Evaluation

Marc M. Cohen

Introduction

The studio system has been serving as the primary forum for teaching architecture as a profession and as an art since the mid-19th Century. Faculty approaches vary widely in posing the design problem and critiquing the students as they attempt to solve it. However, there are certain fundamentals that are generally constant. There is one or more faculty who teach the studio. These “home faculty” write a design brief or program that poses a design problem and challenges the students to solve it with architectural concepts and building or landscape design. Students work progressively on the design problem and bring their work to the studio to show the faculty and receive periodic (often weekly) crits. The premise is that the students respond to the crits, revise their drawings or models, and then show them again to the faculty. This process leads through various and optional reviews until the final review at the end of the studio term. Then, a formal review of all the student work takes place.

This review follows an approach to teaching in the studio that the faculty or design critic gives the best service to the student by being absolutely honest and stating the assessment directly, fairly, and impartially. It is the duty of the reviewer to identify errors, flaws, and weaknesses in a project and then point them out to the student. Only in this way can the student learn to overcome obstacles and failures. The reviewer would do a disservice to the student by soft-pedaling the analysis and evaluation. At the same time, it is also the responsibility to point out to the student the successes of the project. This duty is important because the students tend to be much more aware of their deficiencies than they are of what they did right.

Identifying and describing these successes helps the student understand her or his strengths as a designer and architect, which will help focus the design effort the next time.

None of this pedagogy means that the critic, faculty, or reviewer should be harsh or unkind to the stude nts. On the contrary, it is the responsibility of the reviewer to study the student project well before the review so that the reviewer can address the project as the student presents it, rather than needing to psychoanalyze everything the student thought and did to arrive at the initial concept. The reviewer should prepare to offer assessments of each project before the review begins, filling in the blanks with statements the students make and the answers that they give during the prese ntation. This knowledge beforehand, and the insight to ask questions that are concise and to the point enable the reviewer to address the review discussion with empathy and kindness.

Evaluation

This review takes place in the classic tradition of the architecture studio. In the traditional studio review, the “home faculty” evaluates how well the students solve the problem, meet the requirements of the program, and assess how good their solutions are. This review takes a different approach and offers two kinds of evaluations: of the individual projects and of the set of projects as a whole. Thus, this review offers also an evaluation of the student work, but not within the context of the design brief. Instead, this review takes the perspective of the larger world of Space Architecture and human spaceflight. It assesses how well the students develop solutions that might be reasonable and feasible in the professional practice of Space Architecture.

The evaluation of the twelve projects as a set goes to another set of considerations. It poses the question of how students learn when presented with unfamiliar and novel ideas and constraints in a Space

Architecture studio. When exposed to so much new and often difficult knowledge, rarely is it possible for the students to absorb and process it all when “drinking from the fire hose” of information. The concepts and knowledge that the students do retain show up in their Space Architecture studio projects. The extents to which students absorb and then apply these ideas, criteria, and functions often vary radically from one project to another.

Project Evaluation

The evaluations cover twelve of the Destination Moon proje cts. The assessment methodology is to identify first what the student Space Architects put into their proje cts. There are three broad domains of evaluation: Concept, Represe ntation, and Space Architecture Features. Concept encompasses the generative or inspirational ideas that the students bring to their proje cts, and derives both from their life experience and the broad sweep of ideas presented to the class. Representation covers the ways in which the students present their ideas through sketches, studies, diagrams, scale drawings whether by hand or by CAD, and scale models; it is a metric for the skill and craft that the students bring to the project, without which there can be no product or result. Finally, the Space Architecture Features make visible the specific knowledge that the students gained and applied in deciding what is important to include in the project and how these elements relate to one another.

This set of reviews provides an assessment of each project. The evaluations depend upon the completeness of content, degree of detail, and specificity about function and purpose that the students provide. Where this information is deficient, it is not possible to give as in depth an assessment .

Students and Instructors

Vienna UT

Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger

Instructor

Sandra HäuplikMeusburger is an architect and expert in the field Habitability in Extreme Environment. She is Assistant Professor at the Institute for Architecture and Design, Department for Building Construction and Design - HB2 at the Vienna UT. Sandra is a member of the Space Architecture Technical Committee of the AIAA, and has worked and collaborated on several aerospace design projects. Her book Architecture for Astronauts has been published by Springer in 2011.

Instructor

San-Hwan Lu is an architect and Assistant Professor at the Institute for Architecture and Design, Department for Building Construction and Design - HB2 at the Vienna UT. His field of expertise is building technology and design. He has been working with international firms for over ten years in the realization of complex building envelope geometries of large scale projects. Currently he is writing his PhD thesis on the development of sustainability from an international perspective.

Consultants Lecturers

Guest Critics

alphabetically

Lecturer

After a degree in Industrial Design at the Polytechnic of Milan, Manuela Aguzzi achieved a PhD on the topic Research and Design for Space Exploration, during which she analyzed exploration scenarios, design of habitat modules, logistic systems and auxiliary robotic structures. Since 2007 she is working at the Astronaut Center of the European Space Agency as Astronaut Instructor. Her main role is to train the assigned astronauts to perform scientific activities on board of the ISS.

Lecturer

Werner Balogh works for the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs at the United Nations Office at Vienna. Prior to this he was with the Austrian Space Agency, responsible for human spaceflight and space science activities and representing Austria in the ESA Programme Board for Human Spaceflight, Microgravity and Exploration. He holds degrees from the Vienna University of Technology, the International Space University and the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.

LECTURER / CRITIC

Walter Bein has studied psychology and meteorology in Graz. He is a qualified expert for flight psychology for the Austrian Aviation Authority with a focus on crew fitness and aircraft accident analysis in close cooperation with flight medicine. He was head of the department for flight psychology of the Austrian ministry of defense as well as military pilot. His work encompassed human resources as well as safety in military aviation. In this context he was also the leading psychologist for the AustroMIR 1991 mission.

LECTURER / CRITIC

Marc M. Cohen is a licensed architect who has d evoted his career to design research and development in aerospace, particularly human spaceflight. He worked at the NASA Ames Research Center for 26 years. He was Project Architect for the ‘Habot Mobile Lunar Base Project’, the Inventor and Team Lead of the ‘Suitport Extra-VehicularActivity Access Facility’ and ‘Human Engineering Lead’ amongst other proje cts. With ‘Cohen Astrotecture’ he consults in Human Systems Integration and Space Architecture to provide services to NASA and the Space Community.

Critic

Sue Fairburn has been a Design Lecturer/ Researcher at Robert Gordon University, Scotland in 2007. Prior to that, she held a variety of research and management posts in International Health, Design for Extreme Environme nts, and Design for Development. Sue holds post-graduate degrees in Industrial Design and Environmental Physiology. Her eclectic work history has helped inform Sue‘s broad ranging research interests, with an approach consistently focused on bridging design and applied human sciences and working between the extremes and the everyday.

Lecturer

Norbert Frischauf is a High Energy Physicist (Astrophysics and Particle Physics) by education and a Future Studies Systems Engineer by training. Being highly interested in all sorts of technologies as well as the micro and macro cosmos his educational and vocational career led him to several distinct places, such as CERN, ESTEC and the European Commission. At the moment he is involved within Galileo and EGNOS, supporting the development and roll-out of the European Global Navigation Satellite System. Norbert is a leading member in various associations (like the OEWF) and is active as science communicator.

Consultant

Prof. Foing obtained his PhD in Astrophysics and Space Techniques. In 1993 he joined ESA as staff scientist, where his varied roles have included being a co-investigator for missions such as SOHO, Mars Express, Expose-Organics on ISS and COROT. He has been Project Scientist for SMART-1, the first ESA spacecraft to travel to the Moon. He serves as Executive Director of the International Lunar Exploration Working Group (ILEWG), Prof. at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and member of the IAA. He coordinated ILEWG design studies and field campaigns to support the preparation to future Moon-Mars bases.

LECTURER / CRITIC

Michaela Gitsch joined the Austrian Space Agency in 1986 and has worked for more than 20 years in space administration. She is responsible for communication, education and outreach at the Aeronautics and Space Agency of FFG and acts as Austrian ISU Liaison Officer. She acted as Chairperson of the Advisory Committee on Education of ESA in 2008 and 2009. She also led the workpackage Education & Outreach of ERA-STAR Regions, within the EU Framework. She has been organizing the Summer School Alpbach since 1986 and took directorship in 2010 from the Founder and Father Johannes Ortner.

LECTURER / CRITIC

Gernot Groemer holds a MSc in astronomy and a PhD in Astrobiology. He teaches and does research at the University of Innsbruck in the field of human Mars exploration and Astrobiology. He is also a lecturer at ISU and a member of the Space Generation Advisory Council (Board of Mentors). Various research sojourns in Italy, USA and Chile include being an Outreach coordinator of the European lunar mission LunarSat, a Simulation of a crewed expedition on Mars in Utah and the Flight Crew 37th ESA Parabolic Flight Campaign. He is part of the Programme Management Group for AustroMars and PolAres.

Lecturer

Petra Gruber is an architect and expert in biomimetics and building science with a focus on construction and sustainability. She received her PhD in biomimetics in architecture - architecture of life and buildings and has been an Assistant Professor at the Vienna UT until she founded her own company transarch in 2008. She is currently Professor of Urban Design and Development at the Ethiopian Institute of Architecture and is engaged in various projects in e.g. Indonesia and Saudi-Arabia. Her research focuses on inn ovation, evolution and adaption of architecture in the context of natural, economic and socio-cultural environment.

Lecturer

Michael Hajek studied physical engineering in Vienna and received his Ph.D. in radiation protection, dosimetry and nuclear safety. He is Assistant Professor at the Institute of Atomic and Subatomic Physics of the Vienna UT since 2006 and holder of the International Sold State Dosimetry Organization (ISSDO) Award. Guest scientist at accelerator centres in Germany, Japan and Switzerland. Head of multiple research projects assessing radiation exposure in space. Long-established cooperation with the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) and the European Space Agency (ESA).

Lecturer

Dr. Joachim Huber completed his studies to become a trained specialist in internal medicine and cardiology in Vienna. He was educated as Flight Surgeon in Fürstenfeldbruck and at the NATO and became specialist for aerospace medicine in Moscow and St. Petersburg. He is an emergency physician with his practice based in Vienna. He is long-term consultant for ESA, NASA, NASDA and the Russian space agency based on his experiences as Flight Surgeon and Aerospace Medicine Specialist.

Critic

Kabru has studied technical physics and industrial design (University for Applied Arts) as well as architecture (Vienna University of Technology). He graduated with honors from the University of Applied Arts and received the recognition award of the ministry of science and arts for his diploma thesis in 1995. He is a member of propeller z since 1994. Apart from being a practicing architect he also has a long-standing involvement in teaching and lecturing, both at a national and international level. Since 2012 Kabru is a guest professor at the NDU Sankt Pölten.

After having obtained a Master of Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering in 2001, Olivier Lamborelle floated in the space business and never left it. After working in Paris and Brussels, he is astronaut instructor at the European Astronaut Center in Cologne (Germany) since 2007, teaching space travelers how to perform science on-board the International Space Station. When performing his additional Eurocom duties, he has then the chance to talk to the astronauts while they fly on the ISS.

Regina Peldszus is a design researcher focusing on soft human factor aspects in extreme en vironme nts, particularly spaceflight. She has worked with the European space industry and contributed design applications to mission simulations in Russia and the US. Most recently, she has completed AHRC funded doctoral research into design aspects for the behavioral dimension of deep space missions. A member of AIAA‘s Space Architectural Technical Committee, she lives and works in London and Berlin.

Lecturer

Tomas Rousek has studied architecture at the Czech Technical University and International Space University. As a founder of Futura Pragensis he has organized various international exhibitions. He has helped NASA Habitation Team at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and is an international collaborator of the NASA Media Innovation Team at the NASA Ames Research Center. He founded A-ETC in 2005, a design company with teams in Prague, Tokyo and London where he currently lives.

Lecturer

Daniel Schubert is section head (RY-SR) at the Institute of Space Systems (DLR-RY) where he has been working since 2007. He has contributed to several CE-studies on bio-regenerative life support systems. He is also part of the DLR CROP project. Since 2010, he is project leader of the DLR research initiative EDEN, which investigates different Controlled Environmental Agriculture (CEA) technologies for the transformation into space proven hardw are conce pts.

Consultant

Born in 1944, P. Michael Schultes graduated from the Vienna UT with a degree in architecture. His main area of interest is membrane building shells. In 2007 he and colleagues founded experimonde in order to create a space for e xperime ntation in the area of sustainable construction. P.M.Schultes lives and works in Austria and France.

Critic

Mag. Dr. Ulrike Schmitzer is a science editor at Radio Ö1 (ORF – Austrian Broadcasting Company), an independent film maker and author. Her documentaries in the fields of architecture and space for 3sat include „SpaceArchitecture“ (45 min) and „Space-Medicine“ (45 min). She has received various awards including the Inge-Morath-Award for Science Publishing 2012. Her debut novel „Die falsche Witwe“ (“The false widow”) has been published in the “edition atelier” in 2011.

Lecturer

Dr. Gerhard Paul Julius Thiele is a German physicist and a former ESA astronaut. He received a doctorate degree in physics at the University of Heidelberg and conducted postdoctoral studies at Princeton University. He joined the DLR as a science astronaut in 1987, serving as the alternate payload specialist of the German spacelab D-2 Mission in 1993. From 1996 to 2001 he served as a NASA astronaut and flew on the Space Shuttle SRTM mission as a mission specialist in 2000. He was the Head of ESA Astronauts Division until 2010 and is currently Resident Fellow at the ESPI in Vienna.

Critic

Franz Viehböck is a scientist and astronaut. He studied electrical engineering at the Vienna UT and was selected to serve as the first Austrian astronaut aboard the Austromir 91 mission. Subsequently he worked for Rockwell as ProgramDevelopment Manager of the Space-SystemsDivision and for Boeing as Director for International Business Development of the Space Systems Group. Since 2000 he is also technology consultant of the province of Lower Austria. He has been working for the Austrian company Berndorf since 2002 where he currently is a member of the board of directors.

LECTURER / CRITIC

Andreas Vogler studied architecture at the ETH Zürich and has worked in London, at the TU Munich, TU Delft and as Guest professor at the Royal Academy in Kopenhagen. His fields of research include pre-fabricated building, light-weight construction and space architecture. In 2003 he founded the research and design studio “Architecture and Vision” together with Arturo Vittori. His works in architecture and aerospace have been exhibited at the Centre Pompidou and are part of the collections of the MoMA in New York as well as the MSI in Chicago. He is a member of the ByAK and of the AIAA.

2031: the preliminary habitat basic habitability and research functions will be later converted to the surface research laboratory

2050: extended science facilities using lunar topological features plants labaratory biological science private crewquarters sleeping private space social space living, cooking, sport, .... private crewquarters sleeping private space galler natur

Aymara

Project by Karl Hengl and Mark Steinschifter

Location Shackleton Crater

Year 2031

Mission Objective research and mining

Mission Length 6 months

Crew members 3 permanent / 3 temporary Typology multifunctional / mobile, surface stationary, underground

Specific Characteristics

Multifunctional inflatable station, which has an adaptable interior for different functions and uses. Additional permanent underground base with greenhouse and safe-haven.