Document Type
Paper
Abstract
After the Apollo era of the 60-70s, humans moved to establish colonies on Mars. As precursors to manned Martian missions begin to form, consideration must be given to where humans will live. The objective of this paper is to analyze the problems Mars presents for sustaining human life, and proposing how they could be solved with the Architectural Design of habitats. Living on Mars raises the question of how to solve high levels of radiation, cold temperatures, preservation of key resources, and human psychological effects. Currently, insulating materials are common practice to protect humans from extreme radiation and temperature. Though useful in the protection that they provide, living underground protects against radiation to a higher degree and allows for self-sufficiency by using planetary resources. Space Architecture looks to solve the problems by incorporating nearby materials and using the design of the habitat instead of needing accessory resources. To continue independence, the habitat must also preserve key resources and be highly efficient at doing so. The ability for a colony to be self-sufficient means that the likelihood of survival is dramatically higher. This comes first with the ability to continue recycling air, reusing/purifying wastewater, and growing enough food to sustain the people living in the building. Architecture can look to solve the routing of systems to recycle air and water, but the incorporation of a plant ecosystem into the habitat can solve all three problems simultaneously. Architecture at its base level can be defined as the creation of space for people to live and experience. Beyond taking care of humans physically, the importance of a habitat is to support their mental state. On Mars, humans must have a shared space that can grow along with the crew and create memorable experiences. If humans are to create a colony on Mars, it must have commonalities with the homes that we create on Earth.
Applications of Architecture for Future Martian Habitats
After the Apollo era of the 60-70s, humans moved to establish colonies on Mars. As precursors to manned Martian missions begin to form, consideration must be given to where humans will live. The objective of this paper is to analyze the problems Mars presents for sustaining human life, and proposing how they could be solved with the Architectural Design of habitats. Living on Mars raises the question of how to solve high levels of radiation, cold temperatures, preservation of key resources, and human psychological effects. Currently, insulating materials are common practice to protect humans from extreme radiation and temperature. Though useful in the protection that they provide, living underground protects against radiation to a higher degree and allows for self-sufficiency by using planetary resources. Space Architecture looks to solve the problems by incorporating nearby materials and using the design of the habitat instead of needing accessory resources. To continue independence, the habitat must also preserve key resources and be highly efficient at doing so. The ability for a colony to be self-sufficient means that the likelihood of survival is dramatically higher. This comes first with the ability to continue recycling air, reusing/purifying wastewater, and growing enough food to sustain the people living in the building. Architecture can look to solve the routing of systems to recycle air and water, but the incorporation of a plant ecosystem into the habitat can solve all three problems simultaneously. Architecture at its base level can be defined as the creation of space for people to live and experience. Beyond taking care of humans physically, the importance of a habitat is to support their mental state. On Mars, humans must have a shared space that can grow along with the crew and create memorable experiences. If humans are to create a colony on Mars, it must have commonalities with the homes that we create on Earth.
