Building a Martian House is a public art project that aims to create a genuine prototype of a Martian house. Mars is a place where we would have to live carefully and resourcefully. The project is led and conceived by artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent working with Hugh Broughton Architects and Pearce+. It is presented in partnership with M Shed, and funded by the Edward Marshall Trust.
Artists Ella Good and Nicki Kent have teamed up with Hugh Broughton Architects and Pearce+ to explore the possibilities of what living on Mars might be like.
The house at M Shed Square in Bristol, UK, will be open to the public until the end of October 2022. It will start off as an empty façade and will come to life thanks to alternating interiors that provide opportunities to collectively explore a new, sustainable culture. It is a place where people can research, experiment, and discuss: a blank canvas to try things out and imagine new perspectives for today’s lifestyles.
It will be Britain’s first Martian house, created not exclusively by specialists, but by many different people – from rocket scientists to primary school children. All participants will work together through a co-design process, each sharing their expertise, perspectives, and imagination with one another.
We all have expertise to offer around how we live and a part to play in designing our shared future.
Concept Martian House -Cutaway credit Hugh Broughton Architects
How do you develop a toilet that functions both in a weightless environment and on the moon? In 2020 NASA hosted the Lunar Loo Challenge. When the winners were announced, NASA awarded the third prize to Franziska Wülker for her design. Her new mission: the Martian Toilet.
Three basic options are feasible. Our solution: a shower-toilet. Find out why:
Franziska Wülker, Head of Research & Development, Duravit AG
“Mars is a relatively hostile environment for humans. Many activities that we take for granted on Earth are simply impossible on Mars. A walk in the fresh air is only possible in a space suit because there is no fresh air on Mars – the atmosphere is mainly made up of CO2. Overall, everyday life on Mars is challenging and fairly arduous as a result.
That’s why it’s so important that everyday items in the home are designed to be as simple and comfortable as possible. That applies especially to the things we don’t like talking about, such as using the toilet.
For that reason, we’ve selected a toilet that is not too dissimilar to what we’re already familiar with. We’ve integrated a shower function, which is comfortable and hygienic – plus there’s a lot more water than toilet paper on Mars.”
Hygienic and comfortable: the shower-toilet as a Martian toilet. Find out more about SensoWash® shower-toilets:
Franziska Wülker: “Why did we opt for this specific toilet? First, it’s comfortable with a heated seat, Rearwash and Ladywash, and hot-air dryer. It’s also hygienic – not only because of the shower function, but also because the glaze we use – HygieneGlaze – inhibits the growth of bacteria. And as a little bonus there’s also an odor extractor, because on Mars it’s not the best idea to open the window for ventilation.”
Water on Mars? Water ice!
The total volume of the ice reservoir on Mars is 5.000.000 km³. If the ice were
distributed equally over the whole of Mars, the ice sheet would be around 35 m
thick.
Franziska Wülker:
“On Mars there are ice caps at the north and south poles. The volume of the polar caps is equivalent to the Greenland ice sheet on Earth. Subterranean ice sheets and glaciers can be pretty big. In some areas they’re up to 100m thick and close to the surface, around 1m to 2m – all you need is a shovel. So it’s best to build the Mars base where there’s lots of ice that’s easy to get at.
Bore holes could be made to extract water. This would involve drilling a hole through the cover layer and using a heat probe to melt and collect the ice. Empirical data from glaciers on Earth could be used for the ice drilling operations.”
Franziska Wülker’s sketch: Water extraction by drilling and melting water ice
The shower-toilet is not the only feasible option for a Mars loo. These variants satisfy a range of requirements.
Requirements and potential solutions for a Mars toilet
“A standard commercial incinerating toilet would be conceivable, which burns feces and leaves just ash behind. You’d need a toilet bag to transport urine and feces to the incineration chamber, which is operated by gas or electricity. However, this option involves high energy consumption.”
Franziska Wülker, Head of Research & Development, Duravit AG
“Other alternatives would be a composting toilet or even better a separation & composting toilet. The separation toilet separates urine and feces. Urine can be stabilized with Ca(OH)2 to prevent the formation of ammonia, enabling urine to be used as a fertilizer. Feces can be disposed of or composted.”
Franziska Wülker, Head of Research & Development, Duravit AG
“Freeze-drying is also a feasible option. The aim here is to remove the water contained in waste and to dispose of the dried residue. First you need to freeze it. Then the pressure is reduced, which enables the ice to evaporate directly without an intermediate liquid phase (sublimation). Energy needs to be added to enable the ice to evaporate. This procedure involves high energy consumption on Earth, but Mars offers cold temperatures and low pressure on the doorstep. The first two steps (freezing and reducing pressure) would therefore be easier to do on Mars than on Earth. At the same time, the overall process is complex and we want to make life comfortable for the astronauts on Mars.”
“We opted for a conventional shower-toilet with a water flush. SensoWash® reduces the consumption of toilet paper, which also ensures a high level of comfort and hygiene. Treated gray water from washbasins, showers, etc. can be used for flushing via a circular system. It is also conceivable that an additional urinal could be used to separate urine and turn it into fertilizer.”
Designer
Antonio Citterio
Inspiration
A bright and breezy start to the day with the right washing area
Technology
Ceramic
Designer
Kurt Merki Jr.
Material science
Descaling faucets, shower heads, etc.
Designer
Frank Huster
Reference
A sauna in the bathroom: pure relaxation
Designer
Matteo Thun & Antonio Rodriguez
Material science
Storage in the bathroom: eight ideas for creating more space
Inspiration
Bathroom Floor Plans
Designer
sieger design
Technology
Durable Materials
Inspiration
Decorating the bathroom
Inspiration
A wealth of forms for individual bathroom design
Material science
Five organization tips for your bathroom
Reference
The Luxury Bathroom: Inspiration and Tips
Designer
Philippe Starck
Designer
Phoenix Design
Technology
DuraLAB
Reference
Marble bathrooms: a classic aesthetic with a new look
Designer
Casambi App
Reference
White bathrooms: classic and elegant
Reference
Natural bathroom
Reference
Black bathrooms: stylish simplicity
Inspiration
The perfect washing area
Reference
Hygge: Danish lifestyle moves into the bathroom
Inspiration
The Dream Bathroom of Sebastian Herkner
Technology
Toilet Paper Facts
Material science
Painting the Bathroom: how to make your new paint job a success
Inspiration
The perfect showering area
Reference
PHASE DANCE
Inspiration
Color in the Bathroom
Inspiration
Color up your everyday
Inspiration
Bathtubs with a door
Technology
Hygiene in the bathroom
Reference
Seamless bathrooms: tile-free and super trendy
Reference
Vintage bathrooms
Inspiration
Bathroom design for now and forever
Technology
Duravit Rimless®
Inspiration
Thinking big in small spaces
Designer
Antonio Bullo
Designer
Cecilie Manz
Technology
Saving energy and water in the bathroom
Reference
Natural stone in the bathroom - natural, aesthetic, durable
Technology
Plants for the bathroom
Technology
Accessible bathroom: for the elderly, wheelchair users & disability-friendly
Designer
Christian Werner
Reference
Twelve Senses
Inspiration
Happy D. 20 years
Inspiration
Finishes
Inspiration
Think big: Big little bathroom
Inspiration
The bathroom as a tactile experience
Inspiration
The family bathroom
Inspiration
Matt surfaces
Material science
Cleaning bathroom grout
Reference
Timeless Autumn
Technology
Bathroom furniture manufacturing
Reference
Gray Bathrooms: Tips for Trendy Bathroom Colors
Material science
Design that creates space
Reference
En suite bath
Designer
EOOS
Inspiration
Bathrooms in size XS
Material science
Keeping clean!
Render time page: 483 ms - inspiration-item :: 8a8a818d7fd49026017ff9ab95f863bd Node: duravit-red1-wga102 / DM: false / PDB: 2024-01-08-0829 cache-standard: www.duravit.co.uk_8a8a818d7fd49026017ff9ab95f863bd_2024-01-08-0829_uk-en :: false