Wentworth Under 30: Designing Habitats for Life Beyond Earth

by Dan O'Sullivan
portrait of a man

Wentworth Under 30: They are entrepreneurs, innovators, and leaders — and they are just getting started. In this new ongoing series, we highlight exceptional alumni under the age of 30 who are redefining what is possible in their fields. Representing every school at the university, these graduates prove that age is no barrier to making a global impact. 

 

Tim Elrick came to Wentworth Institute of Technology with aspirations of becoming an architect. Between graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in Spring 2018 and beginning Wentworth's Master of Architecture program that fall, he entered a competition that would alter his career trajectory.  

The Marsception International Design Competition challenges entrants to design a habitat that would allow humans to live on Mars. While researching and drafting conceptual drawings for the project, Elrick realized he no longer wanted to be a traditional architect. He wanted to be a space architect — someone who designs and builds habitable environments for outer space.   

"I had a lot of friends, family, and even professors who thought I was crazy when I mentioned the idea of space architecture," he said. "It was something that most people hadn't heard of before."  

Despite the skepticism of others, Elrick remained unbowed. Today, he works as a space architect for a company that is working to make it safe for humans to inhabit the Moon.  

 

Discovering New Passions  
 

Elrick, who grew up in Plymouth, Massachusetts, was introduced to engineering through an engineering design class in fifth grade. One of the assignments was to design, model, and race a CO2-propelled car.  

Although his car finished last, the assignment sparked something in Elrick.  

"My parents often referenced that age-old adage, 'If you love what you do, you'll never work a day in your life.' And I loved working on that car," he said. "It was the first time I remember feeling that kind of passion for something."  

In high school, Elrick took computer-aided design (CAD) courses with Brad Hart, a Wentworth alumnus. Hart had a side practice doing residential CAD drawings and took Elrick on several client visits. The experience inspired Elrick to study architecture in college.  

Elrick chose Wentworth because of its Architecture program, urban location, and the opportunity to play baseball under then-coach Steve Studley. He went on to star for the Leopards for four years, serving as captain as a senior.  

"Time management, communication, and leading a team: Those are all skills that I developed through playing baseball at Wentworth and that have helped me get hired since," Elrick said.  

 

a man in a baseball uniform swinging a bat
Elrick during his time on Wentworth's baseball team

 

Co-ops Were Pivotal  
 

As with most Wentworth students, co-ops were a pivotal piece of Elrick's undergraduate education. The first was at Perkins&Will, a prestigious architecture firm, which allowed him to contribute to the renovation of Wentworth's Douglas D. Schumann Library & Learning Commons. For the second co-op, at Turner Construction Company, he worked on site at MIT.nano, a cutting-edge research facility, and in business development at the corporate office.  

"There's something really fulfilling about turning an idea into reality," Elrick said about his co-ops. "It is creation. Getting to see the unseen come to life was an essential experience for me."  

Elrick made the most of his time as an undergraduate. In addition to his courses, co-ops, and baseball, he managed to participate in about 20 student clubs and complete three minors in business, construction, and communications. His commitment to extracurricular activities along with his excellent academic record earned him the Wentworth Bowl, the Institute's highest honor presented to one graduating senior each year.  

Upon starting the Master of Architecture program in Fall 2018, Elrick was hoping to become a space architect but unsure how to get there. Sharon Matthews, then the Interim Chair of the Architecture Department, was supportive of his vision. She referred him to a friend, Brent Sherwood, who worked at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and agreed to be one of Elrick's thesis advisors.  

Elrick's thesis paper, "Building with Celestial Bodies," was the first of its kind in the program and named the 2020 Space Architecture Best Student Paper by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. "It was a huge honor and something I was able to use to get into aerospace engineering," he said.  

 

three people speaking as part of a panel discussion
Elrick speaking as part of an alumni panel during Wentworth Weekend last year

 

Aiming to Return Astronauts to the Moon 
 

After a stint with Gensler, a global architecture, design, and planning firm, Elrick pursued a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering degree in Dimitri Mavris' Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory at the Georgia Institute of Technology. Following graduation, he interviewed with several companies in the aerospace field. He eventually took a job with Draper, a research and development company whose areas of focus include space systems.  

"I liked that Draper encourages an entrepreneurial mindset, gives you the freedom to color outside the lines, and doesn't have the bureaucracy of a government organization," he said. "I saw it as a place where I could do exciting space projects while also getting the chance to build a coalition of like-minded people, develop a strategy around space architecture, and secure the funding to make it a reality. I'm getting to do all of that now, which has been a dream come true."  

As a senior systems engineer (his official title), Elrick oversees the life cycle of complex space projects from initial concept through final operation. He is currently working on Artemis V for the Sustaining Lunar Development program, which aims to develop and fly a lander capable of returning astronauts to the Moon. NASA awarded the contract to Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin in 2023; Draper is a key partner on the initiative.  

"I wake up every day with a big smile on my face," Elrick said. "That reflects not only what I'm doing now but also the journey I took to get here. It all culminated in a role that I find extremely fulfilling. I'm grateful to my managers, Tristan Endsley and Kasia Oleske, for helping me to flourish."  

Elrick is also grateful to Wentworth for launching him on a path that took him to Draper. "If you're willing to put in the work," he concluded, "Wentworth gives you the foundation to become whatever you dream — even something as crazy as a space architect."  

 

Read more in the Wentworth Under 30 series: