Urchin the Australian lunar village
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Exactly Majid, have an Industrial design degree. And if I was to sum it up a lot of the course was deprogramming. In its most simple explanation would be that in day one of the course you would be asked to design a chair. In our young heads and 99.99% of us would see the a stereotypical break down of a chair and visualise a flat plane for your butt perhaps 4 legs to keep you off the ground and perhaps a vertical plane to support you back. Whereas a trained designer very deliberately undo the brief from "design a chair" and change it to "Develop a device to support the human frame in an "X" environment" then we might study the human anatomy.
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I reimagined everything, from the way they might work. collaborate, feast, and party, etc... to dishes and details. Unfortunately, I did not have enough time to explain...
Here is another hand-drawn sketch refined using Krita
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Here is the breakfast scene. Plates, table, etc are designed based on the main "triangle" theme.
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I received an email declaring that I am included in the Honorable mention group, not really bad for a solo runner facing so many challenges, It is somehow rewarding
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Nicely done, Sir.
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Well done Majid
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Thanks, mates.
Here is a more detailed description of the project I shared on my LinkedIn, I saw it as a feasible Sci-Fi movie:
Urchin Shell Lunar Village:
When I started thinking about living on the Moon, my very first question was: "how can an astronaut truly feel good there?" Not just experiencing a dry and technical mission, but a place filled with life and meaning.
Throughout my design process, I tried to balance imagination with realism, innovation with constructability — what I call “the most optimized/balanced point.”
For example:
How can we create greenery that not only provides food but also shapes the interior atmosphere? My approach was to integrate genetically engineered plants along the walls to maximize both productivity and visual comfort.
And how can we design compression structures that are truly buildable on the Moon? Human history shows us that dome-shaped forms, even in the most remote places on Earth, can be constructed with minimal resources. This logic became the structural DNA of my project.
In the masterplan, I had to strike a balance between connection (for efficient use of shared facilities) and distance (for safety and robotic maintenance). The solution was a triangular–hexagonal grid, both flexible and highly optimized.
This principle of optimization is visible in every detail of the project:
A spoon that also works as a knife,
Triangular plates and trapezoidal tables that allow multiple configurations,
Flexible work zones designed for both individual and collective activities, anticipating a future where robots and augmented reality will redefine human tasks.
Urchin Shell is not only a lunar village that demonstrates the intelligence of its creators, but also a vision of a new quality of interplanetary living — where engineering, psychology, genetics, and avant-garde bio-technologies converge.
It represents a legacy for humankind: for those who finally had the courage to step out of the cradle. And yet, no matter how far we go, Earth will always remain our unique and irreplaceable mother — with all these new experiences ultimately dedicated to her protection and flourishing.
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I have a great deal of respect for synthesis Majid
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I agree with ^, development of form follows function so when we take lessons from nature we are listening to what is essentially already developed. Most of us do not see or listen. You are doing that for us. Majid, thanks for this lecture series.
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Biomimicry is a powerful tool
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Thank you mates. As mentioned, I tried to stand at the balancing point... Somewhere, I think is the optimum of function, form, construction, psychology, etc.
Biomimicry is really powerful, agreed.
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