New Mars Forums

I just joined this forum/discussion/website whatever and read the postings on martian architecture with interest.  I actually wrote my masters thesis in urban planning on this topic, it's really interesting stuff.  I want to put in my vote for concrete as a building material.  Light weight formwork can be dropped from Earth and used again and again.

I also want to float the idea of "tenting" between buildings creating an "outdoor" space between structures that could be used as storage,  greenhouses, or a living environment.  A settlement could grow organically like this: when new buildings are built more "outdoor" space would be created by covering the space between them and the existing structures.

The actual material used to create this space is a little unclear to me.  I've read somewhere it would be made of kevlar to contain the pressure.  Don't know how it manages the radiation.