Below the earth

Coober Pedy is a very special town in Australia. Summers are so hot that people have built their homes underground. You may think that they are dark and stuffy, but they are not! There are all the rooms of a typical home: a kitchen, a living room, one or more bedrooms... Sleeping underground is really quiet.

Above the ground

Some homes are not at ground level. They stand on stilts. These are long pieces of wood or metal that support the house. Stilts protect houses from floods. They also keep people safe from wild animals. In a traditional Asian stilt home the kitchen is the heart of the house.

Snow houses

People in cold climates use snow to make their homes. A lot of people call this type of house an “igloo”. There is usually only one room for the whole family. There is a tiny entrance corridor, and there aren’t any windows. It is amazing that the temperature inside is comfortable, around 15°C.

Homes on the go

Nomads in Asia often live in huge, round tents called yurts. They are made from wood and animal skin. Yurts are easy to build, break down and carry from one place to another. They can be small and light or huge and heavy. There aren’t any rooms inside a yurt. There are beautiful decorations on the walls.