A word that is central to our survival on Earth. In the prehistoric ages humans began to seek shelter from the vagaries of the weather and ferocious predators. The cave proved to be the best shelter for the prehistoric man. In that era humans loved a nomadic life which made them shift from one place to another.

Eventually agrarian practices emerged and some wanderers adopted a pastoral life. This meant staying at one place and hence new kind of shelter. Thus a thatched structure was most likely invented which took the shape of a conventional hut in time to come. This was built using locally available vegetation, stones, wood and dried straw or leaves by products of crops.

With dramatic change among the human societies and a move towards more civilized form, the concrete structures began to emerge. These were sturdier and the roof provided excellent insulation from changing season, rains, hailstorms and snow. The houses were made of mud or locally available materials and baked tiles were used to construct the roof.

As the evolution advanced more sophisticated structures began to emerge. The discovery of cement and steel made a major difference as to how a home is constructed. The basic elements of modern shelters what we call home, palaces, forts and what not remain the same today as they were whence they were first built.

The central element of the house is a room. It is composed of a roof, four walls, floor and an entrance. To this element various extensions were added. The roof has become much varied and localized depending upon the material available and weather conditions. The room has been modified into functional space kitchen, sitting room, bedroom, bathroom, toilet etc. The walls in modern household are constructed using cement as binding agent for bricks and steel frame for support replacing wood. Read More...