With the start of the Artemis project, the creation of a permanent Lunar base has been set as a goal, which has made it relevant to explore and consider all aspects of this new form of architecture, which will require a whole new set of criteria adapted to this unfamiliar Lunar landscape. Due to the dangerous conditions out on the surface, any long-term settlers will be mostly confined to the Moon base, with only their fellow crew members to interact with. This will have a great impact on their mental wellness. Research has identified nearly 70 stressors created by space travel, ranging from the real possibility of dying to boredom and from crew tension to isolation. Even looking out the window will not show the varying blue and green views we are used to, but a colourless, rocky landscape similar to a black and white photograph. Solace will need to be found within the habitat itself. MoonSane will investigate how human spatial perception can be used in the design of Lunar habitats, to mitigate the negative mental health effects of living long-term on the moon.
Through various studies, it has already been established that architectural spaces can influence human emotion and mental wellbeing. On the Moon, these psychological aspects of architecture will be even more important and must be utilised. Various spatial interventions, that have been proven to positively impact the mental health of inhabitants/users, are combined into a fully functional Lunar habitat. The interventions include dynamic lighting, spatial geometry and permeability as well as internal and external views. They will be implemented into a small scale Lunar base for a crew of 6 people. A meditation space is added to the general program of requirement, that utilises a phenomenon called the Overview Effect; viewing the Earth from space can have a positive emotional impact. All the architectural interventions are integrated with the safety requirements of a Lunar base, considering radiation, a life support system and adequate construction strategies, based on a stacked component system with in-situ resource utilisation principles. ... Read more

While it has been identified as a key architectural marker for the Gothic building style, the flying buttress is not just an ornamental addition in Gothic cathedrals. It was developed initially as a way to divert the horizontal forces produced by the roof vaults to the ground, through the buttresses. However, it is difficult to say with some cathedrals if the flying buttresses are added for the stylistic or for the structural reasons. Research into pre-modernistic architecture is generally lacking and it is important to decipher the building techniques of the past to be able to learn from them in the present. To discover the added value of the flying buttress the St John Cathedral in Den Bosch has been chosen as a case study because it started as a roman church without flying buttresses, but was redesigned into a Gothic cathedral with them. To discover what function this particular element holds for the St John will shed more light on the element in general.
Research has shown the flying buttresses of the St John Cathedral to be structurally necessary, though perhaps a little exaggerated for the height of the roof, by choosing for a double layer of flying buttresses. The choice for this second tier probably lies in the aesthetic of the Gothic style the cathedral is meant to fit into or in the copying of French cathedrals. The figurines on top emphasize the ornamental nature and give a special feature to this particular cathedral. ... Read more