A house that uses technology designed for space could become the basis of the new German Antarctic station, Neumayer-III.

The house would be autonomous, using solar power and advanced systems for recycling and cleaning water. To meet Antarctic environmental requirements, structures must be entirely removable after use and not pollute the environment; they must also be able to withstand the harsh environment. The lightweight design of the SpaceHouse will enable it to withstand snowfalls of up to 1 m/year without sinking into the ice and facilitate its removal after use.

But there’s a future for the SpaceHouse beyond Antarctic:
“The fact that space habitats have to support life in hostile environments by relying on leading-edge technology means that the latter can also be a valuable source of innovation for the building sector back on Earth,” says Fritz Gampe, from the European Space Agency.

Indeed, the idea of designing a ‘SpaceHouse’ for use on Earth was born five years ago, just after the earthquake in Izmir, Turkey in 1999. Experts believed that the ultra-light CFRP (carbon-fibre-reinforced-plastic) composites used onboard spacecraft could come handy to build lightweight structures able to withstand severe earthquakes. An approach contrasting with many contemporary design solutions that employ ever more steel and concrete to withstand the induced forces.

As the house would stand on legs, it would be isolated from any movements underneath it as it basically glides on top of the Earth.

From Boing Boing ESA.
Thanks, Russell!