Find out more about these twelve very different homes spanning all continents of the world. Tap one of the small images below to learn about it or scroll down to explore them all.
Where would you like to live?
Traditional house, Morocco
This Islamic style house has a domed roof and arches above the top windows and front door. Moroccan houses like this one often have a courtyard in the centre, some even have a garden! The inside of the house is often highly decorated with beautiful tiles in green, blue, gold or white – each colour has its own symbolic meanings. Can you spot the fig tree growing outside the house?
Boathouse, UK
Narrowboats such as this one were first used as working boats in the 1800s to carry goods along the narrow canals and locks of the UK. They used to be drawn by horses walking alongside them on a canal path! Now they are powered by engines and are often decorated with bright colours to make them more individual. Currently over 8,500 people in the UK have made these narrowboats their home. What colour would you paint yours?
Thatched cottage, UK
Homes with thatched roofs like this one have been around for thousands of years, the earliest ones dating back to 7600 BC in Northern England! The roof is often made with dried stacks of straw, reeds and other vegetation found locally. They keep homes warm in winter and cool in summer. Many cottages are surrounded by a beautiful English country garden full of flowers.
Traditional house, Japan
Many Japanese houses like this one are made from wood and are slightly raised off the ground with a tiled or thatched roof. Inside you will find partitions and sliding doors which are used to change the layout of the space for different occasions. People usually sit on cushions or mats on the floor in a room in the middle of their home. Don’t forget to take off your shoes!
Reed hut, Lake Titicaca, Peru
These floating homes are home to the indigenous Uros people. They are created by stacking layers upon layers of totora roots and reeds, water-resistant plants that grow on the surrounding Lake Titicaca. They need to be replaced every 15 – 20 days before they start to rot. These amazing reed huts are built on a floating island – also made with totora reeds by the Uros people – and are found nearly 4000m above sea level high in the Andes Mountains!
Town house, Mali
Made from mud bricks and mud plaster, the builders of organic homes like this one are called mud masons. Their skills are often passed down through generations, just like the houses themselves. Mud buildings are very good at keeping us cool in summer and warm in winter and withstanding extreme weather. Their shape is constantly changing as people re-clay, repair and rebuild their homes each year!
Town house, Mexico
Colourful Mexican houses like this one have thick walls made from a mixture of sun-dried mud bricks, straw, and sometimes lime. These natural materials keep the inside of the house cool in the scorching heat and warm in cooler months. They often surround an inner courtyard, creating a cool outdoor living space. You might also see rounded walls, patios with colourful tiles, arched doorways and low-sloping roofs. Spot the banana tree in the garden!
Traditional farmhouse, North America
Many modern American homes are based on classic farmhouse designs like this one. They are one or two stories heigh, in an L- or T-shape from a bird’s eye view. Many are painted bright colours with white doors and window frames. There is often a wrap-around porch where you can relax and keep cool in the hot summers, like an outdoor living room. Spot the American letter box with the red flag!
Stilt house, Australia
This type of house, often found in northeastern Australia, are built on stilts to let the air circulate underneath, to keep the damp out in the rainy season, and to manage termites, snakes and other pests. It also allows people to build their home on a hill without having to flatten the ground first. It’s like a bunkbed in house form! Would you like to live here?
Lavvu Tent, Northern Europe
Lavvu tents like this one are temporary homes used by the Sami people of Northern Europe. They are built using three or more forked poles to create a tripod shape covered in reindeer hide which provides shelter from the cold winds and snow. The tent can be easily put up and taken down, which enables the Sami people to follow their reindeer herds. Inside, there is a fireplace in the middle used for heating and to keep mosquitoes away. The smoke escapes through the smoke hole in the top.
Skyscraper, Shanghai, China
Home to 195 skyscrapers (and counting), the Chinese city of Shanghai is popular for its high-rise buildings made of metal and glass. With a growing population, people need to build up rather than out to save space! This skyscraper is called The Jin Mao Tower. It has 88 floors (93 if counting the floors in the spire) and contains a shopping mall, offices and a hotel. When it was first built in 1999, it was the highest hotel in the world!
Mountain chalet, the Alps, Switzerland
Homes like this one are typical of the Alpine region in Europe. They are made of wood, with a heavy, gently sloping roof and wide, well-supported eaves set at right angles to the front of the house to support heavy mountain snow. Inside they always have a fireplace to keep the house warm during cold winter months. Chalets were made popular by the skiing culture in the Alps mountains. The highest can be found at over 4,000m above sea level!
