The Future of Living

American University of Sharjah, College of Architecture, art and Design, Sharjah

Project idea

Aiming to explore our inherent nomadic impulse to wander, this project investigates the point at which sustainability becomes survivability as we participate in making humanity a multi-planetary species. As a self-sufficient dwelling in the red planet, the project shows deep understanding of Martian environment, physics related issues, and the psychology of isolation. Sustainability and self-sufficiency are the main goals around which the design proposal is generated.

Project description

The architectural solution takes into consideration: How shelter is deployed, assembled, and maintained, raising questions about the nature of dwelling, and the psychological effects it will have on its users as we design for long term habitation.

Technical information

Successfully landed on Mars you need, water, food, and power to survive. Nuclear energy fission reactors, vertical hydroponic structures, WAVAR, and MOXIE are examples of technologies used to create a self-sustaining Martian dwelling. On the surface of Mars, the absence of a protective atmosphere makes its surface very hard and very exposed to extreme temperatures. Building a dwelling within a Martian cave shields the structure from any harmful UV radiations.