ENERNEST

CONCEPT DESIGN

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Competition: Young Architects Competitions x Moon Station

Period: 2023

Type/Program: Architectural Concept Design

Location: Moon, Lacus Mortis Pit

Status:

Team: Özge ZABUN (M.Arch.-Lead Architect), Hande ZABUN ESER (M.Arch.),

Yıldız CEMALOGLU (Arch.), Asu PALA (Arch. Student)

Related Link: https://www.youngarchitectscompetitions.com/open-competitions/moon-station

 

ENERNEST is located inside the Lacus Mortis Pit on the Moon which is naturally protected from the extreme conditions of the Moon. The proposed structure consists of a central communal area around which other units will develop. A living and growth corridor will feed these units. The growth corridor also allows the electrical and mechanical installations to extend to the units. Each unit is designed with airlock connections so that it can be disconnected from the main system in case of any problems. The staff accommodation is separated by a secondary corridor and is only accessible to staff. In order to minimise excavation costs, the proposed structure is placed on adjustable piers, taking into account the differences in elevation, which provide structural stabilisation. One of the most important elements is the energy bar, which allows new people to reach the station by attaching to spaceships without landing. It will also be used for communications, asteroid detection and landings for scientific research. The main purpose of this approach is to reduce the cost of landing, stay in contact with the lunar surface and provide a transit lift for future growth. The energy bar, powered by solar panels, rotates to allow Hermes ships to be attached from any direction. Thus, lifts from different directions are connected to the entrance airlock of the building through this rotational movement. In order for life to be self-sustaining, the goal is to use the local materials found on the Moon to produce both energy and building materials.  For example, regolith, sunlight and helium-3 isotope are the main sources for both construction and sustainability of life on the Moon. It is aimed to design a station that can produce energy, water and materials required for construction. The most cost-effective way to build the structure is proposed to use regolith, the material of the Moon, as the main material for 3D printers. In the growth scenario for life on the Moon, it is proposed to extend the growth corridor along the lava tube and attach the modules to the corridor as required. In the far future scenario, underground life is speculated to be protected from the extreme conditions of the Moon, with the lava tubes forming a relationship with each other stations.