Volume Zero, an international platform for showcasing works of upcoming designers, has announced a new competition called Marsception. The competition invites architects, designers, students, teachers, engineers, artists, visionaries, and everyone who believe in this unseen future and a possibility of utopian future. All participants are expected to create a self-sustaining living space for the initial habitants, a group of five researchers, of the Red Planet.

Design

Since the start of time, we humans have been captivated by the mystical nature of other celestial bodies surrounding our Planet Earth. This fascination has been translated to works of astronomy, astrology, architecture and many other studies from making a simple telescope to humankind’s first steps on the Moon. This unending drive for exploration has today led us to understanding our neighboring solar systems and galaxies, thousands of light years away.

The last few centuries have seen our Mother Earth grappling with mounting pressure towards her resources due to mankind’s quest for a better life. This persistent pressure has now compounded into unpredictable and irrevocable changes in our climatic conditions and atmosphere. To relieve this mounting weight, we have been taking huge strides in our efforts to find resources on other planets like Mars for a clean and sustainable future.

The previous decade has witnessed MARS as the centre of attention for becoming a potential new habitat for the earth’s future population, resulting in a Martian race. With many visionary organizations and their ground-breaking explorative studies and research, the unseen future of inhabiting the Red Planet is now a real possibility; an opportunity to create a utopian tomorrow, making mankind a multi-planetary species.

“Mars Is There, Waiting To Be Reached.”- Buzz AldrinFormer Astronaut (he and mission Commander Neil Armstrong were the first two humans to land on the Moon).

The Challenge

The competition invites architects, designers, students, teachers, engineers, artists, visionaries, and everyone who believe in this unseen future and a possibility of utopian future. The participants are to create a self-sustaining living space for the initial habitants, a group of five researchers, of the Red Planet.

These researchers are to further study and explore mars to understand its resources for inhabitation and other human necessities. The 5 researchers have been carefully selected to understand various parameters to validate the idea for the existence of life on Mars.

The participants are to design functional, sustainable spaces that cater to the needs of these five researchers.

The spaces for the program include: Living Area l Sleeping Area for five l Cooking Area l Research Area l Interaction Spaces l Areas for Sanitation and Bath l Recreation Area l Controlled Areas for Farming l Any other spaces that the participant wish to specify. The participants are to select a location anywhere on the topography of Mars.

With interplanetary travel for humans not a far-fetched idea and innovations made every day to make it a reality soon. It is now time to imagine and create a new civilization. A civilization the world has dreamt with an opportunity to design the future architectural prospect on the Red Planet for others to follow.

“At Mars, you can start a self-sustaining civilization and grow it into something really big”- Elon MuskVisionary Tesla and SpaceX founder.

Awards

Prizes of total USD 4000, broken down as follows:

1st Prize: USD 2000 + Certificate + Trophies + Publication

2nd Prize: USD 1200 + Certificate+ Trophies + Publication

3rd Prize: USD 800 + Certificate+ Trophies + Publication

10 Honorable mentions: Certificates

Winners and honorable mentions will be published on Volume Zero website and several international architecture and design magazines.

To show our appreciation, all the participants would receive participation certificate.

Schedule

Early Bird Registration: 20th March 2018 to 18th May 2018 

Standard Registration: From 19th May 2018 to 20th June 2018 

Last Day for Queries: 10th June, 2018

Closing Date for Submission: 30th June 2018

Announcement of Winners: 20th August 2018

Registration

Early Bird Registration:

Participants from India - INR 1800 (per team) 

Participants from Other Countries - USD 65 (per team)

Standard Registration:

Participants from India - INR 2400 (per team) 

Participants from Other Countries - USD 85 (per team)

Judging criteria

The final entries will be judged by an esteemed panel of judges who are experts in the subject matter. The jury panel will judge the submitted entries as per the criteria mentioned below:

Design Concept: The participants’ entries will be judged based on their imaginative capabilities to develop a concept and their approach towards designing the habitat in terms of innovation.

Climatically Responsive: The feasibility of the designs oppose the stark atmosphere of the Red Planet is to be given careful consideration.

Spatial Configuration: The spaces in the habitat pod have to be functional for all the necessary operations.

Eligibility

Marsception 2018 Architecture Competition is open to all. The competition invites architects, students, engineers, product designers, thinkers, companies, organizations and everyone interested in the mission of the competition to submit their ideas. No professional qualifications are necessary.

To join this competition, visit the competition's website.

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