Have you ever noticed interesting buildings in your neighborhood, on television, or in a book? Did you know

that artists design these buildings? Architecture is the art of designing and constructing buildings.

A person who designs buildings is called an architect. Architects

must develop strong art and math skills to do their job well. They use

math to understand how to engineer a solid, functional structure. Architects’ artistic eye allows them to understand spatial relationships

and helps them to create attractive, interesting buildings.

A wise architect will consider the natural environment where the building will be constructed. Weather conditions and natural resources influence the

building’s shape and the materials used to construct it. Architects must know which local materials best suit the building they are designing.

If you were an architect living in the desert, would you plan to build a house out of logs or mud bricks?

We are going to look at old houses from around the world. Notice how each house uniquely suits its natural environment and the lifestyles of the people who live there.

Panama is a very

hot and humid country in Central America. Much of Panama is jungle and rain forest.

People who live in the rain forest use trees and leaves to build their homes.

They build steep roofs that shed the rain. In some places, it rains almost every day.

Why do you think these houses are built on stilts?

Why are they made from wood instead of brick?

Ireland is part of the

continent of Europe. Much of Ireland’s land is rocky. Thousands of years ago, people used the stones in Ireland’s rocky hills to build their homes. Why was this a good choice?

People who live in the

Arctic use blocks of snow to build their homes called igloos. Thick walls of snow trap the heat inside the igloos so the people can stay warm.

Why didn’t they use wood or mud bricks?

Ethiopia is on

the continent of Africa.

The native people used to build their homes from trees and dirt.

The walls are made from dried mud, and the roof tops are woven from tree branches. Why do you think the roof tops are shaped like cones?

China is known for having a large

population of people. As many as 300 people might live in this round earthen building. What do we call this type of building in the United States? Hint: People live here, but it is not called a house.

Tunisia is a country in northern Africa where the climate is hot and dry. In order to stay cool people used to build their homes underground.

The bottom of the hole is the courtyard and the holes dug to the sides are the rooms.

Would you want to live in a house like this in Arizona? Why or why not?

In addition to serving a purpose, a building should also be attractive. People from all over the world have developed architectural styles that are unique to their culture. What are some of the differences you see between these houses?

Traditional Mediterranean Style House

Contemporary American House

Traditional Chinese House

Traditional French House