An Integrated Framework for Mars-Based Building Performance Simulations (M-BPS): From Site Selection to Habitat Assessment

Date

2026-1

Author

Aydemir, Gizem Nur

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Long-duration human settlements on Mars require building performance strategies ensuring environmental control, resource efficiency, and habitability under extreme extraterrestrial conditions. Despite progress in space habitat designs, no standardized building performance simulation (BPS) framework exists for space architecture, and available spacecraft thermal tools remain unsuitable for whole-building analysis. This dissertation addresses this gap by adapting terrestrial BPS methodologies, EnergyPlus-based workflows, and EnergyPlus Weather (EPW) file format to Martian conditions. The research develops an integrated Mars-Based Building Performance Simulation (M-BPS) framework structured around five methodological phases: landing site selection, Mars climate data transformation, urban typology development, construction and operational dataset definition, and whole-building performance simulation. A multi-criteria decision analysis combining Thermal Emission Spectrometer (TES), Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA), Mars Climate Database (MCD), and Mars Crater Database derived datasets identifies an optimal settlement site using risk-adjusted composite scoring with Monte Carlo uncertainty evaluation. MCD parameters are converted into an EPW file through temporal interpolation, diurnal cycle reconstruction, and radiation modeling adapted to Mars’s atmosphere. Representative settlement typologies are synthesized from five terrestrial cities, five Mars habitat proposals/analogs, and NASA standards, resulting in three scenarios evaluated via Analytic Hierarchy Process. Material assemblies integrate In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)-based regolith stimulants, sulfur concrete, aerogel insulation, and PEEK (Polyetheretherketone) pressure barriers, while operational schedules are derived from terrestrial and NASA guidelines and standards. The M-BPS framework enables comparative performance simulations using Rhino-Grasshopper-ClimateStudio and provides a methodology for evaluating the performance requirements of Martian habitats. The framework establishes a transferable foundation for future extraterrestrial building performance modeling.

Subject Keywords

Mars Settlement Assessment, Mars-Based Building Performance Simulation, Space Architecture, Energy Modeling, EnergyPlus

URI

https://hdl.handle.net/11511/118421

Collections

Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Thesis