[ Page 3 of 8 ]

Space architecture is already a bona fide specialty within THE PROFESSION. its lessons will infiltrate the mainstream, changing the way we DESIGN, build, AND … THINK

By Sara Hart

The Lego model: kit-of-parts theory

Think of an Erector Set or Lego creation as a scale model of the real thing, and you’ll begin to understand the kit-of-parts theory of automated space construction. Architect Scott Howe has been developing this theory for 10 years, beginning at Kajima Corporation in Tokyo, then at the University of Oregon, and, most recently, at the University of Hong Kong. His goal is flexibility and efficiency of construction in orbital space and on planetary surfaces. Others are investigating modular construction, but Howe’s research goes further to create a “kinematic architecture that includes mechanisms to construct itself or to change the configuration of the structure over its lifetime.”

Kit-of-Parts Theory Construction in an automated building system takes place at the assembly level, rather than the traditional raw-materials level. Assemblies are conceived according to increment, size, or shape grammar. In 1994, a universal kit-of-parts system was proposed to solve the Mormon Church’s building shortage worldwide (left). Power and communication lines are integrated into the joints, and assembly can be done by hand or with simple tools. The Mars Parametric Module can be deployed by pulling apart two hard-shell end domes until the interior box truss snaps into place. All circulation, power, and data connections are located in the connector node.

Nearly all buildings on Earth are erected in what Howe calls “final line” construction. Raw materials and tools are gathered on the site, and scores of laborers process the materials in a time-consuming and costly manner. This is not practical in outer space or even in extremely harsh Earth environments, such as polar regions and offshore or underwater sites.

Kit-of-parts construction is the next generation of prefabrication. Currently, most factory-made components are permanently joined on-site, which makes disassembly and reuse difficult or impossible. Howe’s components have the capacity for disassembly and reuse indefinitely, and thus avoid the material degradation that is the inevitable result of recycling.

The architect creates a parts library, which includes every major building assembly. The assemblies are conceived systematically by size or shape grammar in easily manufactured components. Standard connections are carefully designed to allow for the maximum number of configurations. This approach produces object-oriented building techniques, which Howe categorizes as four construction systems: joint-based, panel-based, module-based, and deployable.