Antarctic abode. Space technology could boost innovation in housing: Fid-Bau Portal

Antarctic abode. Space technology could boost innovation in housing

A house employing technology designed for space could become the basis of the new German Antarctic station, Neumayer-III. The new station has to meet stringent laws set up to protect the Antarctic environment, which is where the use of the technology developed by the European Space Agency (ESA) comes in. The design that engineers and designers came up with is a sphere-like structure - one of the most stable self-sustained shapes. Because it stands on legs it is isolated from any movements underneath and basically glides on top of the Earth. In its current design the SpaceHouse can withstand vibrations from earthquakes of up to 7 on the Richter scale, wind speeds of up to 220 km/h and up to three metres of flooding - specifications that came out of discussions with the insurance industry for a typical European location. To meet Antarctic environmental requirements, structures must be entirely removable alter use and not pollute the environment. The technology used in the SpaceHouse design could also be of interest to the European housing market. The construction sector is one of Europe's largest, employing 28 % of Europeans with a turnover that is nearly 10 % of GDP. Yet it cannot be said that this sector is one of the most technologically innovative, even if in recent years a multitude of new materials and processes have been used. For instance, construction materials could include highly efficient fireproof material designed for space as well as a thin layer of Polymer - a metal-covered plastic foil that could be applied to any part of the SpaceHouse to protect against lightening.