After successful completion of the course, students are able to explore and transform a complex design task in the field of architecture, systematically and with an original, contemporary design approach. They are further able to present their work using a precise architectural language within an interdisciplinary jury in English.

In particular students will be able to:

• Explore and analyse the limits, constraints, and opportunities of extreme environmental conditions in relation to construction, operation and habitability and its consequences for design;
• Recognize, discuss and evaluate essential project-related (structure, material, function and design) issues within an intercultural group;
• Develop a multidisciplinary approach in order to systematize and address multiple issues (technological, environmental, psychological, physiological) into a coherent design synthesis;
• Elaborate a coherent design solution within a chosen set of environmental constraints and design goals, 
• as well as appropriately presenting it to a professional audience.

Course dates!
Mo 30.8. 2021  Introduction and start of the design studio
Mo 25.11.2021 Final Presentation and Panel Discussion
Project meetings take place weekly online via Teams. (Additional Meetings will be offered upon need)

Framework: Since 1972 no human has walked on the Moon. This is about to change. The ‘new space age’ with a number of governmental and private entities is targeting for a settlement on the Moon within 2030, as per Artemis’ mission goals. Instead of military and highly trained personal, people from all over the world and with a variety of cultural and social backgrounds will become the next lunar inhabitants. As they will live and work in an extreme and isolated environment, the architectural design and formulation of the habitat is key for mission success as for physical and mental health in such isolated, confined, and extreme environment.

Designtask: Within the design studio students shall explore opportunities, limits, and constraints related to the design, construction, operation and implementation of integrated life-support and greenhouse technologies for a habitat in an isolated and extreme environment. The goal is to explore possible solutions that are based on an intercultural and cross-disciplinary design process and transform them into an innovative architectural project.

During the course we will explore and discuss the following three principles of Extreme Environment Design:

First, everything is limited and you have to do more with less.

Due to the transportation constraints, available space is limited. Spaciousness and usability has to be increased by design, rather by physical volume. We will discuss zoning and multipurpose and versatile spaces. Not only physical space, but everything is limited: air, water, food, power, fuel, … even people. Every ‘solution’ must address multiple challenges; proposed solutions cannot take up too much room or power, while they must not interfere with the operation of critical systems or human activities.

Second, we have to make without or substitute for what is not there.

There is no natural atmosphere and no fauna and flora. In order to survive a lunar habitat needs an integrated life-support system. A greenhouse is necessary for the utilitarian aspect of food production, but also for representing a physical and psychological bond with the terrestrial lifecycle. Currently, those ‘systems’ (the habitat and the greenhouse) are seen as single (almost ready-made) elements and are not architecturally connected. This solely engineering approach misses the restorative effects of greenery for optimal cognitive functioning in isolated environments.

Third, everything is a valuable resource.

‘Pollution is nothing but the resources we are not harvesting’, Buckminster Fuller said in 1980. For a habitat in an extreme environment ‘circularity’ of the use of  all ‘resources’ is an important component, representing an optimal testbed for possible ‘spinoffs’ of sustainable systems and technologies into ‘ordinary’ buildings.

The design studio takes place in cooperation with students from the Abu Dhabi University. The joint meetings will take place once a week via Zoom. They usually start with inputlectures from designated invited experts. Additional meetings for TU studnets will be offered on demand. Depending upon the situation they will be online, present or hybrid. 

We will start the studio with a philosophical discussion on the ‘idea of a garden’. We will explore the Arabian cultural heritage of oasis and its connotations in poetry and music, especially in relation to the role of a garden for human beeings. A genre of Arabic poetry known as the rawdiya – the garden poem – meant to conjure the image of the Garden of Paradise, and shall serve as inspiration for the design integration.

 “The garden of the world has no limits, except in your mind.”
(Rumi, Persian poet, 13^th century)

Following this philosophical investigation into ‘what is / can / shall be the meaning of a garden’, we will focus on 'how to integrate our meaning of the garden' into the habitat'.  Input lectures on specific technical and scientific topics will be given by the tutors and invited guest lectures.

We will look, for example, into the traditional irrigation systems OASIS and FALAJ – a unique design for water scarcity in hot-arid environments. And at the same time investigate state-of-the-art technology of water treatment and recycling systems as used on-board the International Space Station and in future planetary bases and deep space transfer vehicles. We will further discuss strategies of technical integration into the habitat and more...

The design task is aimed to foster multidisciplinary collaboration, investigation of innovative and alternative technologies, and stimulate reflexions about the symbiotic relationship between habitats and environment.

Cooperation with Abu Dhabi University
Paolo Caratelli, Associate Professor, Department of Architecture and Design, Al-Ain Campus

References

Haeuplik-Meusburger S., Bishop S. (2021) Space Habitats and Habitability: Designing for Isolated and Confined Environments on Earth and Space, Springer

Haeuplik-Meusburger S., Bannova O. (2016) Space Architecture Education for Engineers and Architects, Springer

Haeuplik-Meusburger S. (2011) Architecture for Astronauts: An Activity Based Approach, Springer

Birkeland, J. (2002) Design for Sustainability: A Sourcebook of Integrated, Eco-logical Solutions by Janis Birkeland, Earthscan Publications Ltd.

Eckart P. (2006) The Lunar Base Handbook: An Introduction to Lunar Base Design, Development and Operations, 2006

McDonough, W. (2002) Cradle to Cradle: Remaking the Way We Make Things, North Point Press.

Vallero, D. (2008) Sustainable Design: The Science of Sustainability and Green Engineering, Wiley.

Williams, D. (2007) Sustainable Design: Ecology, Architecture, and Planning, Wiley.

Yudelson, J. (2008) Green Building Through Integrated Design McGraw-Hill.

Mendler, S. (2005) The HOK Guidebook to Sustainable Design, Wiley.

Poet, M. (2007) LEED NC Practice Problems: New Construction, Professional Publications, Inc..

Internet and World Wide Web

 Booklets from previous design studios. https://issuu.com/hochbau2

 spacearchitect.org  - http://spacearchitect.org/pubs/pub-biblio.htm

Lectures on 'Extreme Architecture' from the Module 'Energing Fields in Architecture':  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx33uSewDBDqUOLuaFZ8tLQ8YsUys4JhW

Immanent.

The design will reflect an independent, experimental and mixed-disciplinary design approach. Some aspects will have a high degree of detail.

The design projects, developed collaboratively by ADU and TUW students mixed in working groups will be presented during a final workshop and evaluated by a panel of invited international experts and researchers from industry and academia.

Production of a joint booklet for the design studio.

If you would like to join this course, please send your application to

haeuplik@hb2.tuwien.ac.at

You will be notified on the result on 27th of July.

Sandra Häuplik-Meusburger

none