In a faraway place called Yemen, the people here have always lived in this ancient country. Their traditional houses are made of stone and earth, which are not only durable, but also have a unique artistic aesthetic.
Yemen's traditional building materials – stone and earth. Stone is a common natural resource here, and they are widely used on a variety of buildings. Dirt, on the other hand, is a substance that people dig out of the land and can be used to build walls and other parts after a certain treatment.
So, how do these simple materials turn into sturdy houses?
You need to choose a suitable piece of land and prepare enough stones and dirt. Then, you can start building the wall. In general, walls are made of stone or bricks, with gaps in between for ventilation and drainage. This design helps prevent moisture build-up that can lead to structural decay.
Next is the roof part. Yemenis usually have flat or sloping roofs and are covered with thick layers of mud and straw. This will keep the temperature in the house and prevent rainwater from seeping into the room.
You'll also need to set up some windows and doors. The design of doors and windows generally takes into account factors such as ventilation and lighting, and also needs to have sufficient windproof performance. Sometimes, in order to add visual effect, people will also draw some patterns on the windows to make the whole house look more aesthetically pleasing.
There may be some issues encountered in the process. For example, if you're in an area where earthquakes are frequent, those buildings can be particularly vulnerable. This requires you to take this into account when designing your building and use as much more robust construction to cope with possible disasters.
While building a house out of stone and earth sounds simple, it's not easy to actually do. It takes a lot of experience and deep expertise from architects to create traditional Yemeni architecture that is both functional and aesthetically pleasing.