Space Architecture at Takenaka Corporation

In the near future, space travel will no longer be limited to highly trained astronauts on exploration missions. Commercial space professionals and members of the public will travel to space for an increasingly diverse range of purposes. In space, ensuring human safety and survival is the highest priority. Because transporting materials and equipment into space is extremely costly, space stations to date have been designed primarily for functionality rather than comfort. Their living environments have largely relied on the exceptional physical and mental resilience of highly trained astronauts.
For more people to live on the Moon or Mars for extended periods, living environments must not only ensure safety and functionality, but also provide the comfort needed to support a high quality of life.

Takenaka Corporation defines quality of life in zero-gravity, low-gravity, and confined environments as “Space QOL.” We are conducting research into comfort and physical and mental well-being in space and applying our findings to the design of living environments that enable people to live safely, functionally, and comfortably beyond Earth.

To realize a permanent presence of dozens of people in the 2040s and more advanced, diverse lunar architectures thereafter, we are developing phased concepts and plans, including robotic exploration and small-crew, short-duration habitats. Furthermore, the development of construction technologies required for lunar habitation will proceed in close coordination with terrestrial architectural technology development.