ALGI. City on Mars | Manuel Monteserín

ALGI. Colony for a million inhabitants on Mars.

Location
Noctis Labyrinthus, Mars

Year

2018

Cient:

Contest organized by HP in collaboration with NASA

Status
International competition

Typology
Urban planning and technology

Awards
First prize in the League of Universities.

First Design Prize

Theme
Architecture, city, urban planning, sustainability, colony on Mars.

The contest was to design a city for a million inhabitants on Mars . It was a contest organized by NASA, and to which the Innovation Lab proposed me to lead together with a group of selected students and alumni of the IED .

It was a very intense two months of research where we learned a lot about the current technology that can be applied to live there. The proposal came about by uniting this technology and imagining a utopian society that starts from scratch.

Thus was Algi born. The city that we invented and that won the first design prize and the first prize of the international league of universities .

Infographic made by 3D Manu-Facturas

EXTERIOR. Panels 1 and 2

Infografía de Manu-Facturas 3d

INTERIOR.

Infographic made by 3D Manu-Facturas

Algi_The city of 1 million inhabitants.

Our proposal for this City on Mars is to create a utopian collaborative society , brimming with nature, and whose advances not only affect the improvement of life outside our planet, but can also revert on Earth , creating a relationship interplanetary symbiotic .

Our objectives

Create a happy, responsible and community society
Create a sustainable society that implements smart technologies and circular economy
Coexistence between the different inhabitants and with nature.
A model city that we could bring back to help Earth

1 more person on Mars = 2.4 tons less plastic in Earth's ocean

How can Mars and Earth help each other symbiotically?

Planet Earth dumps around 8 million tons of plastic into its oceans each year.

In recent years, many companies around the world have been testing filaments made from recycled plastic waste, even starting to test 3D printers for zero gravity .

We think that we can remove the plastic from the oceans, synthesize it in its transport to Mars and use 3D printing technology to use it to build the large membranes that will cover the city .

The Mars City Laboratory

More challenges, therefore, more innovation, therefore, smarter city models. Algi will be a testing ground for creating a utopian society, a model that can be applied on Earth.

Among the inhabitants of Algi , there will be a multitude of scientists, engineers, programmers, astronauts, biologists, system designers, etc.

This concentration of highly qualified people facing new challenges every day, will boost the technological development of the Human species in a way never seen before.

Mars will be the great incubator for innovation and technology .

Our objective will be to provide the appropriate conditions that enable the creation of a more sustainable and humane city model that can be applied back to Earth .

In these years on Earth there have been wars, climate change and pandemics that have caused important health, environmental and humanitarian crises .

We have also seen that desertification of the land is advancing rapidly, affecting above all underdeveloped regions, regions with little capacity to cope.

The Algi city model may serve to test new ways of living in extreme conditions in order to subsequently apply to devastated areas of the Earth.

Coordinates on Mars: Oudemans Crater

The Oudemans Crater , located on the edge of Noctis Labyrinthus on the equator, is a perfect spot.

At this point we can have higher and more stable temperatures . We are also protected by the crater from the stormy weather on Mars.

The Noctis Labyrinthus area is full of steep edges but also soft valleys, and most importantly, one of the largest water deposits found on Mars to date is located.

This location allows the future growth of the city.

The first Algi membrane will be completed in 2060. At that time, the construction of satellite cities connected to each other by a Hyperloop network will begin.

Drones programmed in swarms , will locate the most favorable places for the development of activities that humans require. They will be the true explorers of the terrain since 2023.

They will also be responsible for the maintenance of the large domes , environmental monitoring and possible weather alerts .

From 2040 it will be when human beings will begin to live with the swarms of drones .

Video made by Manu-Facturas 3D

Renewable Energies and Autonomy

It will be necessary to use solar radiation and wind as sources of energy. For this, the biological membranes that protect the city of Algi, have photovoltaic cells and millions of micro-windmills spread over the most affected faces of its surface.

Sección membrana Biológica

Dispensador de Miel

Dispensador de Algas

The biological membrane / artificial atmosphere

Given the conditions on Mars, we can assume that even terraforming , a process that can take hundreds of years, will live in an artificial atmosphere .

We create a biological and multifunctional protective membrane , which contains water and microalgae , which will protect us from solar radiation, in addition to fulfilling functions such as an indoor water cycle, oxygen cycle , agriculture and food .

The water is drawn from the subsoil and then introduced into the membrane loop after it has been filtered.

When the water enters the membrane , it separates into two conduits , one where it will remain pure and the other where it will mix with the microalgae and with chemical filters.

Chemical filters will protect us from radiation , while microalgae will transform that radiation into O2 and electrical energy .

The membrane will also provide algae crops that will serve as food for citizens and bioluminescent light throughout the city.

The ambient water vapor that is generated within the city and the waste water once purified are absorbed by the membrane to re-enter the circuit.

farming

We will arrive as settlers, beginning our civilization just like humans on Earth with an agricultural revolution .

On Mars we have to be much more conservative with our resources , and we need the use of closed-loop farming techniques.

We must thus decentralize the agricultural system , distributing our resources throughout our city.
In this way we create a stronger connection between nature and the Martians and avoid the exploitation of resources by returning to a healthy and non-exploitative scale of production .

Algae in agriculture.

On Earth we have already seen the cross benefits of algae cultivation. From tolerance to wastewater (some species can purify them), obtaining biofuels , essential oils , pigments , etc. In addition to being a great source of vitamins and nutrients for humans.

Along with growing algae, we will implement traditional farming techniques in the neighborhoods and in the city's public space . This will be done with efficient modifications, such as the use of organic waste and its treatment to be used as fertilizer. (see organic waste cycle)

Gastronomy

In addition to restaurants, in Algi we can find food in algae dispensers and honey dispensers that provide a great source of protein, carbohydrates, lipids and antioxidants, giving Martians the energy they need to continue their day.

Urban life

What will our daily life be like on Mars? What kind of citizens will we be?

This is Julia , she is 13 years old (24 Earth years), she was born in Algi, she finished university, and now she works as a designer in a coworking.

“After work, I went with coworking colleagues to connect with our dear friends from Earth and thus feel the beach for a while.

Since they installed the virtual reality center, it is very cool to be able to see and experience all the landscapes there! They are beautiful!.

Then we went to the basketball court and later, we went to exercise with the gym elastics. How good it feels to do some exercise!

Now I'm in my room, I needed to rest and think for a while.
I would like to get more MarsTokens, the exchange of waste and cycling here and there has kept me going, but until I get some more orders, I need to find an alternative. Maybe it's a good idea to sign up for neighborhood kelp community gardens. That would also help me meet new people!

Kevin told me he was going to be by the honey vendors next door, I think I'll meet him when the sun goes down, from here I can't have better views of the sunset, it's like having him on my feet! "

Video made by Manu-Facturas 3D

Martian Citizen Engagement / Doing a Good Deed = Winning a MarsTokens

In addition to their daily jobs, Algi citizens are encouraged to participate in community activities , manage waste responsibly, choose sustainable transport , volunteer at their local schools . These incentives will be given throughout the city.

Participation is rewarded through MarsTokens . With these MarsTokens you can pay for the services offered by the city, such as taking the hyperloop or eating out. In this way we create a society in which participation becomes the economic base that supports citizens.

Ways to earn MarsTokens

Collaboration on the seaweed farm for one hour = +10 MarsTokens

Use the swap baths = +2 MarsTokens

Use bicycle transport = +2 MarsTokens / Km

Throw a banana peel = +1 MarsToken

Teach a craft workshop at your local school = +30 MarsTokens

Different spaces, different places!

We have three levels of spaces in Algi; Private, semi-public and public space.

In our private space , each Martian has his room, private or shared, the private space is stacked in towers that rise above the city and offer wonderful views to each of its citizens. Semi-public spaces are organized in communities (similar to our neighborhoods here on Earth). Each community has schools, farms, restaurants, workspaces, entertainment venues, gyms. A Martian can find his basic needs in his community, to move within a community only the bicycle will be necessary. The city also has a Hypertube network for long distances. The fabric that extends between communities will be the public space , and it will include extensive orchards, restaurants, green areas, amusement areas, sports areas, etc.