A house designed to showcase the possibilities for human life on Mars has gone on display in Bristol.
The two-storey gold inflatable building, near M Shed, was designed by artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent, who worked with a group of construction companies on the project.
According to the artists, the building has been designed to support an imaginary community on the fourth planet from the sun, including withstanding temperatures as low as -63C and super-high radiation levels. The space house is powered by solar panels and has a hydroponic living room - filled with plants - private living space as well as virtual reality and life-support control rooms.
Bringing together scientists, architects, engineers, designers and the public, the five-year project - known as Building a Martian House - has been designed to get people to think about what everyday life would be like if humans settled on the red planet.
Southern Construction Framework (SCF) - a public sector support organisation for construction schemes - worked alongside the artists and industry heavyweights including BAM, Galliford Try, Keir, Morgan Sindall, Wates Construction, Sir Robert McAlpine and Willmott Dixon on the project.
Each company provided time, expertise and building materials worth an estimated £170,000 to bring the house to life.
"It’s fair to say we’re all very proud of the Martian House project, and I’m on cloud nine seeing the building form over the last few weeks after over a year of development and coordination,” said Emma Bull, SCF senior framework manager.
Bristolians are now being invited to visit and help finish off the interior. All the essentials are up for debate, from Mars-appropriate clothes to wallpaper and toothbrushes, the focus being on items that are easy to repair and are multifunctional.
“Considering how we might live on Mars helps us re-think every aspect of our lives here on Earth,” said Ms Kent. “Mars is a place where you’d have to live carefully and sustainably and so helps bring sharp focus on how we live today. Our project shows that we can all have input into how we think about the future.”
Over the next three months there will be a programme of workshops, talks and events at the house, including a live panel discussion with the design team.
Hugh Broughton Architects - experts in extreme architecture - worked in partnership with design studio Pearce+ to develop the design. The firms created a lightweight prototype building which they say can be “easily transported” to Mars while withstanding its inhospitable conditions.
Scientific and engineering experts professor Lucy Berthoud, Dr Bob Myhill and professor James Norman from the University of Bristol were also involved in the project.
Metro mayor Dan Norris added: “It’s great to see this Martian house land at M Shed, the very first space dwelling to be built in the whole country! This is a really important project - by imagining how we would live on Mars, the Martian House project offers a sharp lens on our lives here on planet Earth, helping focus conversations around how we can live more sustainably.”
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