Commissioned by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill (SOM) and the European Space Agency, we were tasked with visualising a bold question: what might life beyond Earth actually look like? Drawing upon emerging scientific research, speculative design and cinematic storytelling, we created a film that explored humanity’s potential future among the stars. Rather than focusing solely on technology, our approach centred on the human experience — imagining how people might live, work and thrive in environments far beyond our home planet.

The project gave us a rare opportunity to blend science, architecture and worldbuilding at an ambitious scale. Working closely with the client teams, we translated complex ideas into a visually compelling narrative that felt both aspirational and believable. From vast extraterrestrial landscapes to intricate habitat systems, every element was designed to spark curiosity and encourage audiences to think differently about the future of human exploration. It remains one of those projects that reminded us why we love what we do: taking big ideas and turning them into worlds people can genuinely imagine themselves inhabiting.

A significant part of the challenge was balancing scientific credibility with cinematic storytelling. To achieve this, we worked closely with experts from ESA and MIT throughout production, ensuring that key aspects of the film—from propulsion systems and vehicle behaviour to environmental conditions and habitat functionality—were grounded in real-world research and emerging space technologies. This collaborative approach allowed us to push the imagination while maintaining a level of authenticity that scientists, engineers and general audiences alike could believe in.

From a production perspective, the project utilised a hybrid pipeline that combined procedural worldbuilding with traditional animation techniques. Large-scale environments, systems and motion design were developed in Houdini, while character performances and narrative moments were keyframe animated in Maya. Particular attention was given to the effects of reduced gravity, influencing everything from movement and vehicle dynamics to the design of habitats and everyday interactions. Lighting also played a critical role, helping us establish the unique atmosphere of a lunar environment and creating a visual language that felt both futuristic and believable. Final imagery was rendered using a combination of Redshift and Unreal Engine, before being assembled in Nuke and colour graded in DaVinci Resolve to create a cohesive and cinematic final piece.

The film premiered at La Biennale di Venezia, providing an international platform for the work to be viewed by audiences spanning architecture, design, science and innovation. Its success extended well beyond the initial exhibition, helping to communicate complex ideas in a way that felt accessible, inspiring and forward-looking. The positive response from stakeholders and audiences alike ultimately led to a continued relationship with the client, who commissioned a second film following the project’s completion. For us, this was perhaps the strongest measure of success — transforming a one-off commission into an ongoing creative partnership built on trust, ambition and a shared vision for the future.