The Ice House is an innovative and futuristic architectural conception, created by Team Space Exploration Architecture and Clouds Architecture Office, that is the winner of NASA's 3-D Printed Habitat Challenge Design Competition. The point of this contest was to seek out architectural concepts for exactly how the wonders of 3D printing could be utilized to put together shelters on Mars.
What's great about the Ice House is that it would be built using something that is believed to be quite abundant on Mars -- water. For this reason, the shelter is designed to be situated at Alba Mons in the northern hemisphere of Mars, as it is believed that sub-surface water ice is plentiful here. This water would be used to help create ice for a building material but would also of course be crucial towards sustaining life.
As humans look to explore the interstellar world in newer, bolder ways, concepts like the Ice House will be crucial to helping coming up with ways to sustain life on other planets.
Icy Martian Shelters
The Ice House Concept Could Be Used to House Humans On Mars
Trend Themes
1. Ice House Concept - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Exploring and developing new architectural concepts for sustainable human habitation on Mars using 3D printing technology and locally available resources.
2. 3D Printed Habitat - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Advancing the use of 3D printing technology to construct habitats and shelters on other planets, using materials found on site.
3. Interstellar Exploration - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Pushing the boundaries of space exploration by developing innovative solutions for sustaining life on other planets.
Industry Implications
1. Architecture - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Revolutionizing the field of architecture by integrating 3D printing technology and sustainable design principles for extraterrestrial habitats.
2. Space Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Creating cutting-edge technologies and solutions for space exploration, including habitat construction and resource utilization on Mars.
3. Sustainability - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Addressing the challenges of sustainable living in extreme environments through the development of self-sufficient habitats and resource management systems.