One of the basic needs of a human is a roof above his head. From ancient times there have been various attempts at building houses and the like. It has been found out that ancient civilization such as Romans and Greeks had very advanced house building techniques. Eastern civilizations such as the Chinese and Indians also had used mud to make bricks and stone like raw materials to build their dwellings.
Traditional house building techniques
It was always closer to nature and the ancient people used natural raw material; there were stones, straw, mud bricks, wood and a bit later in the time, iron. After the Second World War repairing and restoration was given the front page. There was a lot to be done. However by letting quantity precede quality it was clear that at some point what was expected was lost in the making; cost was a factor and not surprisingly everyone was looking for ways to reduce the cost but to have an outcome should they have spent a bigger amount. Governments were keen on making the best out of the wave but the contractors were blamed for the sudden boom of undignified and careless buildings. What was there from before the war, also had to be restored. Iron was at a low supply because it was used for the war, mostly and hence rather than throwing off furniture and fittings reusing them were stressed. For example enamel bath repairs could be done for old items so that they could be reused.
Modern manifestations of construction
Today, construction has taken a sharp turn; post-world war methods were too expensive for some and didn’t result in the way as expected, so many have turned to innovative but low-cost methods of building. Newer approaches are taking environmental concerns in to account, too. For example wood is not as common as it used to be. The forest reserves are getting lower and lower and manufacturing oak tiles or pantry cupboards can really be done with something else. Modern methods of construction is also focused on off-site assembling; in that, a house is “assembled” or brought together at a different place and transported to the site to set up. Eco-homes are a thing too. Most houses now built consider using natural light and airflow to reduce using electricity, which hasits source in diminishing resources like water and oil.
How you can contribute
When it is time for you to build a house, what can you contribute with? We may fail to see but our practices can affect out neighbours too. Follow the golden rules of reduce-reuse and recycle. If you are buying an old house you can consider not demolishing the whole thing and instead rebuild on what is already there. You can reuse stuff that is already in there, for example try bathtub resurfacing. Then you won’t have to buy one anew. Floor tiles and roof tilescan be reused; iron can be remoulded too.The world has come a long way from when humans used to live in caves. Modifications are required to fit in but we still can use some of our ancient knowledge and know how in many areas; construction is one of them.
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