Since long before the dawn of Space Age, the idea of conquering outer space has inspired architects to design innovative habitats and living spaces. These avant-garde concepts influenced a generation of architects. Examples are the projects “Plug-in City” and “Walk-in City” by Archigram, Oasis 7 by Haus-Rucker-Co and Villa Rosa by Coop Himme(l)blau
By the year 2030 the space tourism industry will have become a staple on the new frontier, long term and short term stays will be available to everyone. Architecture`s responsibility for this near future lies in the necessity of understanding how spaces are designed and used from a day to day programmatic approach. The physiological effects of isolation, and everything in between, create a true level of evolution for habitation.
In recognizing the financial and logistical limitations of current space constructions, such as the International Space Station, this thesis looks beyond the limitations of current technologies and towards designs that are driven by the fulfillment of human experiences in space. The challenge for architecture in this extreme context is not merely one based on engineering but on perspectives and depths of human experience and understanding. Life in space, the thesis envisions, will spark new human experiences and rituals while necessitating new forms and designs in architecture. Aesthetic considerations that could potentially aid in the creation of orientation, functionality, and comfort are considered in the design process as well as interiors that aid in movement, private/shared space and psychological implications of living in isolation. How we merge the relationship of machine and design, tectonics and ergonomics and test new ways of understanding design with a completely different pallet of limitations, in turn helps us understand new ways to design on our home planet.
The habitat represents a lab of experimentation, testing the human boundaries in zero gravity environments and providing a new platform in evolving design in zero gravity. HASH (Human Advancement in Space Habitation) demonstrates how architecture in zero gravity and human reactions to long term stay in isolation performs in design and livability. Colorations, perspectives in distances from one object to another and the departure from Earth are all integral determinate to civilization further developing our quest to go further.
