A recent push to develop Martian architecture, driven by the vision of independent space exploration companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX or Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin, is attempting to bring to life something that has, to this point, only been seen in works of science fiction; habitable dwellings and cities on planets other than Earth.
It may still seem a bit preemptive to be talking about designing architecture for a planet like Mars, considering we are still in the preliminary stages of working out how to get humans to the surface of the Red Planet, but a complicated project such as this requires a lot of time to produce successful results. As howwegettonext.com reports, an ideal Martian habitat needs to be sustainable, have zero-energy consumption, include backup systems for its pressurized areas, and balance survival with habitability. The habitats need to make it easy for their occupants to exercise, eat, and sleep while taking into account going outside isn’t as simple as opening a door and stepping through it.
There has been no lack of ideas for Martian architecture, ideas that have employed technology such as 3D printing and inflatable habitats. But the problem with these designs, as Vera Mulyani, who describes herself as the world’s first “Marschitect,” explains, is that they focus first on the habitat and completely ignore the greater overall city that would develop later. Mulyani believes thinking about how the entire city is conceptually designed, and then focusing on the habitat, will lead to a better functioning city.
Mars City Design, a project of which Mulyani is the founder, wants to establish a base of four people on Mars and eventually grow it into a settlement the size of a small city, populated by over 1,000 people.
”It is not enough to just travel to Mars and survive, now we must develop a way in which we can sustainably live and love on Mars. It is essential that we call on a new generation of thinkers and innovators to make this a reality,” Mulyani says on the Mars City Design website.
With registration beginning this October, Mars City Design is holding a design challenge to create architecture for Mars. The main theme for the 2017 challenge is ‘Transportation,’ ranging “from the scale of pedestrian to the scale of cities.” Secondary themes include ‘Humans’ Friends’ (designing robots that imitate animals to help with tasks such as collecting food, building shelters, and mining) and ‘Energy Recycling’ (power supply and waste management).
Currently, space architecture is not a recognized or respected skill by the aerospace industry or the American Institute of Architects, but companies like Mars City Design are challenging that mentality. As the thought of human beings setting foot on another planet begins to seem less and less crazy, developing architecture for planets other than Earth not only seems realistic, but necessary.
For more information on Mars City Design, click here. To read the original article on How We get To Next, click here.
Related Stories
| May 15, 2014
Biking to work up by 60 percent, according to Census Bureau report
Many U.S. cities are seeing an increase in bicycle commuters, according to new a U.S. Census Bureau report. While bicyclists still account for just 0.6% of all commuters, some of the nation's largest cities have more than doubled their rates since 2000.
| May 15, 2014
'Virtually indestructible': Utah architect applies thin-shell dome concept for safer schools
At $94 a square foot and "virtually indestructible," some school districts in Utah are opting to build concrete dome schools in lieu of traditional structures.
| May 15, 2014
First look: 9/11 Memorial Museum opens to first-responders, survivors, 9/11 families [slideshow]
The 110,000-sf museum is filled with monumental artifacts from the tragedy and exhibits that honor the lives of every victim of the 2001 and 1993 attacks.
| May 14, 2014
New study shows employees aren't happier working in green buildings
People working in buildings certified under LEED’s green building standard appear no more satisfied with their workplace environments than those in conventional buildings, according to new research from the University of California, Berkeley, and the University of Nottingham.
| May 14, 2014
Construction growth looking up: Gilbane Spring 2014 Economic Report
Construction spending for 2014 should finish 6.6% higher than in 2013, with nonresidential work contributing substantially.
| May 14, 2014
Prefab payback: Mortenson quantifies cost and schedule savings from prefabrication techniques
Value-based cost-benefit analysis of prefab approaches on the firm's 360-bed Exempla Saint Joseph Heritage Project shows significant savings for the Building Team.
| May 13, 2014
First look: Nadel's $1.5 billion Dalian, China, Sports Center
In addition to five major sports venues, the Dalian Sports Center includes a 30-story, 440-room, 5-star Kempinski full-service hotel and conference center and a 40,500-square-meter athletes’ training facility and office building.
| May 13, 2014
Drexel University case study report: Green Globes cheaper, faster than LEED
GBI’s Green Globes certification process is significantly less expensive to conduct and faster to complete than LEED certification, says Drexel prof.
| May 13, 2014
Steven Holl's sculptural Institute for Contemporary Art set to break ground at VCU
The facility will have two entrances—one facing the city of Richmond, Va., the other toward VCU's campus—to serve as a connection between "town and gown."
| May 13, 2014
Universities embrace creative finance strategies
After Moody’s and other credit ratings agencies tightened their standards a few years ago, universities had to become much more disciplined about their financing mechanisms.
