Valles Marineris
The render was created using mostly photoshop – through matte painting techniques, which is a combination of photo collaging and digital painting. Simple 3D models of the design and an official NASA model of the Valles Marineris were used as guidance / references for the development of the render. Afterwards, I would search for photos, place them into photoshop, and work on masking and painting in lights and shadows. The most difficult part was creating the landscape, as there is no such clear image of the Valles Marineris, so I had to Frankenstein together numerous images. All photos used were either license free or belonged to NASA, which permits the use of their resources.
A lot of investigation was made on the NASA 3D printing architecture competition and the real designs that were created to function on Mars. The importance of keeping the astronauts safe from lack of atmospheric pressure, means having to be able to design a building that can both withstand the pressure yet allow light in, like a submarine. With the investigation, I found that vertical structures could provide the most light and create a variety of different circulation routes through the building. Eventually, excavation would be a good idea on Mars, having a complex of buildings all connected through underground spaces. Gardens would be essential for survival, and a plastic shelled dome would be strong enough to hold the pressure while allowing light in. With the render, I wanted to especially emphasize the major environmental challenges that any work of architecture or community would have to face on Mars: the Scale, the Dust, the Cold and LONELINESS.
**The Valles Marineris reaches a depth of more than 3-4x deeper than the Grand Canyon – this scale is unimaginable on Earth. The dust is very fine and can cause severe problems if it gets in machinery or if it is inhaled. The temperature ranges between 20 to -130 ° C. Source: NASA.