Synthesising ancient wisdom and advanced technologies for sustainable living on Mars
MaCAD Building information Modeling & Smart Construction Studio
Humanity looks at space with a collective curiosity, fixated on the rusty red orb in our night sky: Mars. The dream is not merely one of scientific exploration but a grand venture to transform an alien landscape into a new frontier for humanity. As Earth faces challenges, the quest for a planetary backup plan becomes more urgent. The journey to the red planet, once a distant aspiration, becomes a beacon of hope for the survival and expansion of our species.
In this design studio, we aim to push the boundaries of space architecture by combining the wisdom of ancient design principles with the possibilities offered by advanced technologies. Through innovative approaches to underground living, we strive to create a self-sustaining and thriving Martian habitat, setting the stage for the future of human colonization beyond Earth.
This studio, called “Beyond BIM”, is an invitation to a speculative journey to conceptualise our future home on the Red Planet. Is focused on the development of a Mars-based architectural project from concept to fabrication, on which the students will research the unique design challenges of Mars and develop a concept for the first human community on it. Using computational workflows, students will iterate and refine their designs, culminating in a coordinated and collaborative BIM model from which both documentation and assembly processes will be extracted.
Over three months, students will make use of various tools such as Revit, Dynamo, Rhino, Grasshopper, Rhino-Inside, and so on to develop iterative and data-driven design processes. The course will also cover advanced techniques such as coding, data visualisation, and collaborative platforms.
Throughout the course, students will also explore case studies of parametric design in practice and engage with advanced topics such as integration with BIM software. By the end of the course, students will have gained a strong foundation on how to implement advanced BIM workflows on complex parametric projects as well as the ability to collaborate and iterate across multiple teams using AI-driven processes.
Get ready to shape the City of Aleph into a testament to human resilience and adaptability on the red planet!
The main objective of this module is for the students to learn how to utilise advanced BIM and collaborative tools within a design process that resembles how BIM is used in real-world architecture practice.
KEYWORDS
BIM, Computation, Collaboration, Integration, Artificial Aided Design, Design, Documentation, Fabrication, Space Architecture
The brief for the BIM & Smart Construction studio module tasked us with developing an outpost on Mars whilst collaborating with the wider cohort to eventually develop a colony. We were given a number of potential directives to choose from, of which we chose to look at mining and accommodation. One of the first tasks … Read more
“An innovative way for agriculture on Mars, pushing boundaries of space exploration ensuring future interplanetary habitation.” Mars—the Red Planet—is getting closer. According to the experts, human settlements on Mars might be visible in ten years, allowing for more space exploration. Keeping that in mind, this semester’s goal is to create a 300-person Mars colony. The … Read more
Project Concept In Marsensate we explore designing on Mars in order to habit a Marsian colony. The primary goal of our colony was based around Sprituality, to provide a more human environment that appeal to everyone, regardless of their beliefs, genders, preferences, and we focused on the aspect that we all have in common, which … Read more
Concept Our approach for the project was focused on the spiritual aspect of life on mars. We wanted to explore what does spirituality mean beyond survival for the individual, the group, the collective and beyond..? We started by the site selection. By positioning our project on a relatively flat portion of the designated construction region, … Read more
The Martian Aggreculture project envisions a food production facility for the first colony on Mars. Our combinatorial modelling approach is data driven – flowing from the demands of the program and the realities of building on Mars into our aggregated architecture to provide a decentralized and resilient food production facility. Colonization at the Aggreculture site … Read more
Project Brief Solis Centrum is a project for the BIMSC Studio class within the 2023/24 MaCAD program. This project aims to represent the solar center of the Aleph City community, a conceptual community on Mars located on the Valles Marines. Mission Statement Solis Centrum aims to represent the solar center of the Aleph City community. … Read more
Project Concept Establishing a Martian food colony around a Mohole, designed based on growth morphology of alfalfa for efficient organization and development using L-systems. These terminologies are further explained below. Moholes Moholes on Mars are massive cylindrical excavations in the regolith, reaching up to 1 km in diameter and 7 km in depth. With temperatures … Read more
Building Agricultural Abundance on Mars The Mars underground sanctuary residential complex envelops vertical farming beneath its protective skin and 3D-printed wall system, where sunlight delicately filters through, embracing the celestial surroundings and meticulously crafting a breathtaking habitat on the Martian surface. 01_design concept & reference The initial endeavor aimed to pioneer the voxel settlement concept, … Read more
Technology for Resource Acquisition and Nutrient Synthesis through Ferric Oxide Reduction on Mars Project TRANSFORM. is Mars mining laboratory inspired by nature. The project is based upon studies of the different ant species extracting different parameters to establish a sustainable colony located in the deeps of Valles Marineris in a harsh cold environment. We wanted … Read more
Inhabiting Ice Cavities under the Martian Surface Introduction – The Idea For the first settlers on Mars, we have envisioned a colony of Aqua-Miners with the primary task of harvesting water as a resource from the ice beneath Mars’ surface, storing it and recycling it for sustainable use. Our approach to this problem has been … Read more
Embracing community living and relaxation as essential components to overcome the challenges of life on the Red Planet. In the prospective colonization of Mars, Meditation and Wellbeing were identified as key elements to endure life far from Earth. During the research, the concept of the Japanese Pagoda, a vertical structure that encompasses the five elements … Read more
Sculpting on Mars Martian Environment – Human Habitat – Water Production “Well-Nest” is a Mars colony primarily dedicated to water mining and accommodation.We advocate for the development of a comprehensive system aimed at extracting, storing, and circulating water throughout the colony. Low Terrain Slope; Min Risk of Excavation Challenge; Expose to Solar radiation – Gaining … Read more
Concept The main concept of our project was to design a scalable and adaptive Mars colony system focused on mining, residential, and recreation functions. This combination would ensure that our project would be a cohesive habitat for the Martian miners. Our approach In our system, we decided to go with open pit mining as our … Read more
Reimagining a Human Settlement on the Red Planet Envisioning a self-sustained colony on Mars, our primary focus is on revolutionizing transportation within the red planet. Sustainability is our guiding principle as we design an efficient transportation system that seamlessly connects habitats across various clusters. Incorporating Tensegrity moving parts, Inflatable lightweight structures, and a Hexagonal Grid framework, our approach embraces a Kit-Of-Part methodology. Following … Read more
