UNUSUAL MATERIALS TO MAKE HOUSES

UNUSUAL MATERIALS TO MAKE HOUSES

When we think of a building, we think of only a few materials. Bricks and mortar, wood and stone seem the most common ones for many buildings. However, we are lucky that some people think creatively. Here are five examples of exotic or unusual building materials.

• ICE: In Jukkasjärvi, a village in Sweden within the Arctic circle, each year they build a hotel out of ice. Every room is a display of art carved in ice. The beds are also blocks of ice, and they spread reindeer skins on the beds to keep you warm.

• PLASTIC BOTTLES: People use plastic bottles to build houses because they are so cheap and they are like insulating materials. Air is a very good insulator, so the air in sealed bottles will keep heat in or out as you wish. Since plastics do not biodegrade easily, they can form long-lasting walls. Many low cost houses in third world countries are built of metal and the only source of light may be the open door. To bring light into these homes, families cut a hole in the roof and insert a plastic bottle. This plastic hole allows sunlight into the home and brings light for people too poor to afford electricity.

• NEWSPAPER: In 1922, Elis Stenman began building a house out of newspaper. The whole house, except the wooden frame, was made of newspapers rolled and varnished. Mr. Stensmen used newspapers both for filling in the walls and also building the furnishings from donated papers. He did this for a noble reason – he wished to raise awareness on too much plastic waste.

• CORN COBS: This building is only a prototype and so people cannot really live in it at the moment. The construction is basically a wooden frame filled with dried corn cobs. The aim was to produce a cheap and biofriendly home. The architects managed to make it cheap but they still have to find a way to keep the rain and wind out of the building. The key benefit of this building is that it is made from entirely renewable sources. It would also serve as an excellent source of popcorn on a movie night.