Draft:Lucy Aboonour

Lucy Aboonour

Lucy Aboonour (née Zakharova) is a Ukrainian-born architect, aerospace designer, researcher and sociocultural anthropologist specializing in human-centered design across various disciplines.

Early Life and Education

Lucy was born in Kyiv, Ukraine. She holds a Master of Arts in Sociocultural Anthropology from Columbia University GSAS, where her research focused on interdisciplinary approaches to space habitation. Her dissertation was developed in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology'sDepartment of Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and MIT Media Lab Space Enabled Group, emphasizing the intersection of architecture, technology, and human-centered design.

She also earned a Bachelor of Architecture with honors from Pratt Institute, accompanied by a concentration in Morphology and advanced computational design methods.

Her academic background bridges architecture, anthropology, and engineering, establishing a unique expertise in creating sustainable, human-centered design on both on Earth and beyond. Lucy's thought leadership has made her a sought-after design critic for academic reviews at top U.S. institutions.

Career

Lucy is an Associate Partner at SLAAB Studio, where she leads global commercial and residential projects with a focus on innovative design and experiential architecture. Previously she collaborated with Mamou-Mani Architects in London, where she contributed to computational design, industrial and architectural projects that pushed the boundaries of material innovation and digital fabrication. At Thornton Tomasetti CORE Studio in New York, she honed her expertise in structural optimization, AEC and applied computational techniques in architecture. Lucy also served as a Co-Director at Columbia Space Initiative, where she led NASA's (RASC-AL) project MEPSA—a Mars Water-Based Propellant ISRU system designed to support sustainable space exploration. Her leadership extended to overseeing product design components and the successful launch of medically important microorganisms aboard the SpaceX Dragon CRS-24 mission to the International Space Station.

Recognition

Lucy is an associate member of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and its Space Architecture Technical Committee (SATC), and AIAA Space Sustainability Task Force (SSTF). She is also an associate member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA-NY) and AIA Women in Architecture.

Research

Lucy Aboonour's research spans advanced architectural design, aerospace innovation, and sustainable technologies, reflecting her interdisciplinary expertise.

Lunar Habitat Design

Lucy leads research for Hestia, a pioneering self-deployable, permanent, and habitable lunar vessel designed to support sustainable human settlement on the Moon. The habitat integrates advanced inflatable structures, ensuring scalability and adaptability to harsh lunar conditions. Her work focuses on material innovation, energy efficiency, and human-centric design, bridging functionality with comfort. She presented her initial findings at the AIAA LA Section Space Architecture Gathering.

Space Missions and Payload Development

Lucy managed the payload design for a SpaceX Dragon CRS-24 mission, leading the successful deployment of microorganisms to the International Space Station.

Mars In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)

As part of CSI's NASA's Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts (RASC-AL) proposal, Lucy co-directed the development of a Mars-based ISRU system for propellant production. The project proposed a fully autonomous architecture to extract water from sub-surface Martian ice reserves and synthesize cryogenic methane fuel. The system incorporated the CO2 intake and processing through an innovative mesh exterior facade and an energy-efficient cryogenic storage using scroll compressor systems.

Satellite Earth Observations

At the MIT Media Lab Space Enabled Group, Lucy collaborated with Danielle Wood on initiatives promoting the sustainable use of outer space. Her contributions centered on Earth observation technologies, where she partnered with NASA and UNOOSA to develop initiative monitoring practices. These efforts emphasized equitable access to space resources and sustainable utilization of orbital infrastructure.

In partnership with Columbia University Center of Spatial Research, Lucy created Image 101, an examination of visual anomalies in raw raster satellite data. By reimagining these data errors as artistic landscapes, Lucy created a 100-image collage focusing on Greenland's rapidly changing ice sheets. This interdisciplinary approach highlighted the aesthetic and practical implications of satellite imagery, which was later auctioned to support environmental causes.

Together with the Columbia University GSAPP, Lucy developed a comprehensive GIS-based study on the urban landscape of Antananarivo, Madagascar. By analyzing satellite imagery and historical maps, she explored the integration of agricultural systems within urban growth patterns. Her findings demonstrated the critical balance between urbanization and food sustainability, offering valuable insights into designing resilient urban environments. This research combined historical documentation with modern digital tools, including QGIS, to provide a chronological analysis of the region’s development.

Aquatic Ecosystem

Lucy collaborated with a designer Ted Lu on Encapsulating, a conceptual proposal envisioning a network of five oceanic capsules constructed using materials reclaimed from the Pacific Ocean garbage patch. Engineered for deployment at varying ocean depths, the capsules aim to clean and restore aquatic ecosystems, mitigate ocean pollution, and redefine human interaction with marine environments and species. Drawing inspiration from coral reef formations, the capsules incorporate modular, bio-sensitive structures engineered to enhance marine biodiversity by creating habitats conducive to aquatic life. Utilizing reclaimed waste materials and guided by biomimetic principles, the project highlights the potential of sustainable design in addressing pressing ecological challenges while promoting environmental regeneration.