Materials and Sustainability on Earth and Beyond

LASER Talks: Materials and Sustainability on Earth and Beyond

Maryam Hojati, PhD. presents Large-Scale 3D Printing for Sustainable Housing and Infrastructure on Earth and Beyond
This presentation explores the applications, benefits, and challenges of 3D printing in constructing houses and infrastructure on Earth and in extraterrestrial environments. Additive manufacturing minimizes material waste, reduces carbon emissions, and enhances design flexibility, making it a key driver for sustainable construction. Beyond Earth, large-scale 3D printing offers a promising solution for building habitats on the Moon and Mars, where extreme conditions and logistical constraints make conventional methods impractical. By combining terrestrial innovations with space exploration needs, 3D printing has the potential to revolutionize planetary habitation and sustainable infrastructure development.

Andrea Polli, MFA/PhD presents Air Intelligences
Air contains essences of place, feeling and tasting distinctly differently in varied geographies. Polli presents her current artwork focusing on air movement using animations and objects imagining the shape of air in two ways: Firstly, through computational mapping of sound spectrograms, animating, 3d printing and casting resulting shapes in blown glass and other materials. Secondly, through examining materials chemistry including biochemistry to create new forms and unexpected material responses, for example creating porous foam glass shapes using chemical catalysts and integrating live algae in collaboration with Environmental Engineer Fiona Bell.

Biographies:

Dr. Maryam Hojati is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering at the University of New Mexico (UNM). She leads a dynamic team of undergraduate and graduate students at the Advanced Sustainable Construction (ASC) Lab, where she focuses on innovative research aimed at addressing pressing challenges in the construction industry. In her role, Dr. Hojati is deeply committed to creating a more livable and sustainable world by developing efficient methods for utilizing energy, natural resources, and reusable industrial waste. Her work not only contributes to academic advancements but also has practical implications for building a more sustainable and equitable future.

Dr. Andrea Polli is an artist working at the intersection of art, science and technology. Polli is a Professor with appointments in the College of Fine Arts and School of Engineering at the University of New Mexico (UNM). She holds the Mesa Del Sol Endowed Chair of Digital Media and directs the Social Media Workgroup, a lab at the University's Center for Advanced Research Computing. She creates artworks designed to express scientific data obtained through her collaborations with scientists and engineers. Polli holds an MFA in Time Arts from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a PhD in practice-led research from the University of Plymouth in the UK.

In conjunction with the exhibition Woven Skies: SciArt from Air to the Cosmos, SciArt Santa Fe is hosting a series of these presentations called ‘LASERs’. LASER stands for Leonardo Art Science Evening Rendezvous and take place around the world in more than 40 institutions in 4 continents. SciArt Santa Fe represents New Mexico in this prestigious international Leonardo Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology initiative. Woven Skies LASERs feature exhibiting New Mexico artists and sciart experts from across the state.

Presented in coordination with Leonardo/International Society for the Arts, Sciences, and Technology (ISAST); the University of New Mexico (UNM), College of Fine Arts; sponsored by Santa Fe Art Institute (SFAI), and supported in part by New Mexico Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Featured Artists in Woven Skies: Established and emerging artists from across the state using a variety of traditional and experimental media featured are: Kirsten Angerbauer, Colin Barker, Fiona Bell, Paul Biagi, Natalie Christensen, Shirley Crow, Jim Eyre, Marianne Hornbuckle, Susan Latham, Andrea Polli, Alyce Santoro, Zuyva Sevilla, Joan Stango, Dora Tass and Isabel Winson-Sagan.

This event is free and accessible to all. If you need more information, contact with questions related to access and accommodation.

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