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In an effort to broaden the variety of terrain that is available to our gaming club I've asked our members to eat construct a city building of some sorts so we can have some more complicated and strategic city battles. Any suggestions for building designs and materials that would be easy and fast to build for those who are less "artistically savvy"?

Look around the web for ideas. There's a BILLION of them. Even in the gallery on Dakka, there are a a BILLION examples. As far as materials go, 2mm (or so) cardstock (photo mounting board), 3/16" and 1/4" foam core, MDF board (for bases), cardboard (like cereal boxes) for detail, All sorts of things from your bit box, grave/kitty litter, and the list goes on. That's a good start, though.



Ghidorah

Corner ruins are dead easy, if you skimp on the detailing. They can be made from any of the materials Ghidora listed (and more!) and rubble is cheap and easy to come by, whether it's a bag of bought sand, grit off the street, or old sprues attacked with clippers (or any combination thereof). Simple window cutouts and a few cardstock rectangles for a touch of relief are all you need for a passable facade.

Small parks and/or monuments are nice for a bit of variety (and the tactical variety afforded by semi-open ground). Simple geometric layouts look nice and are easy to plan. Pop a few ready-made trees or simple DIY hedges around, lay some sand down for gravel paths or rough plastic/cardstock for pavement, flock the turf, and surround the thing in with a simple fence or low wall. Statues are easy ways to add some extra flavor - just buy (made in plastic for cake decorating) or make a short pillar, then slap a suitable miniature on top (drybrushed to look like stone or painted/washed for tarnished metal are simple and attractive options).

If anyone has more money than time and/or scratchbuilding chops, there are always dedicated terrain kits. GW's offering have tons of textural detail and plenty of bits and bobs that can be spread around, while something like the Pegasus Gothic City kits (buildings, ruins, cathedral) is cheaper, sturdier, and more modular, but a bit less complete (no floors or roofs, less detail).

My friends and I used to make styrofoam buildings, cut out windows and add details, then spray paint them, creating craters and holes in the walls. Then, we would paint with grey or terra-cotta and black ash to finish off.