Shelter, along with food and clothing, is one of Man’s three most

essential necessities. Shelter protects people from the weather, shields The ancient Greeks lived in well-made stone houses with slanted roofs
them against wild animals and insects, and provides a place to rest. that let snow and rain slide off. Most of the walls in Greek structures
The most common form of shelter would be that of housing, however were built using sun-dried clay bricks or wooden framework filled with
shelter has evolved into many different forms, including (but not fibrous material such as straw or seaweed covered with clay or plaster.
limited to) bomb shelters, bus shelters, tents, trailers and even In addition to building houses, the Greeks built other forms of shelter
houseboats. such as temples and public buildings, which were dignified and
Stone Age gracious structures built to emphasise the cultural and economic
prosperity of their society. Open-air theatres meant for public
gatherings as well as cultural performances were also built, with some
still standing today.

The Romans improved upon the techniques of the Greeks, and

introduced the concept of central heating to tide them thru cold
weather. They laid rows of earthenware pipes under the roofs and
floors and ran hot water or air through them to heat. Most houses
A cave formed within a mountainous rock. were built around atriums, or a central court, with rooms off the court.
In the earliest prehistoric era, before Man knew how to build shelters,
they made use of the natural environment to provide them with Chinese Architecture
shelter. The earliest forms of shelter were those in trees, where it
would provide minimal protection against the searing heat of the sun
and the cold of the rain. Also, trees protected Man against animals that
could not climb up the trees. Another natural form of shelter was the
cave, which provided greater protection against inclement weather,
though offering less protection against wild animals.
The Songyue Pagoda, one of the few surviving sixth-century pagodas,
was made of bricks.
The first man-made shelter was believed to have been made out of
Ancient Chinese architecture is based upon three components: the
stones and tree branches. The stones were placed at the base of the
foundation platform, the timber frame, and the decorative roof. In
structure to hold the branches in place. Man slowly learned the make
addition, the most fundamental feature of any ancient Chinese shelter
simple tools that would allow them to build better structures, and later
would be that of a four-sided rectangular enclosure, with walls formed
on these structures gradually evolved in shape and form. Other
at right angles to one another. Similar to civilizations elsewhere, the
materials such as huge stone slabs, bones, and even animal hide were
Chinese used packed earth as well as sun-dried clay bricks in their
used to built the structures, which then provided much more stability,
construction of structures. These were typically used within wood
security and comfort. Eventually, earth was taken from the ground and
frames and formed the foundation of the structure. The roofs and
dried in the sun to form clay blocks, leading to the usage of bricks as
ceilings of the traditional Chinese were constructed without nails, only
the basic building block of shelters.
held together via layering the different pieces in interlocking bracket
sets.

From the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907 AD) onwards, the common use of
wood in buildings was replaced by the use of stone and bricks. This
ensured that the buildings or shelters would last longer and not be as
vulnerable to weathering, fires and rotting.

Middle Ages
A shelter made from bones.
Ancient Civilizations

Vieux-château, built in the 14th century

Sun-dried bricks.
When the Roman Empire collapsed around AD400 and were overrun
The ancient Egyptians started building flat-topped houses made out of
by Germans and Scandinavians, the improvements they made in
sun-dried bricks around 3100BC. The domestic dwellings of elite and
building and construction of shelters were lost for several hundred
ordinary Egyptians were constructed using perishable materials such as
years. Buildings built by Germans and Scandinavians were supported
clay bricks and wood. Peasants lived in simple homes, while the
by frameworks of heavy timber or wood, and spaces between the
palaces of the elite were more elaborate structures. Famous structures
wood were filled with clay.
such as the pyramids and temples were built to emphasise the control
and power of the Pharaoh.
Some of these structures developed into fortified castles of the Middle
Ages, with thick stonewalls, water filled moats, and drawbridges. Inside
The idea of sun-dried bricks was improved upon by the Assyrians
the walls, people built stables for horses, barracks for soldiers, shops
almost 600 years later, when they discovered that baking bricks in fire
for making tools and weapons, kitchens, dining halls, and even prisons
made them harder and more durable. They also started glazing bricks
for enemies captured in wartime.
to strengthen them and improve their imperviousness to water, which
was useful in times of storms.
In the 15th century, Europeans began building half-timbered houses, concrete or steel. A major innovation was the development of the steel
with stone or brick foundations. Tree trunks are placed at corners of frame as a structural element. Bricks were still used in buildings, and
the houses, and strong wooden beams were used to support the glass has been used extensively to give the building a modern look and
house. Then they fastened crossbeams at the top and bottom of the feel.
beams and added slanting braces. They covered the walls with lath, or
thin wooden strips, plastered with a mixture of clay and straw. Lightweight concrete also increased the strength of concrete, and the
use of pumps to deliver concrete to upper levels meant that concrete
Early Modern Period could be used in the construction of high-rise buildings as well.
Reinforced concrete, where steel rods are combined with concrete,
was also developed. The mutlifaceted developments during this period
have led to practices that have become the industry standard for the
construction of buildings and shelters, and will continue to do so.
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Long ago, humans preferred to live in shelters that were in the ground
rather than on top of it. Subterranean homes make insulation easier by
keeping the shelter warm and comfortable in the winter and cool in
the summer. They are safer from weather or harsh conditions like high
winds. Shelters in the ground often saved on resources because the
walls were earth, rather than made out of mined resources, like stone,
or gathered resources, like wood. Many modern houses have
The Early Modern Period encompasses the late Renaissance period as subterranean levels too, with a basement to house essential appliances
well as the Early Industrial Age. Many technological innovations took like heaters, extra freezers, or a safe spot to hide in bad weather. As
place in this period, some of which formed the foundation for building we talk about fascinating shelters in the ground, think about how they
shelters in the modern day. Glass was used extensively in this period, compare to a shelter above the ground.
and altered the facade and window construction details considerably.
This technique was used mostly in the building of grand public
structures. Construction in the Renaissance period also focused much
on the design and architecture of the building, rather than the
materials used for the construction process. This was largely due to the
increased appreciation of aesthetics and design, as well as the
emancipation of various other art forms, leading to widespread
cultural reforms.

The advent of the Early Industrial Period brought about mass pit houses were commonly used across the Great Basin area of North
production using existing technological processes, as well as an America. It is a subterranean home that starts with a deep and wide
increase in the innovation of technology. The rate of building of rectangular pit that later has a roof of strong, wooden beams covered
shelters increased exponentially following the widespread use of the with bark, brush, and grass to provide protection and warmth to those
steam engine, and this allowed iron to be made easily at a large scale. living inside. A ladder would provide access to the home through an
Many different forms could be mass produced in factories, and iron opening that also served as a hole for smoke to escape when a fire was
beams soon became the standard support for an entire structure. built in the center of the home.
These homes were usually circular and started with a deep pit dug into
Brick was also mass produced in factories by the use of kilns, instead of the earth. The depth helped to provide a cool and stable temperature
having to resort to the ancient method of leaving it in the sun to be in the summer and a warm and safe temperature in the winter. Pit
dried. Thus, the costs of bricks was reduced and led to their extensive houses would typically house around two families, but the size and
use in buildings. The advent of steam and water powered sawmills also number of people were dependent on the culture that built it. People
allowed wood to be manufactured in a standard size at large scales. had woven mats of reeds or grasses and blankets to make it more
Cheap machine-made nails were also available, and the combination of comfortable while using baskets around the pit house for storage
these two materials provided for a quick and cheap form of shelter in purposes.
the form of balloon framing (a method of wood construction). The low
cost and ease of construction made balloon framing highly attractive, Earth lodges are our last example of shelters in the ground for this
as people no longer requirely highly-skilled carpenters and could build blog. They are commonly found in the Plains region of North America.
their own buildings without a time-consuming learning curve. This was Earth lodges are impressive structures because, though they are in the
the answer to America's problem of mass immigration at that time. ground, a large part of the roof extends upwards and out of the
ground. A complete earthlodge was a massive undertaking and
Contemporary Era structure, being between fifteen to thirty feet in radius and over ten
feet high. The roof was supported by wooden beams with a thick layer
of soil, branches, and grass to form the roof that was so solid that
people could walk and sit on top of it.
Around twenty individuals lived inside. Their personal belongings were
stored near or under the beds that hugged the inner wall while the
focal point of the shelter was the central hearth.

One predominant factor featured in the construction of shelters in the

Contemporary Era. Shelters were no longer simple structures, but were
towering high-rise buildings that were usually constructed with either