Thinking of Outer Space
The theme of space has been explored much, over the years. Movies, series, storybooks, and other media have extensively covered imagining such spaces, and all of them have one image in their heads…the heavily metal fabricated, tech-savvy, automated geeks, running the operations.
This imagery holds true since they are derived from the current space technology and materials that have been developed. On other planets, the absence of atmosphere binds us inside a box, with restrictions on building materials, technology, and spatial design. That’s why our future life in space is imagined in the way it is.
Futurism is a very strong theme in these images, and we are still discovering the many elements that are encompassed in this vast universe. But with the way humans are faring right now, this seemingly imaginary situation might as well become a closer reality.
Are we ready to even comprehend the reality of our present situation, let alone start planning for interplanetary habitation?
What about extra-terrestrial habitation?
Owing to our insensitive lifestyle, the planet we currently inhabit is on the brink of collapsing. As we are waking up to this realization, the fight for survival has become more real now. Even with the work being done towards sustainability, the pace that is needed to prevent mass annihilation is not being achieved. With this fear, a backup plan is contemplated, to ensure the survival of our species and life, even if Earth dies.
But if we did have to relocate, the questions that come to mind are endless. What aspects of life would we rethink? Can we prepare for such an experience within time? Even if we are able to successfully colonize another planet, how will we ensure the survival of our new home after having destroyed Earth? Will history repeat itself?
The amount of effort and resources that will go towards inhabiting a new planet are immense. But even a fraction of that, if put into rejuvenating what we have lost on Earth, could drastically improve our chances of survival on our home planet.
What role could designers play at this crucial standpoint in time, to reinforce this awakening?
Brief of the Competition
We need to make people aware of the possibility of bringing change to the world. When they imagine their life on Earth, a new vision of coexistence and harmony with nature must be generated in their minds.
Brief:
To design a space experience center that emulates a new planet to be colonized from scratch and tries to educate its visitors on how our daily life choices as a species, define the future.
The design of this experiential center must follow the theme of life on an alien planet. It can show the day-to-day activities and life in space. It can display what a typical shelter would look like.
Even though this center is designed to show its visitors what life on a new planet would look like, the aim of the design must be to highlight the changes that would occur in our lifestyle, and what we would be missing from our life on Earth.
The center will promote the green movement of sustainability.
Design Objectives
- Story — The careful curation of areas that we would need on another planet.
- Learning — The experience should endorse learning for various ages about how planet colonization impacts ecosystems and the impact of our day-to-day actions.
- User Experience — Even though the experience is out worldly, the journey of the visitor through the center must be engaging and interactive. Avoid ‘alienating’ the visitors.
- Sustainability — The lessons learned from the years of damage rendered to Earth, to reimagine design in an idealistic sustainable manner.
Site
The United States has a space agency called the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) which deals with scientific discovery and aeronautic research. The main objective is to understand Earth, its processes, and its environment.
The site for this challenge is located in Houston, Texas, USA. Houston is known for its close link with NASA, as it is home to NASA’s Johnson Space Center. ‘Houston’ was the first word spoken on the moon and the city has been linked to many space and science-related contributions, making it an apt location for the challenge’s typology.
The site is surrounded by cultural and commercial establishments that ensure good pedestrian footfall. The site is adjacent to the Buffalo Bayou Park, in the center of the city.
- Site area — 4,061 sqm
- FAR — 1.0
- height restrictions — 12m
- coordinates — 29°45'28.9"N 95°24'11.2"W
Program Outline
The area program for this facility would be to represent daily lifestyles if we were to be displaced to either a space station or another planet. The spaces should be both experiential and an exhibition.
Originally published at https://uni.xyz
