1. Introduction

The world is changing rapidly. From the rise of micro-apartments in dense urban centers to the urgent need for fast-deployable infrastructure in disaster zones, and even the emerging ambition of lunar colonization — the demands placed on living and working environments are becoming increasingly diverse, unstable, and extreme.

At the same time, the design world faces a challenge: how to create systems that are not only adaptable to a wide range of scenarios, but also reusable, efficient, lightweight, and intuitively usable — regardless of the user’s background or location?

NeoBoard is a response to this challenge.

It is a modular, open-ended furniture and infrastructure system designed to adapt to both terrestrial and extraterrestrial environments. Built on a logic of interlocking panels and interchangeable components, NeoBoard can transform into anything: a workbench, a bed, a vertical garden, a command desk, or even an entire interior environment for Moon missions.

The system is guided by two central principles:

Minimalism in structure, allowing for maximum flexibility

Efficiency in production and transport, making it suitable for space travel and local fabrication

The research question behind NeoBoard is simple yet ambitious:

How can we design a modular furniture system that functions as a spatial operating system — able to evolve, be printed, repaired, and reconfigured in any context, from city apartments to lunar bases?

This paper outlines the development process of NeoBoard, including its conceptual foundation, material strategy, modular architecture, and potential real-world applications. It reflects on both historical design influences and emerging technologies, aiming to establish a new model of flexible living — not built to impress, but built to respond.

2. THE PROJECT

2.1 RELATED WORKS / RECHERCHE

The NeoBoard project is situated within a wide landscape of modular design traditions — drawing from architectural, industrial, and even space-oriented design philosophies. At its core, it seeks to extend the principles of functional minimalism and structural adaptability far beyond traditional furniture systems.

2.1.1. Historical and Industrial References

Charlotte Perriand, a pioneer in minimal living systems, explored flexible furniture systems in the early 20th century that aimed to democratize space and function. Her modular kitchen blocks and aluminum-based storage walls for Les Arcs became iconic for compact, functional, and elegant interiors — especially in confined or collective environments.

USM Haller introduced a grid-based modular steel furniture system in the 1960s that remains a global standard in customizable office and home interiors. While it’s highly reconfigurable, it requires tools and is not meant for temporary or rapid-use scenarios.

IKEA PLATSA represents a more consumer-friendly, lightweight modular system, which offers reconfiguration through stacking and snapping — but remains limited in adaptability, repair, or local production potential.

NeoBoard draws inspiration from these systems but seeks to surpass them in terms of universality, printability, repairability, and space-context readiness.

2.1.2. Open Design & Maker Movement

NeoBoard is also influenced by the Open Source Hardware and FabLab movements. In these environments, furniture and tools are:

Decentralized in their production,

Shared digitally through 3D-printable files,

Locally modifiable using accessible fabrication technologies.

This philosophy is central to NeoBoard’s own structure: All parts — including connectors — can be printed, remixed, or adapted based on local needs. Users are co-creators, not passive consumers.

Projects like OpenStructures and WikiHouse also provided key structural inspiration, demonstrating how open standards and modularity can empower circular design economies.

2.1.3. Material-Driven Design Innovations

NeoBoard incorporates insights from biodesign — especially through potential mycelium-based panel production. Mycelium (fungal root systems) can be grown into strong, lightweight, compostable furniture panels, and is already used in experiments for sustainable packaging and interior architecture.

In its early prototyping phase, NeoBoard uses recycled plastic and 3D-printable bio-PLA to allow rapid iteration. Later stages may include regolith-based composite printing, particularly for lunar environments where raw material import is not viable.

2.1.4. Aerospace & Moon Design Context

Designing for lunar environments introduces new constraints:

Volume efficiency for space travel

Rapid deployability in unfamiliar terrain

Extreme durability with minimal weight

Redundancy and interchangeability across parts

Here, NeoBoard intersects with space habitat research conducted by NASA, ESA, and private partners like ICON and Bigelow Aerospace. While these focus on structural shells, NeoBoard contributes to interior systemization — modular furniture that’s lightweight, printable, and customizable based on astronaut needs.

Its panel-based system allows press-fit assembly without tools, which is ideal for low-gravity environments and emergency setups. Additionally, NeoBoard supports circular usage, enabling astronauts or future colonists to repurpose furniture into walls, workbenches, or equipment holders.

2.1.5 Summary of Relevance

2.2 METHODS

The development of NeoBoard followed a design research approach grounded in rapid prototyping, material experimentation, and system-based thinking. The goal was to design not just a product, but a scalable ecosystem — one that could adapt to diverse contexts (urban, emergency, extraterrestrial), evolve over time, and empower user customization.

To achieve this, the project was structured around the following methodological pillars:

2.2.1. Iterative Prototyping Process

A core principle of the NeoBoard process was “build to think”. This meant moving rapidly between digital sketches, 3D models, and full-scale mock-ups in physical space. Each cycle involved:

CAD-based modeling of new configurations (Fusion360, Rhino)

Printing of small-scale test components on FDM 3D printers

Assembly and testing of connector behavior, joint flexibility, and modular integrity

User feedback loops on simplicity, usability, and aesthetic perception

This iterative process allowed fast adaptation of component sizes, connector systems, and design tolerances — especially for different use cases such as indoor living, workshop integration, or space missions.

2.2.2. Material Testing and Fabrication Studies

Two parallel material strategies were explored:

Phase 1 – Rapid Prototyping

Using PLA, PETG, and recycled plastics for fast production and real-time design iteration.

Tools: desktop 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC milling machines (for panels and slots).

Phase 2 – Sustainable and Advanced Materials

Exploratory tests with mycelium panels for biological recyclability and lightweight insulation, as well as research into future regolith-based composites for Moon usage.

Each material was evaluated in terms of:

Weight-to-strength ratio

Ease of manufacturing

Modularity compatibility

Repairability & lifecycle

2.2.3. Modular System Architecture

A critical part of the method was defining a standardized module system. This included:

Fixed dimensions for primary modules (but without hard restrictions on orientation)

Integration of the NeoPanel as a universal interface

Development of printable adapter parts to allow expansion by users with minimal tools

This approach ensured that modules could be rearranged, replaced, or reconfigured — a fundamental quality for field use (e.g. disaster relief, Moon base, mobile workshop).

2.2.4. Digital and User-Centered Tools

To encourage co-creation and self-assembly, the project also explored the development of digital tools:

A 3D configurator prototype (in Blender and Unity) that allows real-time design and visualization

A set of downloadable STL files for adapters and structural elements

Future plans for an AR-based mobile interface to guide assembly and suggest optimal configurations based on space dimensions

Feedback was gathered via informal user testing with students, designers, and fabrication experts, focusing on:

Assembly intuitiveness

Functional adaptability

Perceived creative freedom

2.2.5. Space-Oriented Constraints and Simulation

For lunar adaptation, specific constraints were integrated into the design method:

Modular parts must fit within standardized cargo dimensions

Every element should be tool-free, lightweight, and printable

Simulated low-gravity handling was tested through simplified resistance and connection logic

Future phase: Use of AI-based layout optimization for lunar modules under ESA/NASA-like parameters

2.2.6. Summary of Applied Methods

2.3 ENTWURF / PROTOTYP / DESIGNVORSCHLAG

The NeoBoard system is based on a clear structural logic: two core modules form the base of the system, while a series of flexible add-ons and connector elements extend its functionality. The design emphasizes plug-and-play usability, visual simplicity, and maximal spatial efficiency — both in confined urban apartments and in off-world habitats like a Moon base.

Each component has been developed through physical prototyping and digital visualization to ensure feasibility, reusability, and adaptability.

Core Structure: The Two Primary Modules

The system is anchored in two standard base modules:

Module A – A rectangular base element with pre-configured NeoPanel slots

Module B – A slightly narrower or deeper variation, allowing cross-orientation

These modules serve as the foundation for any larger construction — whether it be a shelf wall, a table, a workstation, or a mobile housing unit. The internal slots are designed to accept standardized connector pieces and accessories.

Their dimensions follow a grid-based logic, optimized for:

Efficient 3D printing or CNC cutting

Easy handling by a single person

Compatibility with rocket cargo formats and flat-pack transport

Key Functional Add-ons

Each module can be equipped or extended with the following key components:

These modules can be used in both residential and mission-specific configurations. For example:

A co-working station may consist of Module A with a Hanging Wall, Drawer Box, and Lighting Module

A Moon habitat setup may combine Sink Unit, Cooking Unit, and Plant Module to form a self-contained living core

Interior & Exterior Flexibility

NeoBoard is not bound to a fixed architectural typology. The modules can be:

Stacked vertically to form compact towers or walls

Arranged horizontally for lunar surface deployment

Nested inside one another during transport

Combined to form entire interior spaces, such as beds, tables, storage walls, or field kitchens

An example lunar configuration consists of:

4 interconnected modules forming a square housing cell

Internal use of soft connectors and magnetic fixtures

An external solar-powered Lighting Module

A fully printed interior, including rails, drawers, and shelves

Materialization & Form

While the structural language is clean and reduced, it leaves room for expressive materiality:

Urban prototypes use white or natural-tone panels with visible grid joints

Lunar variants rely on lightweight, sealed composites and regolith-compatible textures

Surfaces can be customized using bio-coatings, acoustic pads, or color-coded panels

Visual Identity & Modularity as Language

The visual coherence of NeoBoard is defined not by form alone, but by the logic of its connections. The NeoPanel system acts as both a structural and visual signature — revealing how things work and inviting users to participate in configuration.

NeoBoard furniture is not furniture in the classic sense. It’s a living kit, a physical framework that users continuously adapt to new tasks, constraints, and visions.

3. CONCLUSION

NeoBoard is not just a design object — it is a response to complex, evolving human needs in an unpredictable world. By combining modularity, material efficiency, and digital accessibility, it offers a scalable system that transforms from furniture to infrastructure, from local DIY projects to off-planet architecture.

The initial question — “How can we create a modular system that adapts to vastly different living contexts while remaining efficient, printable, and intuitive?” — has been addressed through an iterative and research-driven process. The result is a set of core modules and extensions that can be reassembled, repaired, and reimagined infinitely.

The system demonstrates that sustainability does not always begin with biodegradable materials — it can also arise from flexibility, reusability, and user empowerment. NeoBoard panels are not locked into fixed roles; they evolve with the people who use them.

Looking forward, NeoBoard could be integrated into:

Digital co-design platforms and open-source maker ecosystems

Emergency response kits and refugee infrastructure

Lunar and Martian base interiors for future missions

Smart urban housing with adaptable interiors and AI-based configuration tools

NeoBoard invites a shift in thinking — from furniture as a product, to furniture as a living system.