Winners Announced For “Marsception 2024 Architecture Competition”

The top three winners were awarded total prize money of $4,000 while ten entries received Honorable Mentions. Here are the winning entries. The full result for the competition the Marsception 2024 Architecture Competition can be found at - https://volumezerocompetitions.com/competitions/result/marsception-2024  

The Martian environment poses numerous challenges to habitation. Shelters designed on its surface must provide oxygen and warmth, block solar radiation, and source sufficient building material. Conversely, shelters created below Mars surface damage inhabitants psychological health by sealing them in confined, dark spaces. 

Our proposal utilizes novel building techniques developed by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania to draw upon both solutions best qualities. Situated within a lava tube northeast of the volcano Ascraeus Mons, THRESHOLDS sits half in and half out of the Martian Landscape, partially exposed to the outside world through the side of the lava tube’s wall. The volcano’s softer basaltic regolith can be easily excavated and reused to form a structure at the cliff face that maintains outside views while shielding solar radiation. 

ECLIPSE focuses on Mars and proposes a base for growing crops and research, the centerpiece and pillars of future Mars colonization. It utilizes existing possibilities by using the numerous craters on Mars as a site. By digging holes in the craters and connecting the modules, the building is protected from the extreme Martian climate of sub-zero temperatures, wind, and solar radiation. The base, which consists of six modules and one main ring, offers the possibility of fluid expansion by docking modules to modules.

Once inside, the entrance airlock on the side provides direct access to the common area. Through the common area, the core’s main laboratory provides direct access to the upstairs growing area, which also serves as a walkway to each of the six module entrances. The giant ring is a rotating grower that normally floats above the modules when absorbing energy, but when harvesting need to take place, it is deployed as a growing space that connects to the modules below. This provides short lines of travel for efficient harvesting, and the rotation allows for easy maintenance. This self-sufficient, self-sustaining and self-cycling system of energy from Mars prepares for future colonization of the Red Planet and is an innovative way to think about housing that generates powerful energy continuously by applying the phenomenon of total solar eclipses, an invisible but powerful manifestation of energy on Mars.

The Celestial Genesis begins with the Craft Lancer pod, as rockets land around the designated “Gale Crater”. Upon touchdown, hatches open to release AI-equipped, remotely controlled robots that manually link the three rockets. Excavation commences, and the collected Martian soil and materials are transformed by onboard 3D printers initiate construction based on pre-planned designs, allowing the rockets to continuously craft new structures and expand the Martian base as needed. 

Amidst Martian construction, the “Life Pod Core” rocket, carrying five researchers, serves as the central hub of the burgeoning complex. It contains essential systems, food, and necessities, featuring a dynamic cockpit that doubles as the complex’s elevator system. The Habitat Hub houses research and sleeping areas, while the Active Hub offers spaces for exercise, relaxation, and dining. Above, the Terra Dome cultivates Earth-sourced seeds. Encircling this hub, solar panels harness solar energy, sustaining the outpost on Mars.