Manchester, CT – Civil and environmental engineering firm Fuss & O’Neill is proud to announce the creation of our newest department, Lunar Planning and Civil Engineering (LPCE). The LPCE Department will focus on establishing infrastructure, negotiating land rights, and establishing safe environmental conditions for private development. Brian Pratt, PE has been promoted to LPCE Department Manager. Brian was selected for this new endeavor based on both his 25 years of civil engineering experience and for his foresight in bringing this new market to the firm’s attention.
Says Pratt: “I realized I was watching a new field emerge when I started hearing about all these billionaires making their own spaceships. This was more than a new space race – this was an opportunity. If the 0.0001% wanted their next vacation homes to be in the most exclusive spot I could imagine, then they were also going to want those homes to have all the comforts of their Earthly homes. And that’s where civil engineering comes in.”
Pratt brought his idea to the Board of Directors in 2020 and it was quickly decided that this would be a perfect fit for the firm’s multidisciplinary services.
“Fuss & O’Neill is a forward-thinking firm that builds communities,” say CEO Kevin Grigg, PE. “When Brian initially pitched this idea to us, it seemed far-fetched. But the more we thought about it, the more we realized that his idea had merit. Everything that our firm does here on Earth (designing roads, bridges, and sewer systems; providing environmental consulting and energy management services; designing electrical, mechanical, and plumbing systems; creating agricultural facilities; etc.), will need to be done on the moon, albeit in very different circumstances. We pride ourselves on being an innovative firm, and delving into the emerging celestial market is this company’s future.”
The firm has been quietly and methodically building the department ever since. Arnold Robinson, AICP, NCI, WEDG, Fuss & O’Neill’s Regional Planning Director, has been an essential part of creating this department.
“Preparing for lunar living is the dream of every young, bright-eyed planner,” says Robinson. “I remember the late-night dorm discussions about this very concept, and cannot believe how fortunate I am that this is becoming a reality in my lifetime. I’ve consulted with established Fuss & O’Neill departments, and we’ve accounted for every condition (water re-use and conservation, the need for renewable energy sources, air purification, soil management, etc.). Planning for non-terrestrial living while still focusing on connectivity, context-sensitive design, and user experience has been the most exciting and challenging adventure of my career. I hope that I can use what I’ve learned here to design for other planets as well.”
Fuss & O’Neill is already in talks with several large development companies to bring their visions to life, including Dark Side Construction, Inc., Zero G Development, Eight Phase Real Estate, and Happy April Fool’s Day, LLC.