Joseph Lico

Project Spaceland

Thinking about the work of Superstudio and Archizoom’s No-Stop City, the elements of space and blankness inspired me to question the very foundation of the built environment – Earth. We build our entire lives around the physical limitations Earth imposes, so I asked, “What would our environment look like if we built it completely from scratch?” Given differences in geography, politics, and economics, not all people are considered free. My goal was to create a physically free environment, one shaped by humans rather than Earth. I studied several space habitat concepts dating back to the 1970s and while they support some practical features such as artificial gravity, urban design is largely mimicked. My concept revolves around two core elements: gravity-producing microcommunities and individual transport pods. Each microcommunity serves as a hub and living complex for certain interests, lifestyles, and means of interaction. In my project, I depict the Single, Committed, and University Microcommunities, each designed for high mobility and fluidity. The largest Neighborhood community is a more permanent living solution, common to how things are structured today. Connecting all of these are the individual transport pods, making transportation free for everyone.