what if life on earth grew to become not possible? meet martian settlement idea ‘plan C’
a martian settlement concept
ukrain-based architecture studio makhno envisioned ‘plan C’, a settlement concept that responds to what if life on earth became impossible. the project takes shape as a giant bagel that encloses the perimeter of a crater. as the design team stated, the exterior walls of the project would be necessarily formed by 3D printers, as it would be undoable for humans to build without special suits and oxygen devices. in an attempt to protect its inhabitants from the extreme environmental conditions on mars, as well as frequent sandstorms and meteorites, it emerges as a protective shell, that consists of a fully-fledged place with all the necessities.
all images by sandra strumkas
a bagel-shaped colony
makhno studio (found more here) has designed a martian settlement concept, imagining our lives away from planet earth. although there is currently no evidence of possible mars colonization, mars is the most similar planet to earth out of all in our solar system. and that was the starting point of a vision for a future that may never come. to begin this concept, they defined some hypothetical components providing a chance to build their ‘plan C’. these circumstances see ways to process martian resources, robots functioning on mars, ways to eliminate radiation from regolith (residual soil), and the production of the required amount of oxygen, water, and food. 
blending earthy touches into a rather harsh landscape
toward the interior, half part of the shell is occupied by sleeping accommodations, and the other half by technical, research, and common areas. furthermore, a public hall stretches through the entire structure serving as a place for long walks and a dining area. the architects’ aim was to incorporate a beautiful yet functional space into a rather harsh martian landscape. for this reason, the interiors are imbued in natural and earthy shades in combination with rocky textures. a mixture of two worlds — the unknown mars and the near-and-dear earth.
the entire hall is filled with vegetation, adding pops of ‘real-life’ to the interior, imitating the conditions on earth. meanwhile, the greenery will convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen with the help of phyto-lighting. among the vital areas, the ring-shaped structure comprises a medical care center and an isolation ward, a research center that monitors the planets and the atmosphere, chemical and biological laboratories, a control area, and an administrative block. for safe entry and exit, there is a gateway where one can remove or put on a suit for space travel.
as for the sleeping areas, the rooms are designed to accommodate up to two people, outfitting only with the essential furniture. as the studio mentioned, ‘one can’t take ten suitcases to mars’. big screens function as ceilings, displaying landscapes of a cloudy sky, the milky way, or favorite tv series. the bagel-shaped colony also houses pools and fitness centers to prevent people from muscle atrophy due to low gravity and make it easier for them to survive the adaptation period. finally, a separate room employs floating capsules, for recovery, reflection, and immersion into the inner. ‘the capsule will enable the new inhabitants of mars to free their thoughts from sandstorms, reduce the cosmic impact on the body and mind, and finally adapt to the new conditions, a new home.’
let us hope that humanity will not have to betake to such concepts, and planet earth will provide a little domesticity for many years to come. but if everything goes wrong we know that we have a backup ‘plan C’.
