_ I t e r a t i o n 2.1 - Landfrom
A TRAINING FACILITY FOR ASTRONAUTS FROM THE NATIONAL AND PRIVATE SECTOR SPACE AGENCIES LOCATED IN SUTHERLAND, SOUTH AFRICA
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It was decided to construct the entire facility as a landform structure. The purpose of doing this was to emphasize the isolation that the future astronauts will have to face during their training, as some of the training simulations will require them to be locked in the Bio-domes for brief periods of time. The view of the domes is then focused mainly on the natural landscape which surrounds it. The proposed administration and workshop will break this feeling of isolation when the simulation is complete. In a sense, these can be seen as the Earth that are buried on site. If staff members are required to work after 6 p.m., the proposed facility’s landform architecture coupled with large overhangs can limit light pollution on site. As the user or staff get closer to the proposed facility, the rest of the facility comes into view. The current iteration gives the impression that the proposed Bio-domes are the only construction on site.
