“ In Gaza, we have the potential to create, design and make blueprints from our stories, our characters, with our determination we can pass them to the world, we compete and be the only ones from Gaza with such dissertation and design, and we win deservedly ”. With these words on the graduation stage, a group of distinct graduates from Architecture Engineering at IUG expressed their passion for science, and their big ambition that motivated them to drive their thoughts through the biosphere into space towards Mars loaded with the experiences they gained over days.
Ms. Lama Elefanji, a member of the Martian city project team, said “ the idea of our project is based on transferring life completely from Earth to Mars. Planet Mars was selected because of the huge similarity between Earth and Mars in terms of number of days, the four seasons, air pressure and gravity. What prompted us to resort to Mars was the calamities the world is currently suffering from such as pollution, wars , poverty, and economic conditions ”
Ms. Bahia Almobayed, a team member, clarified that “ our team designed two cities on Planet Mars, the first is scientific, the second is touristic, poetically because there are two moons of Mars. The scientific city depends on simulating the environment of Mars and is expanded vertically, where researchers can conduct experiments in laboratories equipped with all necessary devices. Besides that is a number of green areas to provide researchers with oxygen”
Ms. Almobayed demonstrated that the touristic city is covered by a dome consisting of materials that work to preserve oxygen, air pressure and gravity. So, a tourist shouldn’t wear a spacesuit to wander around the city, besides, there are parks , an amusement park, and a zoo .
Ms. Banan Shubair, a team member, explained that “ the study we conducted relied on the tourism system; the research sample targeted only 100 individuals on board a space rocket, and the journey takes nine months”. She added “in the beginning, the project idea did not receive a great welcome from the supervisor, but the determination we showed and the support we gave to each other were helpful in facing the difficulties that came in our way”. She hinted that “with our personal efforts, we were able to communicate with NASA for some information about Mars we did not have before, we also communicated with experts, pioneers and architects in the United Arab Emirates.”
The three girls believe that if resources, material, and moral support are available, this project will have been on the ground by 2050, and the ignition spark will be from Gaza to the rest of the world .
