And the wolf huffed and puffed…

Do you know the story about the three small piggies? They want to build a stable and secure home, to protect them from the evil wolf. First, they build a house out of straw. But the wolf blows it down with one breath. Then they build a house out of wood. No chance! One puff and it collapses. Only the house made of stone is stable enough.

There are many different materials with which you can build a house – if you know how to do it properly. This is because every material has better and lesser properties.

For example, straw: it keeps you wonderfully warm. But is can burn very quickly.

Wood is good to work with and can even be recycled. But it can break down if it becomes too wet.

Houses made of stone are very stable. But stoned are heavy, and construction takes longer. Where a house is built also plays a big role: in a cold, warm, damp, or dry place. That’s why builders carefully consider which materials they use to ensure the house is safe, comfortable, and long lasting. Furthermore, building materials are constantly being developed and improved.

Take a look at the different materials and learn more about them!

Houses and building styles from different eras:

One-room house in a Germanic village (c. 1000 BC–500 BC)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Walls of wooden posts and clay, roofs of straw	Windows covered with animal hides and fabric	A room for living, sleeping, and working, also for the animals	Open fire in the middle of the room	Open fire in the winter, animals in the house provide heat	Light from the hearth fire, pine shavings made of wood, torches, lamps with fish and animal fat	River, well	Outside in nature

Roman town villa (c. 1000 BC–500 AD)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Plastered walls of stone and brick, roofs of clay tiles and slate	Small openings, closed with horn or shield	Several rooms and a beautiful courtyard with a water feature	Kitchen with open firepit	Underfloor heating for wealthy people	Oil lamps, pine shavings made of wood, candles made of wax (expensive) and animal fat, pine shavings made of wood, torches made of resin and animal fat	Wells, aqueducts (long-distance water pipelines) and water pipes brought water to the cities	Public toilets (latrines), rarely also private toilets (in the courtyard)

Medieval timber-framed house (c.1000-1500)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Walls of timber frame with clay, straw or willow wattle, roofs of straw, tiles or slate	Small glass windows in the homes of wealthy people	Two to three rooms, workrooms for merchants and craftsmen on the ground floor	Kitchen with open firepit	Open fireplaces, tiled stoves	Candles made of wax (expensive) and animal fat, oil lamps	River, well, rainwater cistern.	Communal outhouse in the backyard, chamber pot

Baroque house (c. 1500–1800)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Walls of natural stone, roofs of tiles or slate	Larger windows in various shapes, composed of small panes of glassd	Several rooms and a beautiful courtyard with a water feature	Kitchen with open firepit	Open fireplaces, tiled stoves	Candles made of wax (expensive) and animal fat, oil lamps, later gas lamps	River, well, rainwater cistern. Very rich people have water pipes in their houses	Public toilets (latrines), communal outhouse in the backyard, chamber pot, communal toilet, first sewer systems

Benefit-era villa for wealthy people (c. 1800–1900)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Walls of stone or brick, reinforced with steel, roofs of clay tiles, slate or copper	Large, tall glass windows	Several large rooms with high ceilings, a large staircase, a balcony, an attic, and a cellar	Kitchen with “cooking machine” (wood and coal stove	Tiled and wood-burning stoves with chimney, many rich people have steam and hot water heating	Gas-lighting	Water pipes and bathrooms	Toilette with flushing mechanism

Tenement building for poor people (1900-1920)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Walls made of bricks, hollow blocks, steel and concrete; roofs made of clay tiles	Casement window made of glass	1 to 2 small rooms for a whole family, the basement is also used as living space	Kitchen livingroom with “cooking machine” (wood and coal stove	Stove in the apartment, only very modern rental buildings already have central heating	Gas or electricity	Water pipes and a bathroom are not found in every house	Several residents share a toilet in the whole house

Prefabricated bungalow (1950-1990)

Building materials	Windows	Number of rooms	Kitchen	Heating	Light	Water	Toilette
Walls made of chipboard, asbestos cement panels or concrete; roofs made of tiles or asbestos cement panels	Large windows made of a single pane of glass	Large rooms on just one floor and in the basement	Fitted kitchen with electric stove and electric refrigerator	Central heating with oil, gas or electricity	Electricity	Water pipes (cold & hot)	Bathroom with toilette, guest toilette

What material is the biggest house in the world made out of?

You will find the answer here.