compendium of the technical results that YOU specifically have contributed to your group’s work. It’s OK if you worked in pairs with someone, though please try to distinguish what you did if possible

    Read more: Short Journal Article

  • Short Journal Article 1

    For this assignment, you will write a short (1000 words or less) journal-style communication briefly describing your findings on the research portion of this design project.

    Read more: Short Journal Article 1

  • Wiki Design Notebook

    Each week, your team should update your team’s wiki page. If you do a great job documenting everything, it will make your final report much, MUCH easier to write.

    The wiki should include key documents (project specs, etc.), an ever-changing schedule, photos from experiments, scans of best brainstormed ideas, etc. It should also contain a weekly report on your communications with your community partner (you should do everything in your power — regular emails and/or phone calls to stay in touch) so that they are up to date on your progress and can offer feedback.

    Read more: Wiki Design Notebook

  • Problem Set 3

    Problem set for the course D-Lab: Energy.

    Read more: Problem Set 3

  • Problem Set 2: Personal Energy Consumption Challenge

    Problem set for the course D-Lab: Energy.

    Read more: Problem Set 2: Personal Energy Consumption Challenge

  • Problem Set 1

    Problem set for the course D-Lab: Energy.

    Read more: Problem Set 1

  • Design for Production

    When designing a product that is to be produced beyond just the prototype stage, attention must be given to the resources that are available and to the sustainability of the manufacturing processes. 

    As a team, determine the appropriate scale of manufacturing for your project: will they be made in the tens, hundreds, or millions? What design changes will need to be made as you shift from manufacture of a single prototype to the production of multiple units?

    Read more: Design for Production

  • Final Report

    Design reports give design engineers the chance to catalog the design process, describe how they came to the decisions they came to, and explain the rationale behind those decisions. As a team, write a 10–15 page report describing your project.

    Read more: Final Report

Notice something that doesn’t seem right? Want to make a suggestion or provide feedback about how something is classified? 
Please reach out to esi [at] mit.edu and include SCALES Website in the subject of your email.
Feedback and any actions taken with regards to the feedback, will be shared as they are addressed.