thesis space architecture

TESSERAE: Self-Assembling Space Architecture

Ariel Ekblaw / Responsive Environments

Artist Rendering of TESSERAE (TU Dortmund)

Project Contact:

Ariel Ekblaw

• [email protected]
• Other Press Inquiries

Space Exploration Initiative

• Media Lab Research Theme: Future Worlds

Overview: 

How will we build the coming generations of Space Architecture—the modules, space ships, and space stations that will ensconce our space-faring species? Can we move beyond the 20th century paradigm of cylindrical tubes in orbit, to  geodesic dome habitats,  to microgravity concert halls, to space cathedrals ?The next generation of space architecture should delight, inspire, and protect humanity for our future in the near, and far, reaches of space. 

The future of human habitation in space lies in self-assembling, adaptive, and reconfigurable structures. Rather than transporting fixed, rigid habitation modules and risking astronaut Extravehicular Activities (EVAs) during construction, we can lower payload weight, reduce assembly complexity, and revolutionize space-structure modularity by relying on reconfigurable, self-assembly. 

We are currently undertaking a multi-year research effort to study, characterize, prototype and test "TESSERAE":  Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments.  Each TESSERAE structure is made from a set of tiles. These tiles are tuned to autonomously self-assemble into a particular geometry—in our initial prototypes, we have focused on the buckminsterfullerene (20 hexagonal tiles, 12 pentagonal tiles). Each tile at minimum includes  a rigid outer shell, responsive sensing and control code for bonding diagnosis, electro-permanent magnets for dynamically controllable bonding actuation, and an on-board power harvesting and power management system. Habitat-scale TESSERAE tiles will also include clamping and sealing for pressurization. Tiles are released in microgravity testing environments to quasi-stochastically self assemble. 

The “TESSERAE” name and multi-tile structure hearken to the small, colored tiles used in Roman mosaics, where many standard pieces, or “tesserae,” interlock to form a larger creation. We make this reference to ancient history, when designing an artifact of our space exploration future, to tie architectural elements together across scales and across millennia.

TESSERAE will function as multi-use, low-cost orbiting modules that supply a critical space infrastructure for the next generation of zero gravity habitats, science labs, staging areas for on-surface exploration, and more. TESSERAE should be thought of as flexible and reconfigurable modules to aid in both small-scale, agile mission operations and grand-scale, iteratively expanding space architecture. Our mission concept focuses on supporting LEO, Lunar and Mars operations, with dual-use orbit and surface capability: 

• Tiles are packed flat and condensed for launch
• Tiles are released after orbit insertion to quasi-stochastically self-assemble into the target geometry, while floating in microgravity
• Once assembled, the structure can be reconfigured on demand (e.g., where a berthing port tile was needed yesterday, a cupola tile can be replaced tomorrow)
• Tiles can be disassembled entirely, packed flat again in an EDL (Entry, Descent and Landing) vehicle, and then deployed and "snap-assembled" with astronaut assists on the lunar or martian surface

Multiple, interlocking TESSERAE can serve as a larger volume orbiting base (e.g.,  "MOSAIC": Mars Orbiting Self-Assembling Interlocking Chambers), in addition to supporting the coming waves of space tourists and space hotels in low Earth orbit. 

Microgravity Testing & Development

#1.  parabolic flight, 2017.

An early TESSERAE prototype was successfully deployed on the Space Exploration Initiative's November 2017 zero gravity flight. This research mission validated the v1 mechanical structure, magnet polarity arrangements, and self-assembly protocol. 

2017 Parabolic Flight with Space Exploration Initiative

#2. Suborbital Rocket Launch (interior cabin), 2019 

A deployment on Blue Origin's suborbital launch vehicle, New Shepard, tested the embedded sensor network, communication architecture between tiles, on-demand actuation of electropermanent magnets for tile-tile bonding control, and power budget over three sustained minutes of microgravity.  

2019 Suborbital Launch with Blue Origin  

#3. ISS 30 day mission (interior), 2020

On March 6th, 2020, the SpaceX launch (CRS-20) brought seven TESSERAE v3 hardware tiles to the International Space Station for a 30 day mission. The tiles (two pentagons, five hexagons) were selectively released on station, inside the NanoRacks "BlackBox"  platform, to test autonomous self-assembly and docking over many days of sustained microgravity. These latest prototypes include an extensive suite of sensing and electro-permanent magnet actuation control code for full diagnostic capability (determining "good" and "bad" bonds between tiles as they join together) and structure reconfigurability. Tiles successfully self-assembled in micro-gravity and demonstrated effective use of the electro-permanent magnets for error correction. 

SpaceX CRS-20 launch and 30 day mission

#4. Axiom Space Ax-1 mission, 2022

TESSERAE (Tessellated Electromagnetic Space Structures for the Exploration of Reconfigurable, Adaptive Environments) is a multi-year research program, in collaboration with the Aurelia Institute, exploring self-assembly methods for in-space construction. Named after the small tiles in ancient Roman mosaics, the modular TESSERAE tiles can join to create a larger structure. TESSERAE tiles pack flat for launch; once activated, they form a robotic swarm of autonomous and self-assembling units used for on-demand construction, with future applications ranging from an extra room on a space station, to parabolic mirrors, to a home base on other worlds. The prototypes launching on the Ax-1 mission include an extensive suite of sensing and electro-permanent magnets that monitor diagnostics – provide insight into the quality of bonds between tiles – and drive conformations. This scaled demonstration will build on previous microgravity evaluations of the TESSERAE experiment to explore a new frontier for in-orbit construction of satellites and future space habitats. 

Ax-1 research expands access to ISS

TESSERAE Peer-Reviewed & Conference Publications: 

Ekblaw, Ariel, David Zuniga, Keith Crooker, and Joseph Paradiso. “Self-Assembling and Self-Regulating Space Stations: Mission Concepts for Modular, Autonomous Habitats.” 50th International Conference on Environmental Systems, July 2021.

Ekblaw Ph.D. Thesis on TESSERAE: 

Ekblaw, Ariel. "Self-Aware Self-Assembly for Space Architecture: Growth Paradigms for In-Space Manufacturing." PhD diss., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2020.

• Won AIAA Space Architecture Technical Committee 2019/2020 BEST PROFESSIONAL PAPER for:  Ekblaw, Ariel, Anastasia Prosina, Dava Newman, and Joseph Paradiso. "Space Habitat Reconfigurability: TESSERAE platform for self-aware assembly."  30th IAA SYMPOSIUM ON SPACE AND SOCIETY (Space Architecture: Habitats, Habitability, and Bases).  Proceedings of the IAF International Astronautical Congress 2019. 
• Ekblaw, A. and Paradiso, J.A., "Self-assembling Space Architecture: tessellated shell structures for space habitats," In  AIAA Scitech 2019 Forum, Smart/Adaptable Deployable Structures  (p. 0481).  
• Ekblaw, Ariel, and Joseph Paradiso. “ Self-Assembling Space Habitats:TESSERAE Technology and Mission Architecture for Zero-g Construction, ” In the  Proceedings of the IEEE Aerospace Conference  (2019). 
• Venkatapathy, Aswin, Ariel Ekblaw, Michael ten Hompel, and Joseph Paradiso. “Decentralized brain in low data-rate, low power networks for collaborative manoeuvres in space.” To appear in Wireless for Space and Extreme Environments (WiSEE) , 2018 IEEE International Conference.
• Ekblaw, Ariel, and Joseph Paradiso. "Self-assembling Space Structures: Buckminsterfullerene Sensor Nodes." In  2018 AIAA SciTech / AHS Adaptive Structures Conference , p. 0565. 2018.
• Ekblaw, Ariel, and Joseph Paradiso. "TESSERAE: self-assembling shell structures for space exploration." In  Proceedings of the Annual Symposium of the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures, p. 317. 2018. 

Follow TESSERAE in the news: 

• TESSERAE in CNN's Beyond Earth series
• Space Architecture on BBC Future video series
• TESSERAE discussed in Wall Street Journal op-ed , applying principles of urban planning to Low Earth Orbit
• Project TESSERAE, a self-assembling space architecture on Hackster.io
• Coverage @TNW2018: "Making Star Wars a Reality through Design Thinking"
• Ars Technica piece on self-assembling space stations & biomimicry
• TESSERAE in Axiom Space's  description  of Ax-1 mission
• TESSERAE in Hackaday's  recap  of Ax-1 mission
• CNET  on self-assembling tech in Ax-1 mission
• SciTechDaily  on space architecture in Ax-1 mission
• dezeen on modular space architecture
• Archinect on self-assembling space architecture

Creative Commons

Attribution 4.0 International

MIT Media Lab

Research Topics

Project at a glance, the media lab flies in zero g.

The Space Exploration initiative's inaugural research flight in zero gravity

Space is poised for explosive growth. Let’s get it right.

Before low-earth orbit is clogged with hotels, satellite traffic, and debris, we should plan for the extra-planetary community we want.

TESSERAE: Self-Assembling Shell Structures for Space Exploration

Ekblaw, Ariel and Joseph Paradiso. "TESSERAE: self-assembling shell structures for space exploration." In Proceedings of the Annual Symposium of the International Association of Shell and Spatial Structures: Extra Planetary Architecture, p. 317 (2018).

Self-Assembling Space Structures: buckminsterfullerene sensor nodes

Ekblaw, Ariel, and Joseph Paradiso. "Self-assembling Space Structures: Buckminsterfullerene Sensor Nodes." In 2018 AIAA SciTech / AHS Adaptive Structures Conference, p. 0565. 2018.

Selected Architecture Thesis Projects: Fall 2020

Clockwise from top left: “Citing the Native Genius” by Taylor Cook, “Pair of Dice, Para-Dice, Paradise: A Counter-Memorial to Victims of Police Brutality” by Calvin Boyd, “The Magic Carpet” by Goli Jalali, “Stacked Daydreams: Ceiling-Scape for the Neglected” by Zai Xi Jeffrey Wong, and “Up from the Past: Housing as Reparations on Chicago’s South Side” by Isabel Strauss

Five films showcase a selection of Fall 2020 thesis projects from the Department of Architecture.

Pair of Dice, Para-Dice, Paradise: A Counter-Memorial to Victims of Police Brutality

This thesis is a proposal for a counter-memorial to victims of police brutality. The counter-memorial addresses scale by being both local and national, addresses materiality by privileging black aesthetics over politeness, addresses presence/absence by being more transient than permanent, and lastly, addresses site by being collective rather than singular. The result is an architecture that plays itself out over 18,000 police stations across America and the Washington Monument at the National Mall, two sites that are intrinsically linked through the architecture itself: negative “voids” at police stations whose positive counterparts aggregate at the Mall.

The critical question here is whether or not the system in which police brutality takes place can be reformed from within, or if people of color need to seek their utopia outside of these too-ironclad structures. This counter-memorial, when understood as an instrument of accountability (and therefore a real-time beacon that measures America’s capacity to either change or otherwise repeat the same violent patterns), ultimately provides us with an eventual answer.

Author: Calvin Boyd, MArch I 2020 Advisor: Jon Lott , Assistant Professor of Architecture Duration: 11 min, 2 sec

Thesis Helpers: Shaina Yang (MArch I 2021), Rachel Coulomb (MArch I 2022)

The Magic Carpet

The Persian Carpet and the Persian Miniature painting have served as representation tools for the Persian Gar­den and the idea of paradise in Persian culture since antiquity. The word paradise derives from the Persian word pari-daeza meaning “walled enclosure.” The garden is always walled and stands in opposition to its landscape. This thesis investigates the idea of a contemporary image of paradise in the Iranian imagination by using carpets and miniature paintings as a tool for designing architecture. The garden, with its profound associations, provided a world of metaphor for the classical mystic poets. One of the manuscripts describing the Persian garden is called Haft Paykar – known as the Seven Domes – written by the 12th century Persian poet called Nizami. These types of manuscripts were made for Persian kings and contain within them miniature paintings and poetry describing battles, romances, tragedies, and triumphs that compromise Iran’s mythical and pre-Islamic history. The carpet is the repeating object in the minia­ture paintings of the manuscript. This thesis deconstructs the carpet in seven ways in order to digitally reconstruct the miniature paintings of the Seven Domes and the image of paradise with new techniques.

Author: Goli Jalali, MArch I 2021 Advisor: Jennifer Bonner , Associate Professor of Architecture Duration: 8min, 28 sec

Up from the Past: Housing as Reparations on Chicago’s South Side

Do people know what the Illinois Institute of Technology and the South Side Planning Board and the city of Chicago and the state of Illinois and the United States government did to the Black Metropolis? If they know, do they care? Is it too hard to hold these entities accountable? If we held them accountable, could we find justice for those that were displaced? What would justice look like? What comes after Mecca? What types of spaces come after Mecca? Are they different than what was there before? Are they already there? What defines them? Can Reparations be housing? How many people are already doing this work? How many people are doing this work in academia? On the ground? Is the word “Reparations” dead? What do we draw from? Who is this for? Do white men own the legacy of the architecture that defined the Black Metropolis? How personal should this work be? How anecdotal? How quantitative? Does the design need to be inherently spatial? Or atmospheric? What should it feel like? How do I draw a feeling in Rhino? What are radical ways of looking? How do we reclaim racialized architecture? Do we? Should we even talk about these things?

Author: Isabel Strauss, MArch I 2021 Advisor: Oana Stanescu , Design Critic in Architecture Duration: 4 min, 4 sec

Soundtrack Created By: Edward Davis (@DJ Eway) Production Support: Adam Maserow , Evan Orf , Glen Marquardt Collaborators: Rekha Auguste Nelson , Farnoosh Rafaie , Zena Mariem Mengesha , Edward Davis (DJ Eway) Special Thanks: Caleb Negash , Tara Oluwafemi , Maggie Janik , Ann Whiteside , Dana McKinney Guidance: Stephen Gray , John Peterson , Chris Herbert , Cecilia Conrad , Lawrence J. Vale , Ilan Strauss , Mark Lee , Iman Fayyad , Jennifer Bonner , Mindy Pugh , Peter Martinez Collage Credits: Adler and Sullivan , Bisa Butler , Carrie Mae Weems , Dawoud Bey , Deborah Roberts , Ebony G Patterson , Ellen Gallagher , Frank Lloyd Wright , Howardena Pindell , Jordan Casteel , Kerry James Marshall , Latoya Ruby Frazier , Lelaine Foster , Lorna Simpson , Mark Bradford , Mickalene Thomas , Mies van der Rohe , Nick Cave , Njideka Akunyili Crosby , Romare Bearden , Sadie Barnette More Information: architectureofreparations.cargo.site

Stacked Daydreams: Ceiling‐Scape for the Neglected

Elderly Care Adaptive Reuse of Hong Kong’s Vertical Factory

This thesis operates at the intersection of three domains of neglect:

• In the realm of building elements, the ceiling is often considered as an afterthought in the design process.
• Across building types, the vertical factory sits abandoned and anachronistic to its surroundings. It spiraled into disuse due to Hong Kong’s shifting economic focus.
• In society, the elderly are often subjected to social neglect, seen as a financial burden, and forced toward the fringes of society.

These parts experience obsolescence that led to indifference, and subsequently to boredom. I intend to draw the parallel of deterioration between the body of the elderly and the body of the vertical factory. Using a set of ceiling parts in the manner of prosthetics to reactivate the spaces into elderly care facilities, revert boredom to daydreams, and reimagine the concept of elderhood as an experimental second stage of life.

Author: Zai Xi Jeffrey Wong, MArch I AP 2021 Advisor: Eric Höweler , Associate Professor of Architecture & Architecture Thesis Coordinator Duration: 4 min, 53 sec

Citing the Native Genius

Reconstructing vernacular architecture in Hawai’i

For over 120 years, Americanization has tried to demean and erase Hawaiian language, culture, and architecture. In contemporary discourse, the vernacular architecture of Hawai’i is mostly referred to as ancient and vague. As with many Indigenous cultures, Western perspectives tend to fetishize or patronize the Hawaiian design aesthetic. Within this hierarchy of knowledge is a systemic assumption that Hawaiian vernacular architecture cannot effectively serve as a precedent resource for contemporary architects. Those who do reference the original vernacular will often classify it as utilitarian or resourceful. Regardless of intent, this narrative takes design agency away from the people involved. As a corrective, a respectful use of vernacular domestic form would benefit designers that are struggling to connect with Hawai’i’s cultural and architectural traditions.

Mining the European gaze and influence out of revivalist publications, archeological surveys and historic images reveal unique characteristics of Hawaiian domestic space. Geometric quotation and symbolic referencing are the foundational instruments in applying the discrete components, form, and organizational logic of the vernacular. The result is a design process that creates an amalgamation of decolonized form and contemporary technique. This residential project intends to revive Hawai’i’s erased domestic experience by revisiting the precolonial vernacular form and plan.

Author: Taylor Cook, MArch I 2021 Advisor: Jeffry Burchard , Assistant Professor in Practice of Architecture Duration: 5 min, 13 sec

Special Thanks: Jeffry Burchard, Cameron Wu, Kanoa Chung, Nik Butterbaugh, Carly Yong, Vernacular Pacific LLC More Information: www.vernacularhawaii.com

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the galleries in Gund Hall have been turned ‘inside out,’ with exhibitions shown through a series of exterior projections on the building’s facade. View some images from the screening of these films below:

ScholarWorks@UMass Amherst

Home > HFA > Department of Architecture > Architecture Masters Theses Collection

Architecture Masters Theses Collection

Theses from 2023 2023.

Music As a Tool For Ecstatic Space Design , Pranav Amin, Architecture

Creating Dormitories with a Sense of Home , Johnathon A. Brousseau, Architecture

The Tectonic Evaluation And Design Implementation of 3D Printing Technology in Architecture , Robert Buttrick, Architecture

Designing for the Unhoused: Finding Innovative and Transformative Solutions to Housing , Hannah C. Campbell, Architecture

Investigating Design-Functional Dimension Of Affordable Housing With Prefabrication On Dense Suburbs Of Chelsea, MA , Siddharth Jagadishbhai Dabhia, Architecture

Architecture of Extraction: Imagining New Modes of Inhabitation and Reclamation in the Mining Lifecyle , Erica DeWitt, Architecture

Utopian Thought and Architectural Design , Anthony L. Faith, Architecture

Building Hygge In-Roads into Incremental Living , Tanisha Kalra, Architecture

NATURE INSPIRED ARCHITECTURE , Salabat Khan, Architecture

Sustainable Architecture in Athletics: Using Mass Timber in an Old-Fashioned Field , Zach C. Lefever, Architecture

Off-grid Living for the Normative Society: Shifting Perception and Perspectives by Design , Patsun Lillie, Architecture

The Evolution of Chinese Supermarkets in North America: An Alternative Approach to Chinese Supermarket Design , Ruoxin Lin, Architecture

Refreshing Refinery: An Analysis of Victorian Architecture and How to Translate its Elements for Contemporary Architecture , Richard J. Marcil, Architecture

After Iconoclasm: Reassessing Monumental Practices and Redesigning Public Memorials in Twenty-First-Century Massachusetts , Lincoln T. Nemetz-Carlson, Architecture

Earthen Materials In Organic Forms: An Ecological Solution to the Urban Biosphere? , Rutuja Patil, Architecture

Adaptive (Re)purpose of Industrial Heritage Buildings in Massachusetts A Modular Strategy for Building a Community , Riya D. Premani, Architecture

Community Design: A Health Center Serving the Greater Boston Population , Brandon E. Rosario, Architecture

The Food Hub as a Social Infrastructure Framework: Restitching Communities in Boston After the Pandemic , Connor J. Tiches, Architecture

Theses from 2022 2022

Equitable Housing Generation Through Cellular Automata , Molly R. Clark, Architecture

Beneficial Invasive: A Rhizomatic Approach to Utilizing Local Bamboo for COVID Responsive Educational Spaces , Megan Futscher, Architecture

Architectural Activism Through Hip-Hop , Micaela Goodrich, Architecture

Addressing Trauma Through Architecture: Cultivating Well-being For Youth Who Have Experienced Trauma , Megan Itzkowitz, Architecture

Buildings Integrated into Landscape & Making People Care for Them: Exploring Integrated Land-Building Ecosystems and the Lifestyles Needed to Support It , Sara Mallio, Architecture

Reimagining Black Architecture , Esosa Osayamen, Architecture

Prefabricated Homes: Delivery At Your Doorsteps , Obed K. Otabil, Architecture

Memory and Resistance , Cami Quinteros, Architecture

Mycelium: The Building Blocks of Nature and the Nature of Architecture , Carly Regalado, Architecture

IN-BETWEEN SPACES: ATMOSPHERES, MOVEMENT AND NEW NARRATIVES FOR THE CITY , Paul Alexander Stoicheff, Architecture

Theses from 2021 2021

Creating New Cultural Hubs in American Cities: The Syrian Diaspora of Worcester, Massachusetts , Aleesa Asfoura, Architecture

Firesafe: Designing for Fire-Resilient Communities in the American West , Brenden Baitch, Architecture

The Beige Conundrum , Alma Crawford-Mendoza, Architecture

Cultivating Food Justice: Exploring Public Interest Design Process through a Food Security & Sustainability Hub , Madison J. DeHaven, Architecture

Physical to Virtual: A Model for Future Virtual Classroom Environments , Stephen J. Fink, Architecture

Detroit: Revitalizing Urban Communities , David N. Fite, Architecture

The Homestead Helper Handbook , Courtney A. Jurzynski, Architecture

An Architecture of a New Story , Nathan Y. Lumen, Architecture

Border Town: Preserving a 'Living' Cultural Landscape in Harlingen, Texas , Shelby Parrish, Architecture

Housing for Adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD): Creating an Integrated Living Community in Salem, MA , Tara Pearce, Architecture

From Sanctuary to Home in the Post-Interstate City , Morgan B. Sawyer, Architecture

Exploring the Use of Grid-Scale Compressed Air Energy Storage in the Urban Landscape , Connor S. Slover, Architecture

Bridging the Gaps in Public Conversation by Fostering Spaces of Activism , Karitikeya Sonker, Architecture

Re-envisioning the American Dream , Elain Tang, Architecture

Tall Timber in Denver: An Exploration of New Forms in Large Scale Timber Architecture , Andrew P. Weuling, Architecture

Theses from 2020 2020

Urban Inter-Space: Convergence of Human Interaction and Form , Clayton Beaudoin, Architecture

The Hues of Hadley Massachusetts: Pioneering Places for Preservation and Growth , Elisha M. Bettencourt, Architecture

Reinvigorating Englewood, Chicago Through New Public Spaces and Mixed-Income Housing , Givan Carrero, Architecture

Architectural Agency Through Real Estate Development , Hitali Gondaliya, Architecture

Multimodal Transit and a New Civic Architecture , Samuel Bruce Hill, Architecture

Rethinking The Suburban Center , Andrew Jones, Architecture

Resilient Urbanism: Bridging Natural Elements & Sustainable Structures in a Post-Industrial Urban Environment , Nicholas McGee, Architecture

Adaptive Airport Architecture , Yash Mehta, Architecture

Rethinking School Design to Promote Safety and Positivity , Emily Moreau, Architecture

The Built Environment and Well-Being: Designing for Well-Being in Post-Industrial Communities During the Age of Urbanization , Tyler O'Neil, Architecture

Brutalism and the Public University: Integrating Conservation into Comprehensive Campus Planning , Shelby Schrank, Architecture

Spatial Design for Behavioral Education , Madeline Szczypinski, Architecture

Theses from 2019 2019

THERAPEUTIC COMMUNITY: FOR REFUGEES , Raghad Alrashidi, Architecture

From Archaic To contemporary : Energy Efficient Adaptive Reuse of Historic Building , Nisha Borgohain, Architecture

(RE)Developing Place: The Power of Narrative , Kinsey Diomedi, Architecture

Rethinking Ambulatory Care Delivery , Senada Dushaj, Architecture

Photosynthesizing the Workplace: A Study in Healthy and Holistic Production Spaces , Kaeli Howard, Architecture

Museum Design As A Tool For A City , Cunbei Jiang, Architecture

Architecture and Wilderness: An Exchange of Order , Ashley Lepre, Architecture

Cross-Species Architecture: Developing an Architecture for Rehabilitative Learning Through the Human-Canine Relationship , Jake Porter, Architecture

Intermodal Transit Terminal: Integrating the Future of Transit into the Urban Fabric , Guy Vigneau, Architecture

Theses from 2018 2018

Bangladeshi Cultural Center: for the Bangladeshi Population Living in New York City , Sabrina Afrin, Architecture

THE ENHANCEMENT OF LEARNING THROUGH THE DESIGN PROCCESS: RENOVATING THE FORT RIVER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL IN AMHERST, MA , Reyhaneh Bassamtabar, Architecture

LEARNING SPACES: DISCOVERING THE SPACES FOR THE FUTURE OF LEARNING , Michael Choudhary, Architecture

ARCHITECTURAL SYNERGY: A FACILITY FOR LIFELONG LEARNING IN ACADEMIA AND PRACTICE , Ryan Rendano, Architecture

Resilient Architecture: Adaptive Community Living in Coastal Locations , Erica Shannon, Architecture

Theses from 2017 2017

New York City 2050: Climate Change and Future of New York | Design for Resilience , Abhinav Bhargava, Architecture

The Performance of Light: Exploring the Impact of Natural Lighting in the New UMass School of Performance , Dylan Brown, Architecture

Regional Expression In The Renovation Of Remote Historic Villages , Jie chen, Architecture

An Incremental Intervention In Jakarta: An Empowering Infrastructural Approach For Upgrading Informal Settlements , Christopher H. Counihan, Architecture

UMASS Dining Hall. A Path to Resiliency , Lukasz Czarniecki, Architecture

LIVING CORE OF THE FUTURE: PROPOSING NEW APPROACH FOR THE FUTURE OF RESIDENTIAL COMPLEX IN METROPOLITAN AREAS , Mahsa G. Zadeh, Architecture

HUMANITY IN A CHILDREN’S CANCER HOSPITAL , Sara Jandaghi Jafari, Architecture

Designing Symbiosis for the New Church Community , Evan Janes, Architecture

A Visible History: A Synthesis of Past, Present and Future Through the Evocation of Memory Within Historic Contexts , Nicholas Jeffway, Architecture

Creating A Community A New Ecological, Economical, and Social Path to Uniting a Community , Andrew Stadnicki, Architecture

Z-Cube: Mobile Living for Feminist Nomads , Zi Ye, Architecture

Theses from 2016 2016

Music and Architecture: An Interpresence , Rachel J. Beesen, Architecture

Intervening in the Lives of Internally Displaced People in Colombia , Amy L. Carbone, Architecture

Designing Waste Creating Space: A Critical Examination Into Waste Reduction Through Building Techniques, Architectural Design, and Systems , Courtney M. Carrier, Architecture

Umass September 11 Intervention , Mohamad Farzinmoghadam, Architecture

Merging Social Science and Neuroscience in Architecture: Creating a Framework to Functionally Re-integrate Ex-Convicts , Kylie A. Landrey, Architecture

From Shelters to Long Living Communities , Yakun Liang, Architecture

Building Hope: A Community + Water Initiative, La Villa de San Francisco, Honduras , Christopher D. Mansfield, Architecture

THE SPATIALITY IN STORYTELLING , Xiang Yu, Architecture

Innovation of the Residential Buildings and Community in the Emerging City Rongcheng , Xing Yu, Architecture

Art and Life - Make invisible visible in Cao changdi village, Beijing, China , peng zhang, Architecture

Theses from 2015 2015

The Dialogue of Craft and Architecture , Thomas J. Forker, Architecture

MOSQUE IN THE VALLEY: A SPACE FOR SPIRITUAL GATHERING & CULTURAL LEARNING , Nabila Iqbal, Architecture

EXPLORATION OF CONNECTIVITY BETWEEN URBAN PLAZA AND MIXED USE BUILDINGS , Youngduk Kim, Architecture

Design Of A Housing For Urban Artisan-Living Work , Fahim Mahmud, Architecture

Membranes and Matrices: Architecture as an Interface , Nayef Mudawar, Architecture

Building for the Future: Revitalization through Architecture , Rebecca N. Perry, Architecture

Developing Maker Economies in Post-Industrial Cities: Applying Commons Based Peer Production to Mycelium Biomaterials , Grant R. Rocco, Architecture

Design of Children's Event and Cutural Center in Osu, Accra, Ghana , Rudi Somuah, Architecture

Sustainable Design of Student Centers Retrofitting and Adaptive Reuse of UMass Student Union , Tianye Song, Architecture

Design/Build in Architectural Education: studying community-focused curriculum , Matthew K. Sutter, Architecture

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Explore Thesis projects from the Class of 2021

Review Book:  https://issuu.com/mitarchitecture/docs/20-01-05_marchthesisbookletsqsinglep  

Master of Architecture (M.Arch) Website:  https://www.mitmarchthesis.com/theses

Post -arium Arditha Auriyane Advisor: Mariana Ibanez

Priced Out of Paradise :  Reconsidering cooperatives in response to climate gentrification in Miami’s communities of color Adiel Alexis Benitez Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw

To Know is to Empower :  Chagos Institute of Environmental Humanities Chen Chu Advisor: Miho Mazereew

Reclaiming the Estranged :  Reimagining the Architecture of the Excess Sydney Cinalli Advisor: Brandon Clifford, Deborah Garcia

Ferrous Futures :  Scenario Planning for Global Steel Charlotte D'Acierno, Clarence Lee, Jaehun Woo Advisor: Mariana Ibanez

Seven Ways of Reading The House of the Seven Gables Isadora Dannin Advisor: Mark Jarzombek

Gardens of Resistance Nynika Jhaveri Advisor: Azra Aksamija

After Aura :  Authorship, Automation, Authenticity Kailin J. Jones Advisor: Azra Aksamija

The Factory of Coexistence Melika Konjicanin Advisor: Cristina Parreño Alonso

Screen Time Jeffrey Landman Advisor: Rania Ghosn

Architecture for Revision Emma Pfeiffer Advisor: Rosalyne Shieh

Thorough David Allen White Advisor: Mark Jarzombek

Spring 2021

Review Book:  https://issuu.com/mitarchitecture/docs/21-05-21_allthesisbookletpages

Master of Architecture (M.Arch) Website:  https://mit-march-sp21.com/

The Houseful(l)ness of Public Space Xio Alvarez (M.Arch & MCP) Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw, Larry Vale

Still Standing :  Cooperative strategies for the renovation of Soviet mass housing Ben Hoyle, Eytan Levi (M.Arch & MSRED) Advisor: Ana Miljački

Concetividad Alegal :  Remaking and Resilience in the bay of Havana        Lucas Igarzabal, Marissa Concetta Waddle Advisor: Hans Tursack

M.I.celium mexicanus :  Rejecting Modernity through Zapotec Futurism Lynced Torres Advisor: Sheila Kennedy View project site here!

Heirlooms :  In Search of the Fifth Ecology Erin Wong Advisor: Sheila Kennedy

Building / Unbuilding   Andrew Younker Advisor: Azra Akšamija

Space of Mind :  The Hidden Architecture in the Time of Pandemic Ziyu Xu Advisor: Axel Killian

Master of Science in Architecture Studies (SMArchS)

SMArchS Architecture + Urbanism

Third Landscape Dries Carmeliet Advisor: Rania Ghosn

Mediating Chana :  Seeding Synergies Between Doves and Development Eakapob Huangthanapan Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw

Mokumitsu Districts in Tokyo :  Urban Renewal by Housing Cooperatives against Disaster Risk Ryuhei Ichikura Advisor: Miho Mazereeuw

To Build Home and To Live In (U)Hygge Wuyahuang Li Advisor: Mark Jarzombek

Collecting Ideals :  Re-Envisioning Ejidos as Climate-Action Platforms Luis Alberto Meouchi Velez Advisor: Lorena Bello Gomez, Nicholas de Monchaux

Made in Rural China Siyuan Sheng Advisor: Brent Ryan

Generative Urban Design toward Thermal Synergy :  Inspire sustainable urban configuration under distributive heating & cooling schemes Qianqian Wan Advisor: Caitlin Mueller

SMArchS Architecture Design

Velvet Garage :  Narratives of an Education in Architecture Marianna Gonzalez-Cervantes Advisor: Liam O'Brien

Nightrise :  Through the Valley of Jabal ‘Amil’s Shadow Mohamad Nahleh Advisor: Sheila Kennedy

SMArchS Building Technology

Mass Balance :  Design Strategies for Lightweight, Thermally Massive Construction Systems Eduardo Gascón Alvarez Advisor: Caitlin Mueller

Evaluating Overheating Preventative Measures in Residential Buildings and Passive Survivability Yesufu Oladipo Advisor: Les Norford

SMArchS Computation

A Machine Learning Model for Understanding How Users Value Designs :  Applications for Designers and Consumers Jeremy Bilotti (SMArchS Computation & SM in CS) Advisor: Terry Knight

The Untold Narratives Rania Sameh Kaadan Advisor: Terry Knight

Sonic Others :  Metaphorical Sonification of Collective Events Wonki Kang Advisor: Axel Killian

Networking Knowledge and Experience :  An Instrumental System for the Personal Development of Individual Designers Bowen Lu Advisor: George Stiny

Sonic Urban Transformations :  A Computational Model to Study and Represent Temporal Changes in the Walking Experience Elina Oikonomaki Advisor: Terry Knight

Monstrous Space :  Architectural Production in an Age of Algorithms Alexandra Waller Advisor: Larry Sass

Investigating Design Intentions :  Use of Eye Tracking and Machine Leearning to Study Perception of Architecture Xiaoyun Zhang Advisor: Takehiko Nagakura

SMArchS History, Theory & Criticism

"A Great Civilizing Agent" :  Architecture at MIT, Drawing Education, and Boston's Cultural Elite, 1865-1881 Katherine Dubbs Advisor: Arindam Dutta

Surveilling Sin :  Locating Sodomy in the Early Modern Florentine Bathhouse Aidan Flynn Advisor: Kristel Smentek, Jodi Cranston

SMArchS Aga Khan Program

Fractured and Dissolved, Architecture Ablaze :  Towards an Understanding of Ayeneh-Kari in Iranian Palaces Reza Daftarian Advisor: Nasser Rabbat

Scripting Inclusion Amanda Merzaban Advisor: Renee Green

Master of Science in Building Technolgy (SMBT)

Using Urban Building Energy Modeling to Meet Carbon Emission Targets :  A Case Study of Oshkosh, Wisconsin Zachary Berzolla Advisor: Christoph Reinhart

Early Design Stage Building Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of Cost & Carbon Impact :  A Seamless Addition to the Conceptual Design Process Jingyi Liu Advisor: Jeremy Gregory, Randy Kirchain, Les Norford

Machine Learning for Human Design :  Developing Next Generation Sketch-Based Tools Bryan Ong Wen Xi (SMBT & MEng in CEE) Advisor: Caitlin Mueller

On the Relationship Between Spatial-Temporal Outdoor Thermal Comfort Simulations and Bike Ridership Elizabeth Young Advisor: Christoph Reinhart

Bachelor of Science in Art and Design (BSAD)

Digital Narratives for Self-Therapy Rachel Seo Yeon Kwak Advisor: Lee Moreau

Digital Communities x Collaborative Storytelling Clare Liut (BSAD & SB in 2A) Advisor: Mikael Jakobsson

Concrete Alternatives for Large Scale Additive Manufacturing Chloe Nelson-Arzuaga Advisor: Skylar Tibbits

Image Credits:

01. Ferrous Futures. Courtesy of Charlotte D’Acierno, Clarence Lee and Jaehun Woo (MArch).

02. Space of Mind. Courtesy of Ziyu Xu (MArch).

03. Nightrise. Courtesy of Mohamad Nahleh (SMArchS Architecture Design)

04. Untold Narratives. Courtesy of Rania Kaadan (SMArchS Computation).

05. Mediating Chana. Courtesy of Eakapob Huangthanapan (SMArchS Urbanism).

06. To Build Home and To Live In (U)Hygge. Courtesy of Wuyahuang Li (SMArchS Urbanism).

07. Concetividad Alegal. Courtesy of Lucas Igarzabal and Marissa Concetta Waddle (MArch).

08. The Houseful(l)ness of Public Space. Courtesy of Xio Alvarez (MArch + MCP).

09. Mass Balance. Courtesy of Eduardo Gascón Alvarez (SMArchS Building Technology).

10. Early Design Stage Building Lifecycle Analysis (LCA) of Cost & Carbon Impact. Courtesy of Jingyi Liu (SMBT).

Published July 1, 2021

spaceDestination | Design Thesis on Space Architecture

Information

• Project Name: spaceDestination
• Student Name: Debashish Roy
• Softwares/Plugins: Rhinoceros 3d , AutoCAD , Adobe Photoshop , Adobe Illustrator
• Discipline: Architecture
• Level: Bachelors Design Thesis
• Institute: Department of Architecture - Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)
• University: Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET)
• Location: Dhaka
• Country: Bangladesh

Excerpt: ‘ spaceDestination ’ is an architecture thesis by Debashish Roy from Department of Architecture – Bangladesh University of Engineering & Technology (BUET), that explores space architecture and proposes a space station for the time when humans will be sent beyond Earth to expand life. It addresses the challenge of enhancing living conditions, human mobility, and biological functions in space. The station will serve as a transitional location for upcoming missions, training, and research on the artificial Moon and the gravity of Mars.

Introduction: The space programme was essentially a cold war between space research agencies during its initial phase. It was known as Space Race One. A moon landing occurred as a result. In the second phase, space exploration is attracting the interest of several private companies, like Virgin Galactic, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Rocket Lab. In addition to developing reusable rockets, SpaceX is currently developing starships intended for both Earth-to-Moon space tourism and Mars colonisation.

Space agencies, along with designers, architects, and aerospace engineers, are heading to the Moon and Mars to design and build bases. There might be several bases on Mars and the moon by 2040. After that, they could begin sending humans on a regular basis. This architecture thesis proposes a space station for that era, from which humans will be sent to expand life. The station will serve as a transitional location for upcoming missions, training, and research on the artificial Moon and the gravity of Mars.

SIte Context

The selection of the site was based on two primary factors: 

1- Solar Radiation: As the altitude increases, the solar radiation increases as well.

2- Distance factor: Sending humans to Mars or the Moon gets easier as the height increases. 

With these factors taken into account, the location is selected at an altitude of 1500 km (or 932.06 mi) above sea level with an orbital inclination of 23.4 degrees. In order to access trans-Lunar and trans-Mars orbits, the Ecliptic plane is chosen.

Final Outcome

The entire station will be developed in five sequential phases:

1- The base, which will serve as the axis for future mission staging, will be prepared in the first phase.

2- The system will be expanded to include a Mars gravity ring in the second stage.

3- In the third stage, a space hotel will open to meet the demand for space tourism on a commercial basis. 

4- To enhance Phase 1 capacity, another parallel wing of the same structure will be added in the Fourth Stage.

5- The space station will finally take on its complete shape when the demand reaches a certain point and an extended temporary habitation module ring is added.

Several factors need to be taken into account when creating the micro-spaces within the module.

1- From the bottom level to the top level, the radius from the centre decreases.

2- As the radial distance decreases, so does the gravitational force. These events have an impact on the floors arranged within the module.

To ensure safety for large-scale space missions, future space stations must utilise artificial gravity, which is based on rotation. This principle generates a centripetal force, which acts as gravity, by counteracting the centrifugal force that maintains balance in a stable system.

The rotational radius and angular velocity are related to centrifugal acceleration. Because of the potential for motion sickness and the Coriolis effect, higher angular velocities are not recommended. Recent research, however, indicates that people may be able to acclimatise to angular velocities as high as 4 or even 6 RPM. 3 RPM is selected when a rotation’s necessary radius is 100 m to obtain 1 g. Considering the ISS has a truss of 112 metres, a radius of 100 metres is rather realistic.

In this theoretical framework, the centripetal acceleration and the Coriolis effect are added when a person walks from west to east. Consequently, the overall apparent gravity increased. If someone walks in the opposite direction, the effect will be the opposite. The North-South direction is exempt from this particular requirement since it is parallel to the axis of rotation. Because of this unique direction scenario, the functions that require human movement are positioned in the North-South Direction. The East-West Fringe area has comparatively fewer mobile functions.

Water walls provide protection for the sleeping pods. These water walls will guarantee a safe haven and shield human bodies from radiation. It ensures that CO2 is removed and oxygen is circulated properly. An important factor in this aspect is the alternating pattern with the agro spaces.

A proposal has been made for a Bioregenerative Life Support System (BLSS) for the approximately one thousand residents of the station. This experiment was first conducted in Biosphere 2 to compare its state to that of Earth. However, at Moon Palace, it has been tested for four people with a minimum amount of living space and greenery. When comparing this data for 192 people, it is estimated that roughly 10,000 m3 of green space is needed to provide both food and oxygen.

Conclusion: This architecture thesis provides a model for the possible expansion of life beyond Earth. It addresses the challenge of enhancing living conditions, human mobility, and biological functions in space. This project fulfils the potential of serving as a transitional area for future missions, training, and studies on the artificial Moon and the gravity of Mars.

[This Academic Project has been published with text submitted by the student]

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Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA)

The only one of its kind in the world, the Cullen College’s space architecture program involves engineers and technical architects teaming up to design missions and operations from the ground up. The operational center for the program is the Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture, or SICSA, which is internationally recognized as the center that both defines and leads the space architecture field.

The Sasakawa International Center for Space Architecture (SICSA) is a unique interdisciplinary research, design and teaching academic center that supports the world’s only Master of Science (MS) degree in Space Architecture. In 2015 The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board approved changing the degree to a master of science with a STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — designation. We are academic leaders in the field of space architecture and are also active in the planning and designing of facilities for extreme environments on Earth. These include ocean facilities, polar research stations and human disaster accommodations. Graduates will also conduct trade studies and learn about operational factors which contribute to the design, such as logistics, orbital mechanics, transportation cost trades, etc. Our collaborators have included NASA, The Boeing Company, Oceaneering, and the Houston Airport System/Houston Spaceport.

SICSA offers two types of MS-Space Architecture  curriculum , one for full-time students (3 semesters) and another for part-time local industry employees (5 semesters). The program is also developing a professional 3 course certification and will be able to deliver selected content on-line. Students with various bachelor of science (BS) degrees and background are eligible to apply, as well as 5th year Architecture degrees with appropriate technical qualifications. One of the signature courses includes a group 2 semester “studio” in which students work as a team on a real design. All graduate student application review and acceptance processes follow academic procedures and standards established by the University and College which are administered by the Associate Dean, Assistant Dean and Graduate Program Director. Upon verification that these requirements are satisfied, SICSA faculty participate in the final candidate selection decisions. Admission requirements can be found  here .

Space architecture is an interdisciplinary field that involves the planning and design of facilities in extreme environments on earth and in space, including ocean facilities, polar research stations, human disaster accommodations and orbiting space stations. Their work includes orbital mechanics, human habitats, logistics, design for extreme environments, life support systems, human factors and launch capability trades.

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Space Architecture

Home > graduate admissions > space programs > masters > space architecture.

3639 Cortez Rd. W, Suite 218,    Bradenton, FL, 34210

941-417-0817 [email protected]

Degree: Masters

Delivery: Online

Application Fee: $150.00

Terms of Enrollment

Fall Term (September)

Spring Term (January)

Summer Term (May)

Application Requirements

• A Bachelor’s Degree from a college or university accredited by the appropriate regional association with a minimum grade point average of 2.5 on a 4.0 scale or equivalent work experience in professional academic and/or government or private industry positions and achievements. Each applicant’s specific experience will be evaluated by the KSI Admissions Committee.
• Official transcripts from all previous universities or colleges attended or proof of work equivalent
• Three completed recommendation letters, Completion of application, and Application fee

Standardized Tests

• A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) revised General Test score or a Miller’s Analogy Test(MAT) score at or above the 50th percentile. The GRE or MAT requirement will be waived if an applicant has completed a Master’s degree or twelve or more credits of post- baccalaureate upper division or graduate coursework with a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.

Special Instructions

Additionally, all international applicants whose native language is not English are required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) and submit a combined score of 550 or better (new scoring of 213 or better) or the Internet based test scoring of 80 or better. International transcripts are required to be translated if the grading and evaluation system used differs from those used by the United States education system. Official translation and a course- by-course evaluation from all prior institutions and grade-point average computation must be provided to the Office of Admissions. Please use one of the following services for evaluation.

World Educational Services 22 Prince St. PMB 101 New York, NY 10012

Josef Silny & Associates 7101 SW 102 Ave. Miami, FL 33173

KSI reserves the right to deny admissions to any prospective student for any reason/cause as determined by KSI. In the event of a denial of a request for admission a student may appeal to the admissions committee.

Tuition & Fees

Application fee (one-time, nonrefundable) $150 library fee (each semester) $150.

All Graduate Certificate Programs ($2,000/course) $8,000

All Master of Science Programs ($2,000/course) $24,000

Graduate Co-Op Program ($600 per semester for $1,800 maximum 3 terms for M.S. and maximum 1 term for Graduate Certificates, non-refundable)

Graduation Fee Digital Graduate Certificate/Degree $100 only (one-time, non-refundable)

Graduation Fee Digital and Hardbound Graduate $250 Certificate/Degree (one-time, non-refundable)

The University reserves the right to adjust the above expenses at the beginning of each term.

Financial Support

Applicants to Kepler have access to a variety of funding options, including merit-based (i.e. based on your academic performance) and need-based (i.e. based on your financial situation) opportunities. View financial support opportunities.

M.S. in Space Architecture

The Master of Science (M.S.) Degree is an interdisciplinary program providing opportunities for those interested in advancing the development of Human Space Exploration and Space Settlements. The M.S. Program features coursework, research training, and collaborations with faculty in a research-led culture emphasizing rigor, creativity, and innovation. Students will join industry leaders to help guide the sustainable development of Space, and with the support of commercial and international partners will conduct impactful research in space-related fields to enable human expansion from Earth to Space.

The M.S. in Space Architecture program guides students through the challenges of designing and building inhabited environments in outer space. The program considers the complexities of sustainable design at multiple scales for continuous human habitation in extreme conditions, ranging from energy-efficient systems to development of space infrastructure. Students explore advanced space architecture to assess the key issues of establishing human space settlements.

To successfully complete the program and earn the Master of Science Degree, students must fulfill all credit hour requirements, maintain a minimum GPA (as specified by the program), successfully complete the project, report, and/or thesis, and meet any additional criteria set by the university or department.

Core Courses for Human Expansion FROM EARTH TO SPACE

• ISS 500: Research Ethics – This course acquaints students to the ethical and philosophical issues raised by involving humans in research. Topics covered in include ethical theory and principles, informed consent for research participation, just selection of research subjects, functions of review boards and ethical aspects of study design, privacy and confidentiality. Students will be able to analyze research protocols and develop ability to engage in critical and self-reflective discussion of theoretical and practical problems in research ethics and the various solutions proposed.
• ISS 501: Graduate Seminar (3 credits) Presentations and discussions of research and developing technologies in current topics in the space settlement sciences by faculty members, guest experts, and students.
• ISS 510: Topics in Human Factors (3 credits) This course surveys the impact of human factors on crewed missions, challenges of continuous operational support for long-duration spaceflight, and approaches for analysis and interpretation of human factors data. Students will assess the participation of humans in space exploration and the abilities to perform physically and psychologically for extended periods in harsh environments, with unique gravitation and radiation characteristics. Human factors and human performance issues in general applications will be explored, topics may include: cognitive engineering and human-centered design principles applicable to life-critical systems, addressing human-centered automation, human workload, cognitive modeling, situational awareness, risk taking and applied user experience design and evaluation.
• ISS 520: Living and Working in Space (3 credits) This course introduces students to the fundamental principles of systems engineering and their particular application to the development of space systems to sustains humans living and working in space. Student will be introduced to the key elements comprising space systems across the mission design life cycle, from launch to in-space operations. Topics may include: fundamentals on astrodynamics, requirements analysis, trade studies, concept definition, interface definition, system synthesis, and engineering design, power systems, communications, command and data handling, thermal management, attitude control, mechanical configuration, structures, as well as techniques and analysis methods for remote sensing applications, risk assessment and mitigation planning. Students will be asked to explore, in depth, various advanced areas of space systems engineering challenges and share information with each other in online discussions.
• ISS 530: Special Studies in Space Architecture (3 credits) Through individual and/or group research projects, with guidance from faculty advisor(s), students will have an opportunity to advance original research work and developing technologies in special studies in space architecture. This course emphasizes investigating new territories of inquiry, including contributions to the knowledgebase of their chosen discipline, as well as development of an overall research framework to define aspects of that discipline related to space applications. Research programs should focus on theoretical and experimental positions drawn from the respective areas to enable contributions towards human space settlement. Skills development integrated throughout the course elements will emphasize writing, teamwork, the collaborative nature of the field, engineering tools used in space systems engineering, and data management and analysis.
• ISS 540: Special Studies in Space Philosophy (3 credits) Through individual and/or group research projects, with guidance from faculty advisor(s), students will have an opportunity to advance original research work and developing technologies in special studies in space philosophy. This course emphasizes investigating new territories of inquiry, including contributions to the knowledgebase of their chosen discipline, as well as development of an overall research framework to define aspects of that discipline related to space applications. Research programs should focus on theoretical and experimental positions drawn from the respective areas to enable contributions towards human space settlement. Skills development integrated throughout the course elements will emphasize writing, teamwork, the collaborative nature of the field, engineering tools used in space systems engineering, and data management and analysis.
• ISS 550: Special Studies in Law, Policy, and Governance (3 credits) Through individual and/or group research projects, with guidance from faculty advisor(s), students will have an opportunity to advance original research work and developing technologies in special studies in space law, policy and governance. This course emphasizes investigating new territories of inquiry, including contributions to the knowledgebase of their chosen discipline, as well as development of an overall research framework to define aspects of that discipline related to space applications. Research programs should focus on theoretical and experimental positions drawn from the respective areas to enable contributions towards human space settlement. Skills development integrated throughout the course elements will emphasize writing, teamwork, the collaborative nature of the field, engineering tools used in space systems engineering, and data management and analysis.
• ISS 560: Special Topics in Human Space Settlement (3 credits) Various topics in Human Space Settlement are considered. They will vary depending upon recent developments in the field and upon the interests of the instructor. The topics to be included are announced at the time of the course offering.

SAR 500: Space Systems Fundamentals (3 credits)

This course introduces students to the systems approach to spacecraft design and gives insights into the working of space systems and how they interact with each other. This includes mission requirements and objectives, design drivers, and mission architectures. Topics may include: space science, environment, and satellite missions, celestial mechanics, mission analysis, mass drivers and propulsion, space-based communications systems, data systems and processing, and space instrumentation and applications.

SAR 510: Spacecraft And Habitat Design (3 credits)

This course covers the multidisciplinary challenges of spacecraft and habitat systems design, and provides an overview of different types and applications of spacecraft. Students will be introduced to systems engineering, concurrent design, spacecraft design optimization techniques, standards, and regulatory issues. Topics may include: design and performance trade-offs, economics and regulations of spaceflight and space settlements, testing and verification requirements and methods, and how to critically evaluate design options.

SAR 520: Advanced Mission Analytics (3 credits)

This course provides understanding of the motion of celestial objects and spacecraft under gravity. Analysis of the two-body and restricted three-body problems and orbital transfer using impulsive forces will be investigated. Students will also examine advanced concepts and processes for designing space infrastructure for interplanetary, surface and sub-surface operations, solar system wide infrastructure, and interstellar spacecraft trajectories for given specifications. Students gain insights through numerical analyses and dynamic simulation, data analytics with management and execution of mission objectives, and discussions of real space missions to demonstrate how these practices have been applied in industry.

SAR 545: Independent Study – Space Architecture (3 credits)

This course provides for the independent study of a current topic in space architecture designed to encourage students to conduct research. Students will carry out independent library research, explore experimental work, prepare a written report and make a presentation to other students in the course of the research plan and preliminary results. An independent study course is intended to foster initiative in students by supporting them to address their own learning needs related to their thesis research or research in general, and extends a student’s learning beyond the available prescribed and elective courses.

SAR 549: Research Project - Special Studies In Space Architecture (3 credits)

This special study option enables students to undertake specific projects in space architecture. The topic of the special study will be determined in consultation with a faculty member and the individual student. The project may be theoretical and/or experimental and can be selected from a range of topics related to the course as suggested by teaching staff, your employer or even focused on your own area of interest. Students are responsible for making appropriate arrangements with faculty member prior to registration for the course.

SAR 597: Thesis I (Space Architecture) (3 credits)

For M.S. Degree, Thesis-Based. Research studies in Space Architecture. Students will actively engage in the research process, write the thesis and be examined on the thesis. The research may be on any topic, subject to approval and availability of faculty supervision.

SAR 598: Thesis II (Space Architecture) (3 credits)

For M.S. Degree, Thesis-Based. Research studies in Space Architecture. Students will actively engage in the research process, write the thesis and be examined on the thesis. The research may be on any topic, subject to approval and availability of faculty supervision. Prerequisite: SAR 597

20 Types of Architecture thesis topics

An architectural thesis is perhaps the most confusing for a student because of the range of typologies of buildings that exist. It also seems intimidating to pick your site program and do all the groundwork on your own. While choosing an architectural thesis topic, it is best to pick something that aligns with your passion and interest as well as one that is feasible. Out of the large range of options, here are 20 architectural thesis topics .

1. Slum Redevelopment (Urban architecture)

Slums are one of the rising problems in cities where overcrowding is pertinent. To account for this problem would be one of great value to the city as well as the inhabitants of the slum. It provides them with better sanitation and well-being and satisfies their needs.

2. Maggie Center (Healthcare architecture)

This particular typology of buildings was coined by a cancer patient,  Margaret Keswick Jencks,   who believed that cancer-treatment centres’ environment could largely improve their health and wellbeing by better design. This led a large number of starchitects to participate and build renowned maggie centres.

3. Urban Sprawl Redesign (Urban design)

The widening of city boundaries to accommodate migrants and overcrowding of cities is very common as of late. To design for the constant urban sprawl would make the city life more convenient and efficient for all its users.

4. Redesigning Spaces Under Elevated Roads and Metros (Urban infrastructure)

A lot of space tends to become dead space under metros or elevated roads. To use these spaces more efficiently and engage them with the public would make it an exciting thesis topic.

5. Urban Parks (Urban landscape)

Urban parks are not only green hubs for the city, which promotes the well-being of the city on a larger level, but they also act as great places for the congregation and bring a community together.

6. Reusing Abandoned Buildings (Adaptive reuse)

All buildings after a point become outdated and old but, what about the current old and abandoned buildings? The best way to respond to these is not by demolishing them; given the amount of effort it takes to do so, but to enhance them by restoring and changing the building to current times.

7. Farming in Cities (Green urban spaces)

With climate change and population on the rise, there is statistical proof that one needs to start providing farming in cities as there is not sufficient fertile land to provide for all. Therefore, this makes a great thesis topic for students to explore.

8. Jails (Civil architecture)

To humanize the function of jails, to make it a place of change and rehabilitation, and break from the stereotypical way of looking at jails. A space that will help society look at prisoners as more than monsters that harm, and as fellow humans that are there to change for everyone’s betterment.

9. Police Academies (Civil architecture)

Academies that train people to be authoritative and protective require spaces for training mentally and physically; focussing on the complexity of the academy and focussing on the user to enhance their experience would work in everyone’s favour.

10. High Court (Civil architecture)

Courtrooms are more often than not looked at as spaces that people fear, given the longevity of court cases. It can be a strenuous space; therefore, understanding the user groups’ state of mind and the problems faced can be solved using good design. 

11. Disaster-resilient structures (Disaster-relief architecture)

Natural disasters are inevitable. Disaster-resilient structures are build suitably for the natural disasters of the region while also incorporating design into it, keeping in mind the climatic nature of the location.

12. Biophilic design (Nature-inspired architecture)

As humans, we have an innate love for nature, and the struggle between integrating nature and architecture is what biophilic design aims towards. To pick a topic where one would see minimal use of natural elements and incorporate biophilic design with it would be very beneficial.

13. Metro stations and Bus terminals (Transportation spaces)

Bus terminals and metro stations are highly functional spaces that often get crowded; and to account for the crowd and the problems that come with it, plus elevate the experience of waiting or moving, would contribute to making it a good thesis topic.

14. Airport design (Transportation spaces)

Airport designing is not very uncommon; however, it is a rather complex program to crack; thereby, choosing this topic provides you with the opportunity to make this space hassle-free and work out the most efficient way to make this conducive for all types of users.

15. Sports Complex (Community architecture)

If your passion lies in sports, this is a go-to option. Each sport is played differently, different materials are used, and the nature of the sport and its audience is rather complicated. However, to combine this and make it a cohesive environment for all kinds of users would make a good thesis topic.

16. Stadium (Community architecture)

Unlike a sports complex, one could also pick one sport and look at the finer details, create the setting, and experience for it; by designing it to curate a nice experience for the players, the public, and the management.

17. Waste-recycling center (Waste management)

Reducing waste is one of the most fundamental things we must do as humans. Spaces where recycling happens must be designed consciously. Just like any other space, it has been given importance over the years, and this would make a good thesis topic to provide the community with.

18. Crematorium (Public architecture)

Cremation of a loved one or anyone for that matter is always a rather painful process and a range of emotions is involved when it comes to this place. Keeping in mind the different types of people and emotions and making your thesis about this would mean to enhance this experience while still keeping the solemnity of it intact.

19. Museums (Community architecture)

Museums are spaces of learning, and the world has so much to offer that one could always come up with different typologies of museums and design according to the topic of one’s interest. Some of the examples would be cultural heritage, modern art, museum of senses, and many more.

20. Interpretation center (Community architecture)

An interpretation center is a type of museum located near a site of historical, cultural, or natural relevance that provides information about the place of interest through various mediums.

References:

• 2022. 68 Thesis topics in 5 minutes . [image] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NczdOK7oe98&ab_channel=BlessedArch> [Accessed 1 March 2022].
• Bdcnetwork.com. 2022. Biophilic design: What is it? Why it matters? And how do we use it? | Building Design + Construction . [online] Available at: <https://www.bdcnetwork.com/blog/biophilic-design-what-it-why-it-matters-and-how-do-we-use-it> [Accessed 1 March 2022].
• RTF | Rethinking The Future. 2022. 20 Thesis topics related to Sustainable Architecture – RTF | Rethinking The Future . [online] Available at: <https://www.re-thinkingthefuture.com/rtf-fresh-perspectives/a1348-20-thesis-topics-related-to-sustainable-architecture/> [Accessed 1 March 2022].
• Wdassociation.org. 2022. A List Of Impressive Thesis Topic Ideas In Architecture . [online] Available at: <https://www.wdassociation.org/a-list-of-impressive-thesis-topic-ideas-in-architecture.aspx> [Accessed 1 March 2022].

Online Course – The Ultimate Architectural Thesis Guide

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Flora is a student of architecture, with a passion for psychology and philosophy. She loves merging her interests and drawing parallels to solve and understand design problems. As someone that values growth, she uses writing as a medium to share her learning and perspective.

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Home > Communities > School of Aerospace Sciences > Space Studies > Space Studies ETDs

Space Studies Theses and Dissertations

Theses/dissertations from 2023 2023.

Spectral Classification Of Eight Stars In Open Cluster NGC 457 , Anthony Braden

Spacesuit Hard Upper Torso Assembly: Development Of Fit Metrics And Customized Design Frameworks , Will J. Green

Theses/Dissertations from 2022 2022

Performance Of The Shortened Liquid Cooling Warming Garment During Simulated Emergency EVA , Sophie Marie Bielawski

Will Communication Delays Impact Mission Controllers? An Investigation Of Mood, Performance, And Workload During Analog Missions , Madison Diamond

Indigeneity In Space Governance Discussions: Centering Indigenous Knowledges Beyond Earth , Erin Edwards

P&I Club Membership As Potential Incentivization For Adherence To Best Space Traffic Management Practices: A Maritime Analogue , Cristin M. Finnigan

Theses/Dissertations from 2021 2021

VNIR Spectral Properties Of Five G-Class Asteroids: Implications For Mineralogy And Geologic Evolution , Justin Todd Germann

Photometric And Astrometric Analysis Of Three Near-Earth Asteroids , Steven D. Newcomb

Betelgeuse, A Parameter Study Using MESA , Cedric Ramesh

An Evaluation Of Ci Asteroid Regolith As A Plant Growth Medium For Space Crop Production , Steven Jon Russell

Closing The Loop In Life Support Systems For Spaceflight And Habitation: Reutilization Of Human Excrement Through Recovery Of Potable Water And Reclamation Of Waste Materials For In-Space Additive Manufacturing , Brittany Zimmerman

Theses/Dissertations from 2020 2020

Electron Beam Irradiation As A Potential Lipid Decontamination Technique For Life Detection Instruments , Denise Kathleen Buckner

Bio-Regenerative Life Support Systems Functional Stability And Limitations, A Theoretical Modeling Approach , Curt I. Holmer

Photometric Study Of Two Near-Earth Asteroids In The Sloan Digital Sky Survey Moving Objects Catalog , Christopher James Miko

A Preliminary Study Of Leo To Geo Transfers For Inclination Changes Using Libration Point Orbits , John Shepard

Critical Contingency Eva’s For 3D-Printed Planetary Habitats , James Robert Stoffel

Theses/Dissertations from 2019 2019

Formalizing Citizen Science: Creating A New Paradigm In Space Weather Policy , Michael Cook

Thermal Performance Analysis Of The Liquid Cooling And Ventilation Garment (LCVG) With Respect To Tubing Geometry , Kayla Marie Daniels

A Neoclassical Realist’s Analysis Of Sino-U.S. Space Policy , Christopher David Fabian

Can You Hear Me, Major Tom? Open Issues In Extra-Vehicular Activity Communications , Elizabeth Howell

Applying Machine Learning To Asteroid Classification Utilizing Spectroscopically Derived Spectrophotometry , Kathleen Jacinda Mcintyre

Effects Of Locomotion Methods Under Simulated Reduced Gravity Conditions On Muscles And Joints Of The Leg , Sophie Orr

The Influence Of Media Bias Perception On Space Publications , Benjamin Robert Raback-Schink

Design Of A Controlled Descent Lifting Body Glider For High Altitude Payload Recovery , Nanette Valentour

Theses/Dissertations from 2018 2018

Quantifying Extravehicular Activity Performance Degradation Due To Sustenance Deprivation , Eryn Beisner

Calibration Of Calcic Pyroxenes For Interpreting Meteorite And Asteroid Spectra , Margaret Dievendorf

Risk Assessment Of Space Mining Ventures Using Decision Modeling And Monte Carlo Simulation , Michael Roy Jude

Determining The Correlation Significance Between S-Type Asteroid Orbital Inclination And Albedo Attributable To Space Weathering , Benjamin Wright Mcgee

Constraining The Small Binary Asteroid Population Of The Main Belt Using Doublet Craters On Ceres , Paul F. Wren

Theses/Dissertations from 2017 2017

Enhancing Water Purification Via Graphene Oxide, Holey Graphene Oxide And Lignin Membrane Architectures , Chris Buelke

Determining Glacier Drift Ages Using Multispectral Remote Sensing Data , Paula Crock

Design And Construction Of A Robotic Vehicle To Assist During Planetary Surface Operations , Christopher Anthony Follette

Outgassing Of Out-Of-Autoclave Composite Primary Structures For Small Satellites , Alastair Komus

Rotational Study Of Ambiguous Taxonomic Type Asteroids , Tyler Linder

Transit Photometry Of Recently Discovered Hot Jupiters , Sean Peter Mccloat

Lightcurve Study Of V-Type Asteroids , Matt Nowinski

Is The Gefion Dynamical Asteroid Family The Source Of The L Chondrites? , Rachel Roberts

Theses/Dissertations from 2016 2016

A Comparative Analysis Of The Geology Tools Used During The Apollo Lunar Program And Their Suitability For Future Missions To The Moon , Lindsay Kathleen Anderson

How Distribution Of Commercial Satellite Payloads Between Different Launch Providers Affects The National Space Transportation Policy , Jerra Brown

Remote Sensing Of Asteroid Surface Mineralogy , Martin William Hynes

Theses/Dissertations from 2015 2015

Identifying "bad" Asteroid Spectra: A Cross-Correlative Database Study , Iva Gerasimenko

The Evolution Of Outer Space Law: An Economic Analysis Of Rule Formation , Christopher Michael Hearsey

Ceres – VIS-IR Surface Composition Analysis: A Review In Advance Of The DAWN Mission , Daniela Henckel

Hybrid Enhanced Epidermal Spacesuit Design Approaches , Joseph M. Jessup

30 Day Lunar/Martian Planetary Habitation Analog: Subjective Crew Analysis Of Behavioral Health , Travis Nelson

Radiation Shielding Approaches For Planetary Surface Exploration: A Mars Case Study For Und Concepts , Arturo Ortiz

Architecture Study For A Fuel Depot Supplied From Lunar Resources , Thomas Milton Perrin

Assessment of the United States National Security Space Management and Organization , Charles G. Simpson

An Investigation Of Six Poorly Described Close Visual Double Stars Using Speckle Interferometry , Daniel B. Wallace

STEM Education For Girls Of Color , Kam Hung Yee

Theses/Dissertations from 2014 2014

Artificial Soil Formation And Stabilization Of Material Cycles In Closed Ecological Systems For Mars Habitats , Joshua D. Borchardt

A Feasibility Study On The Implementation Of Satellite-To-Satellite Tracking Around A Small Near-Earth Object , Christopher Joseph Church

Development Of A Prototype Movement Assistance System For Extravehicular Activity Gloves , Tyler Hill

Generating A Characterization Method Utilizing The Visible (0.6-1.0 μm) Peak Feature To Aid In Identification Of Ordinary Chondrite Parent Bodies , Cassandra Lynne Johnson

A Foundational Methodology For Determining System Static Complexity Using Notional Lunar Oxygen Production Processes , Nicholas J. Long

Space Tourism Law: Lessons From Aviation, Antarctica, And The International Space Station , Denise Meeks

Progressing Science, Technology, Engineering, And Math (STEM) Education In North Dakota With Near-Space Ballooning , Marissa Elizabeth Saad

A Comparison Of Solar Prominence Data Between Hα And EUV (he II-304Å) , Jonathan Schiralli

Human Performance Profiles For Planetary Analog Extra-Vehicular Activities: 120 Day And 30 Day Analog Missions , Tiffany M. Swarmer

The Structures, Mass Motions And Footpoints Of Solar Filaments , Aparna Venkataramanasastry

Study Of The Suit Inflation Effect On Crew Safety During Landing Using A Full-Pressure IVA Suit For New-Generation Reentry Space Vehicles , Suzuki Wataru

Panic Development Mechanisms And Preventive Methods Analysis , Inga Wuerges

Theses/Dissertations from 2013 2013

Variations Of E-Region Total Electron Content And Electron Density Profiles Over High Latitudes During Winter Solstice 2007 Using Radio Occultation Measurements , Kajli Agrawal

Developing Hybrid Near-Space Technologies For Affordable Access To Suborbital Space , Brian David Badders

An Investigation Of Climate Patterns On Earth-Like Planets Using The NASA GISS Global Climate Model II , Robert Mark Elowitz

Air Circulation Under Reduced Atmospheric Pressures , Lendell E. Hillhouse

The Influence Of Television And Film On Interest In Space And Science , Katrina Marie Jackson

Crew Training Requirements For Long Duration Missions , Ann Wargetz

Theses/Dissertations from 2012 2012

Testing The Gefion Family As A Possible Parent Body For The L-Chondrite Meteorites , Jessica Ronnie Blagen

Size-Dependent Earth Impactor Warning Times And Corresponding Campaign Mission Recommendations , Todd Alexander Borzych

Presidents, Politics, And Policy: How The Apollo And Shuttle Decisions Shaped Nasa , Marc Fusco

A Proposed Legal Framework On The Extraction And Consumption Of Outer Space Resources , Melissa M. Gordon

Stellar Spectral Classification Of Previously Unclassified Stars Gsc 4461-698 And Gsc 4466-870 , Darren Moser Grau

Design And Testing Validation Of An Extendable Pressurized Tunnel For An Inflatable Lunar Habitat , Timothy Jani Holland

Caution Light: The Anik E2 Solar Disruption And Its Effect On Telesat Canada , Elizabeth Howell

H-Alpha Narrow Band Filter Commissioning And Imaging At The Und Observatory , Rakesh R. Nath

Introducing Astronomy Into High School Physics Curriculum Through The Use Of The University Of North Dakota Observatory , Caitlin Marie Nolby

Integration Of Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Into Precision Agriculture: Putting The Power Of Remote Sensing Into The Hands Of Farmers , Jeremy Richard Smith

Atmospheric Mass Loss And Orbital Evolution Of Exoplanets , Nicole Thom

Theses/Dissertations from 2009 2009

Group Dynamics in Extreme Earth Environments: Analogs for Space Missions (Past and Present Expeditions Analysis) , Matthew M. Allner

Theses/Dissertations from 2007 2007

Identification Of Psychological Stressors For Long Duration Space Missions: Psychological Stressors Among Five Astronauts And Cosmonauts , Melinda S. Marsh

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Space Architecture: The Latest Architecture and News

Hassell unveils lunar habitat masterplan, aiming to revolutionize interstellar living.

Last week, Hassell revealed the Lunar Habitat Masterplan , a modular concept for a moon base. Developed in collaboration with th e European Space Agency (ESA) and Cranfield University, the project aims to contribute to the formation of the first permanent human settlement on the moon. Various renowned architects have previously contributed to space exploration through architecture. From Buckminster Fuller to Foster + Partners, BIG, and SOM, the architectural catalog in outer space has seen many advancements. Representing a significant set forward in interstellar exploration, this masterplan by Hassell hopes to support the development of a community on the moon.

• Read more »

Architecture for Inhabiting Space: Tessellated Reconfigurable Structures for Adaptive Environments

Architecture is likely to exist in any place or physical space inhabited by human beings. Moreover, our inherent curiosity and exploratory spirit constitute an integral aspect of our humanity. Fueled by our inventive capacity, drives us to venture into future scenarios that we can explore as individuals and as a society. Consequently, the possibility of a future in space has sparked the imagination of scientists and designers, resulting in conceptual and science fiction designs where human beings inhabit space.

The inventive and imaginative human capacity can be traced through the work of artists such as Jean-Marc Côté, who, in the early 20th century, envisioned a series of retro-futuristic illustrations depicting what life would be like in the year 2000. There are also notable literary references, such as the works of Ursula K. Le Guin , renowned for her speculative fiction exploring humanity's journey as a spacefaring species. Undoubtedly, the future and space are two captivating topics that have inspired the development of a long-term vision for society in space.

How Architecture and Design on Earth Helps to Plan For Life on Mars

SpaceX founder and science-fiction fan Elon Musk is attempting to make the fiction of space travel a scientific reality. ‘In order to safeguard the existence of humanity,’ he explains, ‘we need to become a multi-planetary civilization.’ Musk says he’s laser-focused on ensuring we make a second home elsewhere in space, and has his sights set on Mars. He’s not alone, of course. NASA ’s recently-released Moon to Mars Architecture Concept Review is a ‘study of the hardware and operations needed for human missions to the Moon and Mars,’ leading to long-term scientific discovery and human habitation in deep space.

But there’s a long way to go before we get there – and not just the 140 million miles (average distance to Mars). The biggest challenge to Mars habitation and eventual colonization is humanity itself, and our indecision. Many of us question why we should sink so much of our energy – both effort and resources – into such a task, when there are plenty of more pressing matters to address here on Earth?

How is Architecture Supporting the Exploration of the Moon and Mars?

From inflatable and 3D-printed structures to entire habitats, architecture plays an unprecedented role in space exploration missions. As NASA plans for long-term human exploration of the Moon and Mars under Artemis and CHAPEA missions, new technologies are required to meet the unique challenges of living and working in another world. In response, figures like Buckminster Fuller , Foster + Partners , SOM , and BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group , in collaboration with emerging businesses such as ICON and SEArch+ , have nourished the architectural catalog in outer space.

In the latest update, NASA awarded Austin-based company ICON a contract to continue ICON's Olympus construction system in partnership with BIG-Bjarke Ingels Group . The project will help build infrastructures such as landing pads, habitats, capsules, and roads on the lunar surface and Mars , using extrusion-based additive construction technology (3D printing) and local materials like lunar regolith. The contract runs through 2028 and supports Artemis , a mission for long-term human exploration of the Moon.

The Cyprus Pavilion Examines Social Sustainability and Space Exploration at La Biennale di Venezia 2023

The Cyprus Pavilion at the International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia has announced its exhibition. The pavilion will explore the first early settlements of the Cyprus Aceramic Neolitih Khirokitia, using these communities as a springboard to discuss social sustainability challenges in a humanistic and cultural framework. The display, curated by Petros Lapithis , Lia Lapithi , Nikos Kouroussis , and Ioanna Ioannou Xiari , is based on a foundation for a newly constructed environment that will be established on Mars.

A Living Capsule on The Moon and a Garden Home in Colombia: 10 Unbuilt Visionary Houses Submitted to ArchDaily

This week's curated selection of Best Unbuilt Architecture highlights visionary homes by the ArchDaily community . From a prefabricated house to supporting Ukraine war victims, a modular multi-story house highlighted during the Dutch Design Week , and a villa "shaped" by the Dubai coastline wind flow, this round-up of unbuilt projects showcases how architects move forward from the conventional residence concept to project alternative habitational standards in responding to harsh environments, nature, and technology.

Featuring firms like architecten van Mourik , Archigardener , DKTV, Exint , Kalbod Design Studio , Lana Alk habbaz studio , Mitchell Designs Architecture , Mossawi Studios LLC , Void , and Team Group , the following list explores homes at different scales and varying stages of their development. Whether competition-winning projects or ongoing planned execution, each project develop a vision of living generated by unique site conditions and technical possibilities.

NASA and AI Space Factory Develop a 3D Printed Lunar Structure

NASA and AI Space Factory developed LINA (Lunar Infrastructure Asset), an in-situ 3D-printed outpost to protect astronauts and critical missions on the Moon. The project is part of the Relevant Environment Additive Construction Technology (REACT) , a multi-year collaboration to develop technologies for lunar surface constructions within the timeframe of the Artemis Mission: humankind’s return to the Moon. LINA is a step in the effort to expand civilization to Earth’s natural satellite and explore it in a sustainable way that minimizes human disturbance.

The Space Age Aesthetic: Influencing Architecture and Interiors

The dawn of nuclear power , dramatic advances in rocketry, and the desire to be the first to put men into space and on the moon, kick-started an era known as the ‘Space Age’ . Upon the closure of WW2, both the Soviets and the Allies found themselves in a state of antagonism, as they both began to struggle to make advancements in space exploration before the other, a race for space. The era would give way to rapid advancements in technology and huge accomplishments including the moon landing in 1969 . The Space Age aesthetic completely changed the way designers visualized the new world and left a dramatic impression on architecture and interiors. A new vision of futurism and prosperity.

New Exhibition at Danish Architecture Center Provides Insight into Space Architecture

Danish Architecture Center's most recent exhibition, A Space Saga , explores life in a lunar habitat, providing an insight into the considerations that would shape space architecture, as new lunar missions are on track for 2025. The exhibition presents the lunar habitat LUNARK developed by Danish architecture studio SAGA Space Architects , a study on physical and mental well-being in extreme environments that can also inform high-tech architecture on Earth.

Architecture on Mars: Projects for Life on the Red Planet

February 2021 has been a historical month for Mars exploration . While humans have been exploring the red planet for well over 50 years, first landing on its surface in 1971 and then launching the first successful rover in 1997, this year has seen several firsts, namely the first time that three countries (China, United States, and the UAE) have launched three simultaneous probes.

The Return of Superstudio and the Anti-Architecture Ideology

In the 1960s , Cristiano Toraldo di Francia and Adolfo Natalini , two Florence-based architecture students in their twenties, decided to undertake the substantial task of designing a new way for the citizens of the globe to inhabit the earth. Driven by the possibilities laid out in science fiction novels and the desire to prescribe design to solve the problems of their era, the duo, who dubbed themselves as Superstudio , sought to continuously reinvent their role in what it means to be an architect. Their solution was the creation of an “anti-design” culture as a means to provide commentary on politics, capitalism, and urbanism, by creating ideas in which everyone is given a functional space that frees itself of time, place, and the need for excessive objects.

SOM Collaborates with the European Space Agency to Research Habitation on the Moon

Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) has signed a Memorandum of Collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA) in order to further develop their existing research for Moon Village. Signed in Paris, by Colin Koop, Design Partner at SOM, and Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Director General of ESA, the announcement was made earlier this month.

The New Space Race: 6 Challenges for Extraterrestrial Architecture

Up until now, space architecture has been mainly focused on engineering, centered on projects like orbital space stations or Martian exploration convoys, commissioned by world space agencies such as ESA (Europe) or NASA (USA). But in recent years, an increasingly broader spectrum of professionals (e.g. architects, sociologists) as well as entrepreneurs and investors ( not all well intentioned ) have joined the challenge of designing extraterrestrial built environments, the new space race of the 21st century.

The fast development of technology, the increase of world population and the climate change crisis create the perfect setting to think about life outside of our planet, and as these trends continue to evolve and converge, new opportunities to explore options beyond our traditional limits appear ( NEOM ), as well as new organizations which support this research (like SATC , SICSA ). Even though no one is currently on Mars, many ongoing projects and simulations ( MARS-ONE , Mars City Science ) are already exploring how we will design, build and inhabit the new realms of humanity in outer space.

Sustainability in Space: What California Green Building Standards and the Von Braun Space Station Have in Common

As California makes strides in sustainability, the Von Braun Space Station is taking rather large steps for humankind. Exploring the great unknown does not have to mean abandoning our planet — it can mean just the opposite. In fact, this space station could be our most monumental step toward a sustainable future.

Call for Entries: Moonception 2019 Architecture Competition

Ever since the beginning of mankind, we have developed an unexplained affinity towards the various celestial bodies around us, our captivation being held by the moon at the center of all of it. This fascination is visible right from humankind's illustrations in the caves from thousands of years ago to our latest works in literature, astronomy, astrology, architecture and many other fields of studies. Our love for moon and race to explore new horizons, we have created history in the mid 20th century, with the first steps of mankind on the lunar surface. This drive and fascination for the moon have

Shanghai 2117 Imagines Vertical Forest Architecture for Future Mars Colonization

Can architecture and design reverse climate change ? Architect and founding partner of Stefano Boeri Architetti (SBA), Stefano Boeri believes it can. Boeri’s Vertical Forest , a project which marries the natural and urban spheres through biodiversity and reforestation, has already come to fruition in Milan , is currently under construction in Beijing , and soon to be constructed in Shanghai . (Watch the video to learn more about Boeri’s Vertical Forest projects.)

Extending the Physical Public Realm: The ‘Third Place’ as a Charged Interstitial Space

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Mamba-Chat: A chat LLM based on the state-space model architecture 🐍

redotvideo/mamba-chat

Folders and files, repository files navigation, mamba-chat 🐍.

Mamba-Chat is the first chat language model based on a state-space model architecture, not a transformer.

The model is based on Albert Gu's and Tri Dao's work Mamba: Linear-Time Sequence Modeling with Selective State Spaces ( paper ) as well as their model implementation . This repository provides training / fine-tuning code for the model based on some modifications of the Huggingface Trainer class.

Mamba-Chat is based on Mamba-2.8B and was fine-tuned on 16,000 samples of the HuggingFaceH4/ultrachat_200k dataset. To learn more, you can:

• Take a look at the model on Huggingface 🤗
• Talk to us on the Haven Community Discord 🧑‍🤝‍🧑
• Talk to Mamba-Chat on Google Colab

Run Mamba-Chat

We provide code for testing and fine-tuning our model. Here's how to get started and what you can do with it:

Clone repository and install dependencies:

Talk to Mamba-Chat (CLI chatbot):

Talk to Mamba-Chat (gradio app):

Fine-Tune Mamba (the base model) on a subset of the Ultrachat dataset:

If you have a 24GB card (3090, 4090, etc.) you can use these settings:

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