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In a world facing the devastating effects of climate change, can space research provide useful information for designing more sustainable buildings and cities? This is the question that participants at the third Space Architecture Workshop attempted to answer. Held July 15–19, this five-day event in Milan brought together experts in architecture, space design, and space research to discuss the theme “Designing for 2 Worlds.”
Presented by the Lugano-based School of Disruption with René Waclavicek and Barbara Imhof (cofounder and partner of LIQUIFER), the Space Architecture Workshop investigates potential applications on earth of the knowledge gained through space research. The latest edition of the event, which took place in Italy, after the first edition in Strasbourg and the second in Lugano, attracted 30 participants from 15 countries around the world. Again this year, the program included lectures and workshops, concluding with a competition between project teams.
The winning project, MOOD (moon + food), is a self-sufficient and sustainable lunar base, comprising an industrial-scale food and water production plant, operating with a 99.9% closed cycle, that can act as a supply hub for the moon and beyond.
Inspired by the work of Dante Bini and using a modular design for scalability, the project explores the architecture and biotechnology needed to create a structure for both living and production that can be used on earth and the moon.
The project was the work of Clarissa Ardon, Ayfer Göksu Bakir, Lucano Deskovic, and Romina Ellero.
There were three other group projects at the Space Architecture Workshop.
LERA 03 (Lunar Exploration in a Rover Above) is an all-in-one lunar vehicle that acts as a lander and living quarters. It also incorporates a vehicle for exploring the lunar surface able to host four astronauts for a month. This vehicle detaches from the main body after landing to conduct research missions.
WASP (Wide-range Adaptable Space Pathfinder) is a versatile lunar vehicle that, drawing its inspiration from the adaptability of wasps, supports different missions: pressurized or unpressurized, manned or unmanned. Because it’s modular, it’s possible to assemble several “wasps” to create smaller and larger vehicles.
PIER (Pioneers for Innovative Exploration Research) is an optimized infrastructure system that provides energy, maintenance, storage, and radiation and dust protection. A unique feature of this project is that a robot-operated workshop is first sent to the moon to build the structure on site using 3D printing technology.
The event featured a panel of top-level speakers: Advenit Makaya, engineer at the European Space Agency; Daniel Schubert, deputy head of department at the German Aerospace Center; Miranda Fateri, professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Aalen University; Brent Sherwood, former senior vice-president of Blue Origin; and Maria Antonietta Perino, director of International Network Opportunities at Thales Alenia Space.
Besides Barbara Imhof and René Waclavicek, this year’s jury included Adolfo Suarez, partner and director of L22 Retail, a division of Lombardini22; Emma Gatti, editor-in-chief of Space Watch; and Carlotta Zucchini, founder and editor-in-chief of THE PLAN.
Cover image: The Winning Team
All images courtesy of School of Disruption
