Red Coast: Mars Base Design Project

Team Members: Hank Zhang, Yuan Tu, Zhanbo Zhang, Ge Zhang

This interdisciplinary project was developed during our first-year studio as a comprehensive exploration of extraterrestrial habitation. Our team proposed a phased Mars base strategy—from initial robotic exploration and early-stage habitat construction to the development of scalable communities and long-term terraforming vision. The proposal integrated architectural, scientific, and technological perspectives, including autonomous robotic systems, in-situ resource utilization, and 3D-printed habitat models.

The project was recognized for its innovation and depth: 1st Place in Proposal Defense, 1st Place in Midterm Review, 3rd Place in Final Evaluation.

Professor Qiu Jun praised it as “the best first-year annual project I have ever seen.”

DIVER: A Mobile Lunar Habitat within Lava Tubes

Team Members: Naisi Hua, Ke Ye, Xiaotian Cheng, Ran Wang, Feiyu Gao, Hank Zhang, Shuqi Li, Jiayang Jiang

DIVER explores the possibility of establishing the first manned lunar base within the Moon’s lava tubes—natural formations offering both protection and scientific value. Addressing the tension between the psychological need for openness and the spatial constraints of underground habitats, the project proposes a modular, mobile, and expandable architecture that mimics the adaptive movement of a snake.

The station operates as a bi-directional, self-propelled research machine, navigating rugged terrain through a tracked suspension system while collecting lunar resources and scientific samples via its responsive skin.

Constructed from shape-memory alloy skeletons (transported from Earth), 3D-printed regolith walls, and crawler-based cladding, each module is equipped with an independent airlock and watertight sealing system—enabling resilience, isolation, and continuous function.

DIVER transforms the lunar base from a static shelter into a living, evolving exploratory tool, merging architecture, mobility, and science.

This project was awarded Gold Mention (4th Place internationally) in the Moon Habitat Competition jointly organized by YAC and the European Space Agency.