On the second day, Architecture Of The Future conference has continued with Michael Bentley’s lecture, he is the Design Director at AI SpaceFactory. The firm recently won the NASA's 3D Printing Habitat Challenge Competition in May this year with their Mars habitat named MARSHA. 

In the first section of the lecture Bentley talked about how their company started to work on multi-planetary spaces - which was actually initiated with NASA's 3D Printing Habitat Challenge competition, he explained. 

Bentley said: "architects create spaces interacting with the digital and physical world in many ways."

"Like in our other projects, we care about human experience and we are trying to bring innovative solutions to human experience in other planets too."

"But our main design principle is to create buildings that can be built in an efficient way and built in other planets too, because many visual artists, designers or architects create amazing images but they actually can not be built in reality," he added.

"We are trying to find the efficient ways of 3D printing to continue to rebuild and to recycle the materials for another project or environment."

AI SpaceFactory's MARSHA. Image courtesy of AI SpaceFactory 

The team first designed MARSHA and then they converted it into a new eco-retreat by reusing the structure's materials, the new eco-retreat is called TERA now. The structure is described a new sustainable home that follows the "cradle-to-cradle" system. 

Bentley also briefly touched upon the new ways of using technology for projects. He said: "you can not know where/how the new funding will be available by NASA or the government, so you need to think the ways of pushing the use of technology itself."

"NASA's 3D Printing Habitat Challenge competition was a great moment for us because we could be able to use a sustainable material (bio-polymer) to design the structure."

The 15-foot (4,5-metre) tall prototype was 3D printed during the final phase of NASA’s 3D Printed Habitat Challenge and included three robotically-placed windows. 

AI SpaceFactory's TERA, a new eco-retreat which is being built in New York with 3D printing. Image courtesy of AI SpaceFactory and Plomp

After 30 hours of 3D printing over four days of head-to-head competition, NASA and partner Bradley University of Peoria, Illinois, have awarded $700,000 to two teams in the final round of the 3D-Printed Habitat Challenge. 

"We were lauded for the automation of our print – completed with nearly no human assistance in 30 hours – as well as our innovative biopolymer basalt composite, a biodegradable and recyclable material derived from natural materials found on Mars," had said the firm in its previous statement.

"After withstanding NASA’s pressure, smoke, and impact testing, this material was found to be stronger and more durable than its concrete competitors."

Bentley also added: "our approach is completely based on the realization of the new spaces or structures for the future of tomorrow." "We always think designs or spaces resisting in harsh environments, we create spaces for extreme environments," he continued.

The 3-day conference is bringing over 2000 attendees with lectures & discussions of recognized architects from all over the world. The topic of the second edition is "The Inevitable. Disruptive technologies shaping the future of the AES industry" - which will unite 3 thematic days that fully reveal the latest trends in architectural design and construction.

First day will discuss “Future of the City”, second day will focus on “Future of Housing” and third day will discuss “Disruptive Technologies Shaping the New Architecture”. The 2nd edition of the conference is being held on October 9-11, 2019, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

World Architecture Community is official Media Partner of the conference and will be bringing you the hottest topics, key discussions and keynote sessions from the 3-day event.

Curated by Kyiv-based architect Dmytro Aranchii, founder of Dmytro Aranchii Architects, the conference is seeking to change the city through the development of advanced technologies and the creation of iconic projects with key speakers and leaders, including Michael Bentley, Design Director at AI SpaceFactory, Tim Geurtjens, Co-Founder, CTO, MX3D, Xavier De Kestelier, Head of Design, Technology and Innovation, HASSELL, Helen Taylor, Associate & Technical Innovation Lead – Europe Woods Bagot Architects, Rachel Cooper, Associate, Arup, Paolo Testolini, Global Sector Leader – Cities and Places, Woods Bagot, Lukasz Platkowski, Principal, Design Director, Gensler and many more. 

The main goal of the conference is to create a platform discussing the role of new technologies in architecture, urbanism and construction. 

Top image curtesy of AI SpaceFactory and Plomp.

All images © World Architecture Community unless otherwise stated.

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