one interplanetary leap for mankind: designing for mars
Matthew Jennings Master of architecture Thesis - ball State University - 2016
table of contents Thesis Statement
1
Abstract
3
Importance
7
Methodology
11
Literature Review
15
Precedents
33
Mars
55
Design Values
65
Project Proposal
69
Lessons Learned
95
References
99
Image Resources
103
Special thanks to my advisors for their support, expertice, advice, knowledge, and time. Josh Coggeshall George Elvin special thanks also to those who helped with all the small things that allowed the project to be completed on time.
how we design for mars will inform us how we should design for earth.
abstract
One Interplanetary Leap for Mankind designing for mars Humans will be an interplanetary species in the not too distant future. The first step in the exploration will be mars because of its distance from earth and similar qualities with our home planet. What we learn from getting to mars will inform us on how we should explore space into the future, and make humans reevaluate our current actions on earth. When self-sufficient and sustainable buildings are essential because of the circumstances, the mentality about “green” and “sustainable” architectural design will need to adapt. buildings will never be the same once humans have this realization. Designing a building for a new planet requires all preconceived notions of what a building is to be reconsidered. If every structure on earth were treated the same way, architecture would be very different and more in tune with the demands of today’s world. Current proposals for life on mars do not take quality of life into consideration. The structures included in these proposals treat the inhabitants as test subjects rather than humans beings. As humans venture into space, the human quality should not be forgotten, but rather celebrated.
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How we design for mars will inform us on how we should design for earth. with this responsibility, what will the first buildings on mars look like? What considerations will inform the design and performance of the buildings? What will human life look like when no longer on their home planet? These questions can be tested by designing a research facility as the first permanent structure on mars. This facility must provide for humans to exist by responding to the challenges of living on a planet that does not support life, while also ensuring this is a destination people still want to inhabit.
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Importance
Importance this project began as a sustainability response, developed into a humanitarian proposal, considered being a technology based project, and ended up a culmination of all three. There are many issues on earth that architecture is refusing to respond to. climate change, a design focus on the building users, and advancing technologies are often times considered great ideas to strive for but are rarely ever integrated into design. This happens now because architecture can get away with close enough on earth. architecture will not change until an event or problem forces change. The nearest event that will cause this reevaluation will be colonizing mars. when humans begin designing for mars, the issues stated earlier will not be seen as an option but rather as a necessity. buildings on mars will have to be completely self-sufficient and sustainable in order to exist due to the inability to rely on resupply from earth. Designing for the end user will also be a necessity because the first human martians will need to be capable of living in this facility for long periods of time without losing what it is to be human. new technology will also have to be implemented in design because standard construction methods will not be effective on the new planet. designing a research facility on mars allows these three areas to be tested and questioned. what is learned through this process should force humans to reevaluate current practices on earth and lead to a better understanding of how the design process should be handled.
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Methodology
Methodology Gathering of Information The information for this thesis was researched through literature review and precedent studies. Leading organizations in space design, such as NASA and SpaceX, were looked to as examples to understand what approaches are currently taking place. An understanding of the environmental conditions on Mars is also important to the thesis proposal. Precedents Precedent studies were the most influential strategy for researching this topic. Since there are currently no buildings on Mars, precedents for this project consisted of project proposals, competition submissions, or hypothetical projects. Some Earth precedents were used if specific components were applicable to the project. Studying these precedents created a better understanding of what design strategies are being used to combat the conditions on Mars.
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Planetary Data Understanding the conditions found on Mars is a crucial aspect of this project. Mars is the planet most similar to Earth in this solar system, but the differences are more important than the similarities for this project. Design needs to respond to different conditions than what we are familiar with on Earth. NASA collects all of this information and makes it available to the public. A planetary data collection took place prior to design so that the conditions could be designed for.
Precedent Analysis Multiple precedents were studied in preparation for this project. To evaluate some of the larger competitions a matrix was created to keep track of design strategies used. This process allowed for the projects to be judged more quantitatively by comparing them all against the same categories. This also helped illuminate which design decisions are more common among the designs. Competition Submission As part of the design process I submitted the midreview of my thesis to a competition to gain feedback from a group of space professionals. This competition gave me a deadline to push the design along earlier and opened up new questions to help develop the overall thesis.
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Literature review
water Water exists on Mars as ice. The highest concentration is at the poles, but there is also water in frozen lakes beneath the surface. I have read of three methods for extracting liquid water for human use. The most likely method involves digging down to the frozen lakes and melting the ice into liquid water. The second approach is separating the ice from the regolith, but this process requires a lot of energy to be completed. The last method is extracting water from the air. Mars is almost always at 100% humidity, but the atmosphere is so thin that this would produce less water than the first two methods. Water will also have to be treated in a different manner than it is on Earth. It is a limited resource that needs to be cared for and used efficiently.
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1,022 liters/person/year x 1,800 people =
ve s ha r
g
in cl cy
re
tin g
1,839,600 liters/year
conserving water is treated as a precious resource on mars where every harvested drop is used wisely and recycled
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oxygen The Martian atmosphere contains only trace amount of oxygen, nowhere near enough to support human life. To make the planet inhabitable, oxygen has to be provided. Humans breathe 550 liters of oxygen per day (200,750 liters/year). On earth, it takes 17.5 trees to provide oxygen for one person. Luckily, there are more efficient methods for producing oxygen. NASA is currently testing algae as oxygen production plants in space. It would take 221 liters, or about 60 gallons, of algae to support 1 human. Electrolysis is another option for producing oxygen. This process uses electricity to separate water into oxygen and hydrogen. Since a large portion of water is made up of oxygen, this may be a feasible option for producing oxygen for people. The drawbacks include the amount of energy it takes to separate the oxygen and the sacrifice of one recourse for another. NASA’s next Mars rover will have a MOXIE, mars oxygen in-situ recourses utilization experiment, devise to produce oxygen. This process converts carbon dioxide into oxygen and carbon monoxide. The rover produces 14 liters of oxygen per hour, 360 liters per day. This is not enough to support 1 human but the technology can be scaled.
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214,620 liters/person/year x 1,800 people =
386,316,000 liters/year 237 liters algae water/person x 1800 people =
426,600 liters algae water (15,000 cubic feet)
algae produces oxygen with mechanical backup. Oxygen produced from food production plants used as surplus
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atmosphere + temperature Earth’s atmosphere provides a pressure of 14.7 psi on humans, while Mars’ atmosphere is only 0.6% of that with 0.087 psi. 5 psi is needed for humans to survive so how will this be controlled on Mars? This issue has already been solved from the past space traveling missions. Airlocks are used to keep certain spaces pressurized for human inhabitance. Clothing can also be used to combat the low atmosphere problem. Space suits allow humans to venture outside of the pressurized areas safely. As long as atmosphere pressure is designed for, this should not be an issue for the Mars civilization. One force to consider on Mars that is not present on Earth is the outward pressure on the structure due to higher pressurized areas on the interior than found in the Martian atmosphere. The pressure is minimal enough to be easily dealt with but any failure can result in casualties. The average temperature on Mars is -67 F. the same principles applied to atmosphere will also help with temperature. Keeping a containment of the interior atmosphere will allow the interior temperature to be managed. a combination of Martian soil, insulation, and mechanical heating will be enough to heat the structure.
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The average temperature on earth in 2013: 58.3 F. temperatures on mars range from -207-80 F with
an average of -67 F
thermal mass
radiant heating
insulation The extreme cold is mitigated by a combination of thermal mass from regolith, insulation, and radiant heating
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radiation One of the harshest aspects of Mars is the high exposure to radiation. Earth’s atmosphere blocks 99.9% of the cosmic radiation from the Sun, but Mars’ atmosphere is a fraction of a percent of Earth’s. A person on Mars will be exposed to a year’s worth of radiation on Earth in 3 days without protection. Too much exposure to radiation leads to a severely heightened risk of cancer. The easy solution to this issue is for Mars inhabitants to live underground with the regolith material acting as a barrier. The problem with this solution is it does not create a desirable place to live. The Mars Ice House precedent uses an ice structure to block the radiation because water absorbs radiation waves but allows visible waves to pass through. This would allow sunlight to enter the living spaces. The radiation will have to be controlled to ensure humans can survive on Mars.
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necessary protection from cosmic radiation =
16 feet of regolith
16 feet of regolith or algae water is needed to absorb the radiation waves before reaching inhabitants
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energy Energy production should be one of the easier factors to deal with for the Mars civilization. Solar Panels on Earth are 82% as efficient as they will be on Mars. This efficiency increase is due to the thin atmosphere found on Mars. The issues associated with solar power on Mars include getting the solar panels to Mars and the frequent dust storms of the planet. Thin film solar panels allow the most efficient transportation of the material to the Mars civilization. Eventually these solar panels should be able to be manufactured on Mars. The second issue is the dust storms which can sometimes last up to 4 months. Site selection is crucial to reduce the frequency and duration of the storms. Even with the dust, the solar panels will be able to provide energy for the civilization as there is not limitation to how large the installation can become. Nuclear power plants are offered as an option by many scientists but they seem unnecessary when solar energy can provide enough.
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solar panels on mars are about half as efficient as earth, but unlimited area is available to power the facility.
solar
algae growth
energy is collected by solar panels. extra fuel can be collected from the surplus of algae growth.
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food The production of food is critical for human survival on Mars. 100% of food cannot be brought from Earth because of the use of fuel and materials that wastes. Plants that may be able to grow successfully on Mars include potatoes, carrots, rye, tomatoes, and cress. Potatoes were featured in The Martian. They also have a high calorie count. Hydroponic systems may also be the solution. Hydroponic systems do not need sunlight but can be successful using artificial lighting. Hydroponic systems also are a closed loop system which is a more sustainable and reliable source of food. The Plant in Chicago has a large aquaponics system where a variety of plants and fish are produced for human consumption. This system is used as a precedent.
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1 million calories/person/year x 1,800 people =
18,000,000,000 calories/year Potato 163 calories/potato
carrot 25 calories/carrot
tilapia 432 calories/pound
algae 30 calories/cup
soybeans 830 calories/cup
Peanuts 828 calories/cup
food is produced from a combination of farming and an aquaponic system
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3-d printing technology 3D-printing technology is advancing at a rapid rate. To colonize Mars, an infrastructure needs to be established prior to humans arriving. 3D-printing offers a solution for creating this infrastructure. This technology can be controlled from Earth with a precision that ensures safe habitats for humans. Mars Foundation is working to advance 3D-printing and other technologies for the future use in space. Mars Foundation is also working to determine what materials can be used from Mars for 3D-printing. They are looking into using carbon dioxide to create polymers, using regolith as construction material, and creating fiberglass from local materials.
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material availability + shipping efficiency =
3D-printed structure
Martian regolith is harvested on the planet and combined with binder to 3d-print the facility
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waste management My strategy for managing waste is to first reduce the amount of waste the civilization produces. This is controlled by reducing the amount of material used by the civilization. The second approach is to learn from The Plant in Chicago which utilizes a closed loop system. Finding a use for the waste used can limit the amount of non-usable waste created. The Plant brought in certain clients depending on what waste they were producing or what product they needed. This process centers around an anaerobic digester which produces fertilizer and energy for the building and its users.
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the facility acts as a closed loop system to recycle all waste. solid waste turns into fuel and compost. Liquid waste is purified back into water.
wastew
waterf
aste
algaec
purify
ood
ompost
soil
all waste is recycled. the liquid waste is purified by algae and solid waste is composted by an anerobic digester.
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precedents
NaSa 3D-printed Habitat Challenge In September, 2015, NASA released the 30 finalists of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. This competition asked for submissions on how humans may one day live on Mars. The projects were asked to incorporate 3D-Printing technology to design sustainable housing solutions for space. From the submissions, 30 finalists were selected and put on display on their website. This competition was used as a starting point for understanding what forces impact design decisions. I created a matrix to begin categorizing design moves are being made by the contestants. A few of the categories are displayed on the following page.
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NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge
The chart below is a graphical analysis of the 30 design competition finalists. The 8 categories portray design decision similarities between the submissions.
Regolith as Material (24, 80%) Structural Shell (19, 63%) Redundancy (13, 43%) Bunker Design (10, 33%) Thick Exterior (9, 30%) Central Core (8, 27%) Small Perimeter (7, 23%) Outside Connection (5, 17%)
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Mars Ice House The Mars Ice House is the first place finisher of the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. The design was a collaboration between SEArch (Space Exploration Architecture) and Clouds Architecture Office. This project uses Martian water to print an ice shield structure to protect the inhabitants from harmful radiation. Ice House was one of the few submissions to include a connection to the outside environment. The translucent ice allows sunlight to enter the living areas while absorbing the radiation waves. The design also utilizes a vertical habitat space that incorporates oxygen gardens, E.T.F.E. windows, and an intermediate zone between the Martian environment and living zone. The multiple layers of the project allow for more control over the radiation, temperature, and oxygen levels. The separate spaces also can be used to prevent contamination of the Martian world.
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37.1
37.2
Gamma The second place submission of the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge went to team Gamma. This team consisted of architects from Foster + Partners. What sticks out from this submission is the thought behind the construction process of the habitat. The submission includes step by step images of how the habitat is built by robots on Mars. This process includes digging into the ground, moving the inflated structures in place, piling the Martian soil around the habitats, and melting the regolith into the protective shield. This design focuses on redundancy, functionality, and interchangeability. The design is composed of 3 inflatable dodecahedral modules covered by Martian soil acting as a shield. The interchangeability of the design allows for changes to be made to accommodate unforeseen issues. The habitat is 1,000 square feet and is designed to consider human psychology and physiology.
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39.1
LavaHive The third place selection from the NASA 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge was LavaHive. This submission was put together by a team of professionals with backgrounds in engineering, materials science, astrophysics, space architecture, and product design. This team proposed creating a habitat using a process called “lava-casting” which heats up the Martian soil and heats it into lava. The material is then formed and allowed to cool producing a dense structure. “Lava-casting” creates a durable material that can provide protection from the radiation found on Mars. The design utilizes a redundant and additive structure that can be built in modules based on the mission’s needs. A corridor connects the different modules to the main habitat structure. The proposal also reuses material from the spacecraft used to get to Mars.
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41.1
41.2
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Mars One “Mars One is a not for profit foundation with the goal of establishing a permanent human settlement on Mars. To prepare for this settlement the first unmanned mission is scheduled to depart in 2020. Crews will depart for their one-way journey to Mars starting in 2026; subsequent crews will depart every 26 months after the initial crew has left for Mars. Mars One is a global initiative aiming to make this everyone’s mission to Mars, including yours.” -Mars One The most popular organization working with living on Mars is Mars One. Their slogan “The Next Giant Leap for Mankind” supports their efforts of creating the first human habitation on Mars. This project hopes to land the first wave of humans on Mars in 2027 with additional crews arriving every 2 years. A demo and comstat mission is planned for the year 2020 to explore the planet and pick the best site location for the settlement. Over 200,000 people applied for the one-way mission.
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43.1
43.2
43.3
NaSa NASA is the leading corporation when it comes to space exploration. The Mars Exploration Program is a science-driven program that seeks to understand whether Mars was, is, or can be, a habitable world. This program has the phrase “follow the water” which has led to the understanding of potential life on Mars. NASA has been the leader for gathering information about Mars and has supported the establishment of new organizations, such as SpaceX. NASA currently has 4 satellites orbiting Mars and 3 rovers on the planet’s surface. NASA also has 4 more planned missions to be completed by 202o including another rover.
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1964: 1975: 1996: 2001: 2003: 2003: 2005: 2007: 2011: 2013:
Mariner 4, First flyby Viking, first landing Mars Pathfinder Mars Odyssey, High Resolution Images Mars Exploration Rover - Spirit Mars Exploration Rover - Opportunity Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter Phoenix Mars Landing Mars Science Laboratory - Curiosity Mars Atmosphere and Volatile Evolution
45.1
space x “SpaceX designs, manufactures and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. the company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology, with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.� -SpaceX in many areas, space x is the leader in space technology. led by elon musk, space x has developed new rockets and technology that will be used to put the first humans on mars. the privatization of space exploration has allows companies like space x to become highly involved in the process of getting to mars and beyond.
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47.1
antarctic research facility Sergiu-Radu Pop - Studio Hadid Vienna - University of Applied Arts this antarctic research facility provides a place where research can take place in a hostile environment. The design responds to the surrounding site and uses this response to influence the form of the building. interior light wells are created below skylights to allow natural light into the interior space.
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49.2
manta ray floating city jacques Rougerie This marine based research facility supports a sustainable city in the ocean. To be self-sufficient, the structure collects energy from wave activity, recycles its own waste, and produces food for the building’s users. The design relies on biomimicry of a manta ray to best adapt to the ocean climate.
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51.1
mars city design competition “Mars City Design is created to provide a platform for all of us to strive together for a shared goal, to create a great future for the human life on Mars, inspiring the human behavior and condition on Earth today.� -Mars City Design The submission date was at the half way point of the design process. This opportunity allowed me to hit a deadline and evaluate the progress made so far to better understand how to move forward for the remainer of the project. My submission was selected as 9th place overall and 3rd place in architecture in this international competition.
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53.1
Mars
Why mars? Mars was chosen for this project for multiple reasons. Being the closest planet to Earth, Mars will be the first planet humans can explore. Human habitation of Mars is a relevant discussion taking place and this project can feed off of and add to that discussion. NASA has already landed rovers on the Red Planet and data has been collected that can aid in the design process. Humans are currently working on the feasability of colonizing the planet, and this project only adds to the discussion and process of completing that goal.
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Mars vs Earth Comparisons mars is the most similar planet to earth in the solar system, but there are many critical differences that have to be understood. gravity on Mars is 1/3 that of Earth, changing the way humans move around on the planet. There atmospheric pressure on Mars is 0.5% that of Earth, making it impossible to survive without a pressurized suit or structure. One of the most critical problems with life on mars is radiation exposure. On Earth, humans are exposed to 0.75% of the radiation that they will experience on Mars. This difference leads to a high chance of cancer. Two years in space is equal to a lifetime of smoking with respect to chances of getting cancer.
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Earth vs. Mars Comparisons
Mars is the most similar planet to Earth in our Solar System, but the living conditions are still quite different. Radiation exposure, atmospheric pressure, and gravity all need to be reconsidered for design purposes.
Radiation Exposure Earth: 3 mSv/year Mars: 400 mSv/year
day comparison Earth: 24 hours/day Mars: 24.65 hours/day
Atmospheric Pressure Earth: 14.7 psi Mars: 0.087 psi
Gravity 2 Earth: 9.8 m/s 2 Mars: 3.7 m/s
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Earth to mars flight path Getting to Mars is more difficult than pointing a rocket in the right direction. The optimal alignment of the two planets only occurs every 25 months. This alignment allows for travel from Earth to Mars in around 7 months. The limited availability of launch dates and flight duration force the settlement on Mars to be as completely self-sustainable as possible since frequent resupplies from Earth are not an option.
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mars at arrival
earth at arrival
earth at departure
mars at departure
ideal travel trajectory (6-8 months)
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Site Selection - gale crater located near the equator of mars, the gale crater is the home of the martian research facility. multiple factors went into the selection of this site. being close to the equator, this is the warmest portion on mars. this crater is also where the curiosity rover is currently exploring. the rover provides access to images and data of the site. also, nasa chose this site as an area to explore and it is usually a safe bet to follow their lead.
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low water
high water
90 gale crater 5.4s 137.8e
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30
0
30
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Design Values
design values After completing the research for this project, three distict design values stood out as important to the proposal. Creating a fully self-sufficient design that can allow the Mars facility to operate without reliance on support from Earth is important to the success of the project. The second value is implementing technology into the design. Standard construction techniques will not be available for use on Mars so a new process needs to be utilized. The final value for this project is a focus of design on the intended user. This Martian base needs to be a place people feel safe going to and is still an exciting and enjoyable experience.
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project proposal
programming part of designing a research facility for mars includes determining what people are able to do in this facility. As the first permanent structure on mars, there will still be a lot of unknown properties of the planet. This facility will be a place to test new technologies, innovations, and methods of existence. In order for people to carry out this research, there needs to be areas for them to live, work, and play, but with on mars. Without the ability to resupply from earth, this facility must be self-reliable. This is not only true for oxygen, water, and food, but also for everyday living needs such as exercise, medical facilities, and entertainment. Each activity must be redefined to accommodate the new conditions humans will be exposed to. The design of this facility allows for modification so new applications can be tested and implemented. The facility can support 1800 people to live and work. Life Support Tower since resupplies from earth are not an option, the facility has to produce oxygen, food, and energy. the facility also has to deal with waste management, air purification, and water filtration. plants provide the solution to all of these necessities and can therefore all take place in the same area. The tower is the living portion of the building that also allows all other life to exist on the planet. this tower is the center of the facility providing for all the others. this tower also provides a connection to nature that is fundamentally human.
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spaces included in this portion of the facility: food production, water filtration, waste management, nature walk, telecommunications, aquaponics system research a large amount of space is required to test new technologies and innovations. areas such as energy production, water cleansing, plant growth, radiation shielding, temperature mitigation, and anything that may be needed in the future of the facility need to be tested before implemented. This portion of the facility is dedicated to the testing and development of new ideas. The reason for the facility exists depends on the ability of this space to assist the inhabitants of the facility. spaces included in this portion of the facility: laboratories, collaboration space, technology centers, sterile environments, presentation areas living the living space is more than rooms for individuals to sleep and live in. This portion of the facility needs to accommodate for all the elements humans consider part of a home. living away from family and friends on earth, a sense of community and support needs to be felt between the martian humans, while also providing for the requires privacy humans desire.
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spaces included in this portion of the facility: eating, sleeping, bathing, relaxing, religious worship, personal space recreation people on mars are still human. that reality cannot be forgotten. part of what makes a person human is recreation and leisure. people need the ability to exercise, relax, and enjoy life. this area is a support area for the human element of life. this area is treated as a town center where people go to “run errands.� the need for social interactions still exist and this happens through chance meetings at shops, restaurants, theaters, etc. spaces included in this portion of the facility: shops, restaurants, theaters, art exhibits, game rooms, fitness facilities, adjustable program based on current needs.
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recreation
life support tower
research/ work
living
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initial sketches and form finding The first step in the design process was sketching ideas. These sketches were influenced by the precedents studied and information gathered during the research phase. From early on, a tower element was important to the design. This element provided an iconic element to what will be an important step in human history, it creates a landmark in an otherwise monotonous landscape, and it also provides the functional element of radio communication by elevating the receivers high above the Mars surface. The first iterations of this tower can be seen in the models on the far right. These forms were created from patterns found on Mars’ surface and were adapted to respond to structural issues. Lessons learned in this step helped move the project forward to the final design solution.
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form diagram 1. Infinate Expansion: Offset circles create initial guidelines with the ability to infinately expand from the center. This radial pattern establishes a relationship of distance from the origin. 2. Growth from the Landscape: The form grows out of the landscape into the martian atmosphere. The arms move in both directions. Growth towards the center allows more intersections and spots for spaces to be created. Growth away fom the center allows infinate expansion into the future.
1
2
3
3. Bridge to Form Connections: Bridges are created from the radial arms to begin creating relationships to intersections. These connections begin defining important areas and creating voids in the structure to be used as connections between the interior and exterior through skylights. 4. Evolve into Habitable Space: The initial form begins to evolve into a building that can contribute to the success of the users. To respond to the challenges of the planet, portions of the form begin to move down below the surface for protection. This step also pushes the central collection of arms upwards to create the life support tower that also doubles as a landmark for the surrounding area. 5. Develop into Structure: Refinement takes place during theis step to develop the form into a structure. Construction methods, program needs, and feasability adapt the concept into a form that responds to the conditions of the planet. Safety, wayfinding, lighting, structure, and quality of life all impact the design.
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connection to tower The tower is the life support system that allows humans to survive on Mars. All of the air they breathe, food they eat, and water they drink comes from the tower. This provider of life has a connection to every person in the facility at all times. To ensure the people do not forget what connects them all together, a visual connection is provided from the interior spaces through the skylights. This visual connection helps provide a community feeling as all people understand that they are all in the same situation working together to advance human history.
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skylight atriums Open areas below skylights act as organizers for social spaces and circulation. These spaces provide a sense of community and a connection between the interior and exterior spaces. At the bottom of these atriums is the opportunity for nature. These restful spaces provide a connection back to nature found on Earth and a sanctuary from the lifeless Mars. The interior spaces of this facility allow a connection between the people and the structure that protects them
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integrated systems a benefit of 3D-Printing is the ability to integrate all of the necessary systems into the structure. Water, oxygen, electrical, and atmospheric pressure are all run through these integrated systems. Since all of the life support comes from the tower, there needs to be a system to deliver it to the rest of the facility. As the structure already spans from the tower to the rest of the facility, the integrated systems can fully support the entire structure.
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water supply
water return electrical/data
electrical/data
fresh air supply
radiant heating
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waste management A closed loop system is used for waste management. To prevent humans from contaminating Mars, their waste can not be dumped onto the planet but must rather be managed within the facility. The aquaponics syste, algae water, and anerobic digester helps with this process. All systems are filtered in the Life Support Tower and sent out to the facility. As the output is contaminated, it is flowed back into the tower to be cleaned before beginning the process again. The ability to clean its own waste is essential to the success of the facility.
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fresh air, clean water, and food are produced in the life support tower the supply is then distributed through the structure to the inhabited spaces
the waste is then returned to the life support tower to be recycled, filtered, and composted before the cycle begins again
carbon dioxide, use water, and waste are produced by the occupants
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glass systems New glass technology will be integrated into the glass system. The most important innovation included in the glass will be a film applied to the interior surface to block against UV radiation. Atmospheric pressure is also adressed in the glass system. The glass needs to die into the structure to ensure a seal is created that prevents the atmosphere from escaping. A transition space is created between two layers that helps with heat loss mitigation.
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the glass terminates in the form to create a seal that prevents loss of atmosphere
exterior structure
a transition space is created to provide a buffer between interior and exterior a film is applied to the interior glass to protect against uv radiation
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lessons learned
lessons learned The design values I applied to this project carried through and are even more important to me today. Climate change is a reality and architecture has a role to play in that situation. A facility on Mars is required to be self-sufficient and therefore sustainable making it a perfect example for how architecture on Earth can respond to the challenges of climate change. Until we design for Mars, humans will still be content with buildings that fall short of sustainable. Building technology is advanced past what we currently use in construction. Mars will be an opportunity to prove what technology can do to the architecture profession. 3D-Printing is just one example of how technological innovations can be implemented into the profession. The architecture industry will not adapt to new innovations until it is either necessary or proven. A facility on Mars will be the proof necessary that architecture can be moved into the future with technology. The last value explored was designing for the end user. Designing for Mars forces every aspect of use to be reevaluated and designed for. Every human activity will be different on Mars than on Earth and the designed spaces will have to respond to these differences. This process should be used on Earth but the importance is not recognized. Becoming an interplanetary species will force us to examine what it is to be human and ensure our spaces are responding to what is discovered.
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Space exploration is in the near future for humanity. Technology is advancing and making it more of a reality every year. Architects will have a role in this exploration with the responsibility of designing future buildings on other planets. The decisions made on these buildings will influence how we design on Earth.
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references
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Image resources
Image resources 37.1 http://www.marsicehouse.com/habitat/ 37.2 http://www.marsicehouse.com/habitat/bd2dg1rmtu736qy2wc9jbjp9ozr40e 39.1 http://3dpchallenge.tumblr.com/post/128773941848/teamgamma-awarded-second-place-peoples-choice 41.1 http://3dpchallenge.tumblr.com/image/128731340573 41.2 http://www.liquifer.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/LIQ_ web_lavahive_3.jpg 43.1/2/3 http://www.mars-one.com/ 45.1 http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/msl/images/index.html?id=341226 47.1 https://twitter.com/spacex 49.1/2 http://inhabitat.com/leviathan-transformable-antarctic-research-facility-acts-as-a-hub-for-environmental-tourism-in-antarctica/
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51.1 http://inhabitat.com/fascinating-floating-city-shaped-like-amanta-ray-would-be-100-self-sustaining/ 53.1 http://www.marscitydesign.com/ 57.1 http://mars.nasa.gov/allaboutmars/extreme/ 63.1 http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/express/spotlight/20050504/050405_ME_Water.jpg 63.2 https://galegazette.files.wordpress.com/2012/11/mt-sharpsa.jpg
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