In this episode of Infrared Cities Community Talks, Melodie Yashar, VP of Building and Design Performance at ICON, recently shared her fascinating journey and insights on the intersection of space architecture, 3D printing, and sustainable design. As a space architect who has collaborated with NASA and now leads innovation in large-scale additive manufacturing, Melodie offers a unique perspective on creating resilient habitats both on Earth and beyond.

In this episode of Infrared Cities Community Talks, we have the pleasure of hosting Mostapha Sadeghipour Roudsari, co-founder of Ladybug Tools and Pollination Cloud. Mostapha is a renowned expert in the field of building performance simulation and has made significant contributions to the development of accessible and user-friendly tools for sustainable design. In our conversation, we delve into the evolution of building performance simulation, the challenges faced by the industry, and the potential for innovative tools and platforms to drive the adoption of environmentally responsive architecture. Mostapha emphasized the crucial role of the open source community of Ladybug Tools had in making building performance simulation more accessible and collaborative. By fostering knowledge sharing and enabling collective innovation, these communities have become a driving force in the development of user-friendly and continuously evolving tools.

Key points

• Learning from space conditions we must redefine sustainability and resilience to create structures that withstand extreme environments. These principles can help us build more durable and adaptable structures on Earth.
• Additive methods for authonomus construction are key to deliver a a “construction as a service” model, enabling anyone to design and build optimal structures through rapid iteration and performance simulation
• Moving Past Traditional Aesthetics, 3D printing enables unprecedented freedom and unique shapes with more autonomous and precise construction. It’s important to balance creative designs with practical considerations and user expectations.
• AI integration in design and construction opens new possibilities for efficiency and innovation. By generating design options and optimizing performance simulations, AI serves as a powerful tool that enhances - rather than replaces - human creativity.

By applying lessons learned from designing for extreme space environments to terrestrial challenges, we can create more sustainable, resilient, and innovative buildings. As AI and autonomous systems continue to evolve, the potential for revolutionary changes in architecture and construction seems boundless. The future of habitats, whether on Mars or in our own backyard, is being shaped by visionaries like Melodie who dare to think beyond traditional boundaries.