Design and Evaluation of Complex Habitable Environments

An exploration with two main goals is presented: 1. Modeling a self-contained "intelligent building," the Mars Arctic Research Station (MARS) habitation unit, and interaction with its users. The modeling effort seeks representation of invisible aspects of the interactions between the station and its users rather than visible forms. 2. Examination of how (or if) the modeling process contributes to understanding of the interactions between human beings and the structures and technological features of their habitations... particularly when something goes wrong. The modeling language and associated software chosen for study in this exploration is the Business Redesign Agent-based Holistic Modeling System (Brahms), developed by a team of researchers and computer scientists now involved with the joint NASA/Mars Society MARS project. The issues and factors relevant to any attempt at modeling human behavior in interaction with habitable environments are specified. Brahms is described as a potential human-environmentmodeling framework and language, and separately as a software system. The process of developing a Brahms model of the MARS habitat and a comprehensive analysis of that process are presented. Recommendations for similar future work with Brahms, as a modeling framework and language, and separately as a software system, are provided. Thesis Supervisor: Steven Lerman Title: Class of 1922 Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering