Welcoming the Mars City AMBASSADORS 2022
Written by Matthew Williams.
At Mars City Design, we are dedicated to bringing the space sector and creative industry together to create bold new concepts that will allow humans to live and thrive on Mars. To communicate this vision to the public, we call upon our trusted team of Ambassadors, passionate experts who want to make the dream of living on Mars a reality. We are thrilled to announce that four new luminaries are joining our team!
GIUSEPPE CALABRESE
An award-winning architect and A+ member of the Australian Institute of Architects, Giuseppe is renowned for producing designs that draw inspiration from biological forms and processes. His innovative Sprout design won 1st place in the 2020 Mars City Design Challenge (Marchitecture Category).
“It is an honor to have been selected by MCD! I look forward to sharing our knowledge and research on anything Mars-related. Making people aware that there is a lot they can be involved in and how they can do so. Space is for every person and age and we want to break down the knowledge in easy bite formats for all to consume in fun and exciting formats.“ — Giuseppe Calabrese
Giuseppe will be representing Mars City Design to Australia, where he serves as the Head Architect and Director of Space Architecture at Think Orbital - a commercial space company dedicated to creating space habitats.
MEHDI SHIRVANI
Combining computational design, digital fabrication, and mixed reality with material technologies, Mehdi is dedicated to designing memorable spaces that shape the user’s experiences. His Master’s Architecture thesis, “A Poetic Martian Habitat," focused on the human experience side, which is important since the psychological well-being of crews depends on their ability to socialize and enjoy their surroundings.
“I believe my skills and experiences in digital fabrication, material technologies, computational design, as well as my architecture background, will be a good addition to Mars City Design where members with different skills and backgrounds share the same interests and goals,” — Mehdi Shirvani
RAFAEL MARTINEZ PARUTA
Rafael is a Space Systems Engineer & Cyber Security expert with fifteen years of experience in the fields of engineering, manufacturing, and testing.
“Mars is now a reality. It is part of our future and the beginning of our journey as a multiplanetary species. Mars City Design, with its innovative technology and concepts, will make this journey a very pleasant one by incorporating some of our precious earthly elements into their designs.”
Rafael will be representing Mars City Design to the West Coast of the United States.
RAZVAN VODA
Razvan believes that architecture must move beyond its traditional role of designing inert buildings to incorporate autonomous, mobile, and adaptive self-structuring processes, which will enable people to live in places of uncertainty and rapid, unexpected change.
“I am humbled to be joining the Mars City Design team as the Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). I hope I will be able to fulfill the expectations of my team in a context like UAE, which is currently making significant steps towards Mars exploration through Emirates Mars Mission (EMM).”
Razvan will be representing Mars City Design as an Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
CHRISTOPHER LYONS
At just 12 years of age, Christopher is already a rock star in the spaceflight community! In addition to being an aspiring astronaut and medical practitioner, Christopher is a certified climate speaker and volunteer scientist, and the founder of Operation Orbit - a non-profit organization that works with local communities to provide for kids and families in need.
“I believe that when you have a platform, it’s important to use it for a positive purpose. There can never be too many positive lights in the world. I love space, I love Earth, and I love the mysteries of our Universe. So I use my platform intentionally to ‘educate, advocate and to inspire change’ for the benefit of us all.”
Christopher has taken part in many global space-related campaigns where he advocates for space and climate education and uses his platform to “educate, advocate and to inspire change”. Christopher will be the Youth Ambassador to the United States and the youngest person ever to hold the title of Ambassador.
“I would like for youth to know that there is plenty of room for all of us in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Mathematics disciplines,” he said. “There is a place for all our interests and skills. Carl Sagan once said, ‘the stars call to us.’ I second his thoughts. I also believe that ‘Mars calls to us.’ We are answering the call through STEAM education.”
THOMAS LAGARDE
Thomas is an architect and engineer who is always seeking to improve habitats that will allow humans to live in extreme environments. He is the Lead Ambassador for Mars City Design and our Ambassador to Europe.
We look forward to having these esteemed individuals with us! If you are interested in becoming a Mars City Design Ambassador, you can sign up today on our website!
