Don’t you love your home? Isn’t it the only place you want to be in when you are exhausted or dull?

Do you know that, across the globe houses are built very differently? Sometimes they are so different that you might be surprised when you look at them. But if all the houses have just one purpose of providing shelter, then why are they different?

A lot of times it is because of the geographical location. The house has to sustain challenges like harsh climates or natural disasters.

Igloos, found in the Arctic regions of Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Siberian Russia, are made up of blocks of ice.

Most modern houses in Japan have Earthquake proof homes that have massive shock absorbers, sliding walls and Teflon foundation pads that raise buildings up from the ground – since the country is prone to frequent earthquakes. In tropical areas, Stilt houses are extremely popular. They are built on stilts and have sloped roofs to keep the house dry from constant rains.

Then, houses are made up of different materials like cement, wood, stone, bamboo or sometimes even mud. The kind of material used to build the house depends on many things like cost, availability and looks.

In big cities, houses are mostly made of concrete. It is cost effective and available easily. In ancient times, people used stone to build their houses probably because stones were the only available building material. Also, it was long living and durable. Think what is common between castles where kings lived, Egyptian pyramids and the gorgeous Taj Mahal? They are all made up of stone!! Stone houses are sometimes preferred even now a days as they are eco-friendly and sturdy enough to resist fire, wind or water.

Wooden homes are immensely popular in European countries, US and Canada. Wood is a poor conductor of heat and cold. It does not conduct the outside heat or chillness easily. Hence, wood keeps the house cooler in summers and warmer in winters. Jungle lodges and Tree houses are made of wood due to easy availability !!

Bamboo houses are cheap and environment friendly. While wood can sometimes take up to 25 years to generate, bamboo takes only 2-3 years. Bamboo is extremely strong and elastic. Thus,during earthquakes, it can resist enormous pressure without breaking. And in case, disaster does manage to shatter a bamboo it can be assembled back again in a short time. They are used all over Hawaii, Costa Rica, Bangladesh and China.

Do you know that there are few homes that are always on the move? Curious?? To know more read this.