TIMEFRAME

3 weeks*

PROJECT OVERVIEW

Are you prepared to design for the future? The future is always coming and some adventurous entrepreneurs and corporations are preparing to offer luxurious vacation accommodations in Earth's orbit. Welcome to the
Low Earth Orbit Hotel. This is not science-fiction, this is coming, soon!

With your design, one will no longer need to be a trained astronaut in order to venture to and experience a brief stay in Low Earth Orbit (450-460 km altitude) with the feel of an Earth-based Hotel.

Tour participants will spend time viewing down to the blue Earth, witnessing the thin veil atmosphere, beautiful floating clouds, Northern Lights, lightening storms, and 15 sunsets and sunrise a day! Visitors will also enjoy astronomical observation via a high-powered telescope, zero gravity sports, meals under micro-gravity, communications with the Earth, and assisted space walks.

 

Phase One Development of the Space Hotel will serve as the central core
for future phased planning expansions and will need to consist of the following four key elements:

Energy Supply Systems Unit

This area controls and supplies energies collected by the expandable
solar panel, battery, and nuclear energy.

Storage Facilities

A module for kitchen and cleaning supplies

Dock and Platform Unit

This area serves as arrival and departure of space transportation vehicles.

Public Areas

A central structure composed of several modules to include a lobby, restaurant, an entertainment center.

Sports, games and meal under micro-gravity will be unforgettable experiences for visitors.

Rooms

32 guest rooms with sleeping modules and private bathrooms able to accommodate up to a family of 4, or a total of 128 vacationers

20 staff rooms

No swimming pool in space at this time.

Your design will need to utilize an efficient arrangement capable of producing
an artificial gravity of 0.7G. One solution might be to have a centrifugal system such as a 140m diameter ring rotating at 3rpm, as proposed by Shimzu Corp. Through your own research you may find an alternative method for creating a measure of artificial gravity, but your solution should be visible in the form and not rely on "magic". We want to provide visitors with a high degree of comfort and relaxation not unlike we experience on earth, while in the guest rooms.

Due to rocket lift limitations, your design will need to be modular. No module may exceed 41.2 feet by 13.5 feet.

Every section and module of the hotel will need to capable of being cut off from the others in the event of a fire or other potentially catastrophic event. Safety will be of maximum priority.

Your role as designer is to create an exciting vision for the design. It is not to overly concern yourself with technical engineering issues, though you should not absolve yourself of any opportunities or insights you might discover in
your design.

You may work in teams of up to two, or work solo. If working in teams, one
team member should focus on exterior forms (core and shell), while the
other focuses on interior fit-out.

 

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs)

1. The ability to adapt their drawing skills to futuristic concepts,
2. The ability to apply aesthetic form language to unrelated programmatic types,
3. The ability to connect various types of drawings to convey a complete concept,
4. The ability to think and imagine outside-the-box.

 

GRADING AND EVALUATION RUBRIC

The following Rubric will apply in assessment of the student's work product, presentation, and/or process:

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PLAYERS IN THIS FUTURE - CHOOSE YOUR CLIENT

Virgin Galactic

SpaceX

Galactic Suite Group

Orbital Technologies

Shimzu Corporation

 

DELIVERABLES

4 - 14x17" Marker (or Canson) paper sheets as follows:

1 - Overall vision, exterior view, of Phase One in Low Earth Orbit with a transport vehicle either docked or approaching docking. This should be your best EMOTIVE rendering.

1 - Plan and Section orthographic views to scale, rendered

1 - Three-quarter view cutaway section perspective of a living module, rendered

1 - Rendering of a unique space sport activity of your invention.

No digital work will be accepted.

No alternate paper sizes.

 

SCHEDULE*

Week 1: PHASE ONE. RESEARCH AND EXPLORATORY SKETCHES (RESEARCH AND IDEATION)

Choose one of the major competing corporations listed above (see Players) as your client.

Develop a theme for your concept:

Name / Color Palette / Materials / Textures / Details / Fixtures / Graphics

6 sheets of exploratory sketches, minimum.

 

Week 2: PHASE TWO. NARROW DOWN SELECTION (SCHEMATIC DESIGN).

Pinup Progress Presentation rough drafts; Develop missing drawings.

Focus on key areas of interest

Use Vignetting

Use Atmospheric Perspective, fade off/out

 

Weeks 3: PHASE THREE. (DESIGN DEVELOPMENT)

Pinup Presentation at Final Exam. Check the Calendar.

Organize your presentation and include your client's logo identity (Virgin Galactic, Orbital Tech, etc.), the concept name for your design vision, large, and your name in clear and recognizable lettering in the lower right corner of ALL sheets.

 

REFERENCES AND INSPIRATION BELOW

See videos at bottom of this page

Our book, Sketching: The Basics, pages 176-177

NASA and the International Space Station

Biosphere 2

Welcome to Space blog

Syd Mead. The godfather of modern industrial design science-fiction rendering and visionary for Blade Runner.

Films: Oblivion; Elysium; 2001 A Space Odyssey; Prometheus, The Fifth Element, Aliens.

MARS ONE

TUTORIALS & HOW-TO GUIDES