What Old Time Buildings Do You Use In SF Colonies?

[Cacique Caribe]

Do you use Old West Lumber buildings, or Middle Eastern Adobe, or other types, for your SF colony buildings?

I keep hearing scientists talk about future colonists using construction materials already there, be it stone, regoliths, sand or whatever, instead of relying solely on sending over metal containers and such.

What dual-period buildings do you use with your SF?  And why (or why not)?

Thanks

Dan

[Aesthete]

I typically use dark age buildings, for two main reasons:

1: My SF games typically have technologically retrograde planets in them (being mostly 40K based).
2: I have them.

[has.been]

I like adobe style, early Star Wars, also because I have them.
A few futuristic  bits on their own bases dotted around (beside/
behind/on top of) buildings works for me. I might add one or two
strictly Sci-Fi buildings (spaceship docking bay etc.) next year.
I am quite taken with the ethos of the 3rd Riddick film, i.e. a
deserted outpost building. I have started doing bits with a 'Junk'
theme (see my threat 'The fight at Yb-Gur' of our recent Galactic
heroes game). Might try ONE SMALL building with interior, but
considering the god like efforts of others on the LAF I might not.

[War Monkey]

I am hoping to start on some adobe buildings, hopfully soon.

I keep hearing scientists talk about future colonists using construction materials already there, be it stone, regoliths, sand or whatever, instead of relying solely on sending over metal containers and such.

Construction of 3D buildings is moving forward and I would believe they would use what ever sand or dust there and only need to ship some sort of adhesive resin to bind it all together, so you only need to ship windows and doors for the most part.

With robotics moving as it is, you could send a robot crew of sorts and a massive 3D building printer, that could start the colony long before people arrive.

Doug

[CookAndrewB]

I think it depends on whether you are talking a small settlement, or a vast city. If it is the vanguard of a discovery/colony fleet then I think most of the buildings would be things that they could drop from space. Containers and such. The longer a settlement is there, then I think you would start to see native materials being used. It would almost always be cheaper to use materials on hand than to constantly import raw material. Bring in the equipment, sure, but not the building blocks themselves.

The idea of 3d printed buildings is interesting. I really love the idea that the future would have a technology similar to the Star Trek Replicator which would churn out everything from a basic brick to furniture and complex electronics. "Computer, make me some ramen noodle soup, and a laptop... and a house to sit in while I eat my soup and play on my laptop."

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I am using TTCOMBAT Sandstorm for my not Star Wars.

Inspired by:

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I do have a Sarissa 28mm Adobe building which I am dressing up with some Maelstrom's Edge building bits.

Some examples from the Maelstrom's Edge blog.
http://www.thecommguild.com/roller/thecommguild/entry/terrain-spotlight-knights-of-dice

[Sir_Theo]

I've always liked Adobe style buildings, which probably is just because of the  Tatooine bits from star wars. I have some Combatzone scenery bits https://combatzone-scenery.co.uk/epages/e25b18fb-c32b-422a-8493-a8baeb0f1a17.mobile/en_GB/?ObjectPath=/Shops/e25b18fb-c32b-422a-8493-a8baeb0f1a17/Products/IT002

[Mako]

Yea, I'm going with the adobe, concrete, permacrete option too, since most of the materials for that are literally "dirt cheap" and available almost anywhere, so you don't need to cut and transport trees and other materials to make them.

Seems like one of the most economical options.

I haven't seen anyone doing shipping cargo container homes yet in miniature, so that might be another option to look at.  In the real world, they are rugged, durable, easy to come by, and relatively inexpensive too.  Some are really small, spartan affairs, but I've also seen multi-story, palatial digs designed by putting four of them together, with two stacked on top of the other two, and filling in stuff between - knocking out some sides for very large windows, and/or sliding glass doors certainly helps to dispel the claustrophobia presented by these, normally.

Another option is free-form, blown concrete - looks very similar to the adobe structures, but perhaps a bit more modern in terms of shapes.  People use large airbags to raise and hold up the concrete re-bar, until the blown concrete hardens.  I've seen some very neat, sci-fi designs from it.

[whitphoto]

One of The Expanse books describes the new colonists on Ilus using a machine to make bricks out of the native soil. Technology plus abundant resources plus ingenuity equals frontier livin....

[ErikB]

I always figured there would either be prefabricated modules or made of local dirt, clay, adobe, or rocks.

I love N African architecture with wires and pipes visible like in Star Wars.  Also, brick dark ages motif.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

I haven't seen anyone doing shipping cargo container homes yet in miniature, so that might be another option to look at.  In the real world, they are rugged, durable, easy to come by, and relatively inexpensive too.  Some are really small, spartan affairs, but I've also seen multi-story, palatial digs designed by putting four of them together, with two stacked on top of the other two, and filling in stuff between - knocking out some sides for very large windows, and/or sliding glass doors certainly helps to dispel the claustrophobia presented by these, normally.

Many years ago I visited Ston in Croatia, which had been damaged by an earthquake. There was a housing estate made of shipping containers.

Christchurch (NZ) had a shopping centre made of containers - that has made them trendy, you can find them in many places (Bristol, London etc.).

This is a hotel on Lower Marsh, which appears to be made of containers.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Here is my work in progress Sarissa Adobe building.




This is another TTCombat Sandstorm building. It will need some filling.

[ErikB]

Cargo containers is an excellent idea for semi-pre-fabricated buildings.  A mix with adobe or bricks could look interesting, like they got started with prefab and continued with local materials.

[NickNascati]

Dan,
        Depends on the look you want.  If you go for the Firefly vibe, a western town setting would not be off base.