life on mars? OPEN architecture conceives minimal housing prototype for the red planet

founded and curated by kenya hara, ‘house vision’ is a multidisciplinary innovation platform in which architects and companies work together to use the ‘house’ as a medium for reflecting on the future direction of our lifestyles and living environments. this year’s ‘house vision’, the exhibition’s third iteration and first in china, features contributions from MAD architects, MUJI + go hasegawa, and MINI living + penda. another of the invited architecture firms was OPEN, who has designed a minimal housing prototype titled ‘MARS case’.

the structure imagines a scenario where humanity is forced to settle on mars
image by wu qingshan (also main image)

‘MARS case’, which OPEN architecture developed in collaboration with chinese electronics company xiaomi, has been designed to challenge existing ideas of living space, while proposing new possibilities for the future. ‘two hundred years ago, henry david thoreau withdrew from society and moved to walden alone to reflect upon the nature of simple living,’ says the design team. ‘today, in an era of environmental crises and seemingly endless material consumption, we must ask ourselves — what are our essential needs?’

the scheme is contained within a lightweight 2.4 x 2.4 x 2 meter module
image by wu qingshan

the design imagines that humanity is forced to settle on mars, where there is no choice but to reduce the excessive consumption of our ‘earth’ lifestyles. in this scenario, only essential items can be held on to, while reusing and recycling is crucial. ‘as we find new appreciation in every drop of water, every bite of food, and every breath of air, will we at last discover the freedom of truly simple living?’, speculates OPEN. ‘is this what we should define as the ideal house of the future?’

the dwelling has been conceived as an ‘industrial product’
image by OPEN

‘MARS case’ is a place of self-circulating energy and zero waste, contained within a lightweight, compact 2.4 x 2.4 x 2 meter module. conceived as an ‘industrial product’, all of the house’s service components and inflatable living spaces can be folded and stored for easy transportation. the dwelling seeks to combine architecture with xiaomi’s current product lines, which can all be connected wirelessly and controlled via smart phone.

all of the house’s service components and inflatable living spaces can be folded away
image by wu qingshan

meanwhile, by harnessing and recycling the heat, exhaust, condensation, and other byproducts generated by each electronic device, the house feeds energy, air, and water back into an integrated ecosystem, minimizing consumption of resources. china house vision will remain on view outside beijing’s national stadium until november 4, 2018. see designboom’s coverage of the event here.

the house feeds energy, air, and water back into an integrated ecosystem
image by wu qingshan

the unit seeks to combine architecture with xiaomi’s current product lines
image by house vision / necasa & partners

the minimal housing prototype is titled ‘MARS case’
image by xiaomi

the project will remain on view outside beijing’s national stadium until november 4, 2018
image by house vision

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project info:

name: MARS case
program: future housing prototype for china house vision 2018 beijing exhibition
size: 2.4 m x 2.4m x 2m
location: beijing, china

principal in charge: li hu, huang wenjing
project team: hu boji (project architect), qin mian, ma meng, li mengru, wei wenhan, sun xuezhu
structural consultant for the exhibition pavilion: CABR technology
lighting consultant: ruiguang boying lighting laboratory (hongri lighting group)