Three of man’s basic necessities are food, clothing, and shelter. Shelter has protected humans from the extremes of temperature and danger since the dawn of civilization. Trees were the first form of shelter for humans. People gradually learnt to make shelters out of logs and branches. These shelters were the first crude buildings that were made by humans, which protected them from attacks of wild animals and secured them from the vagaries of weather as well. Later on, people began to seek refuge in caves. Eventually, they picked up the skills of building homes of stones with the help of basic tools.

  • Buildings through the Ages: A web page that contains information about buildings of different civilizations throughout history.
  • Houses and Homes: Homes through the years, from the time of the Roman Empire to the present.

Ancient Egyptian Homes

The homes of prehistoric man comprised of stone circles and megaliths. They also learnt to build huts and tents. This period of constructing basic buildings continued from 12,000 BC up to the time of the Egyptians. The Egyptians were the first humans to create bricks, which were made from chopped straw and mud. The mixture of mud and straw was poured into molds, and it became solid after it was baked in the sun. The ancient Egyptians also used the T-Square tool for measuring angles accurately, and this helped to make buildings more geometric and modern.

  • Egyptian Homes: Description of the process of constructing buildings in ancient Egypt.
  • Egyptian Bricks: Brief article about the use of bricks in ancient Egypt

Mesopotamia

The Mesopotamians were also masters in using mud bricks to construct buildings. Their homes had very thick walls, which provided great insulation. They also created more living space by constructing flat rooftops. They are also credited with the development of columns and arches.

Ancient Chinese

Structures in ancient China were mostly made of timber. The Chinese people built homes according to the requirements of particular regions. The people in the north built their homes with yellow earth and timber to protect themselves from the harsh snow and winds of that region. The ancient Chinese had many different types of homes, ranging from simple huts to elaborate mansions.

Ancient Aztecs

The Aztecs generally built homes with two separate sections. One section served as living space, while the other contained a steam bath. The main home comprised of a thatched roof and walls made of adobe. It was also quite large and divided into four sub-sections.

Greek/Roman Homes

The homes of the ancient Greeks were generally made of stone, and they had slanted roofs. Since the Greeks had innumerable marble quarries, they often utilized the marbles to make spectacular buildings. Marbles are inherently stronger than the sandstones that were used by the Egyptians. As such, the Greek architects and engineers were able to build temples and other fascinating structures using smaller marble pillars. They also used complex mathematics to design columns and arches to make the buildings appear more proportional. The Romans adopted most of the architectural know-how of the Greeks, and they also invented concrete. Some of their buildings contained central heating facilities, while others were built around atriums.

Middle Eastern Homes

The buildings of the Middle East incorporated both religious and secular architectural styles. Four of the major types of Middle East buildings are the palace, the fort, the mosque, and the tomb. Homes were mostly made of mud bricks, timber, and stones. The Middle Easterners were the first people to use bitumen, which was applied as an adhesive for binding bricks.

Medieval Homes

Medieval buildings featured several styles, and some of the most prominent styles included the Romanesque, Perpendicular, and French. Subsequently, the early English Gothic style became popular. Vaults were also constructed to support the stone roofs of buildings. The large medieval houses consisted of stone walls, drawbridges, and water filled moats.

Native American Homes

The native North Americans made their homes from different kinds of materials that they found in the continent. Some of them lived in wigwams, which were made of bent tree barks. Other Native American tribes used buffalo skin to make indigenous houses called teepees. Longhouses and igloos were other forms of homes that were constructed by Native Americans.

American Colonial Homes

American Colonial homes of the 17th and 18th century were built primarily of wood, and they typically had a porch in front as well as a turret. Some houses of the later period were made of bricks, and they had distinct chimneys. Most of the homes featured European-influenced architectural styles, which included Victorian Gothic, Greek Revival, Richardsonian, Baroque, Beaux-Arts, Neoclassic, and others. There were also homes with Federalist, Egyptian Revival, and International architecture.

  • Colonial Houses: Discussion on the architecture of New England and the Southern Colonies.

Log Cabins

As the name suggests, log cabins are houses that are made of logs. They were invented by the Scandinavians, and they were popularized in the US by immigrants from Scotland and Ireland. They are generally one-and-a-half storey tall, and they are very basic structures that are meant to last temporarily. Log cabins are still very popular in rural areas today.

Modern Homes

Modern homes offer a perfect mix of comfort, practicality, and security. The typical home of today contains a kitchen, a drawing room, a dining room, bedrooms, and bathrooms. They come in an extensive variety of shapes and sizes, ranging from simple apartments and bungalows to grand mansions. Some have traditional interiors while others have state-of-the-art interior designs. Most of the modern homes are built with bricks, which are reinforced with cement.

The history of homes, from prehistoric megaliths to swanky condominiums, has indeed been fascinating. The styles of architecture and interior are still evolving, and the homes of tomorrow promise to be even more luxurious and advanced.