Soil: A construction resource for millennia

Soil is much more than simply the ground beneath our feet. Humans have used soil-derived materials in construction for thousands of years. Depending on the region and available resources, almost all soil materials – sand, clay, loam, and even peat – have been used to build homes, storage structures, and public buildings. For example, the iconic turf houses in Iceland demonstrate how peat and soil were shaped into insulation and walls. Another example is tiles, used both for roof and walls. Were you aware of this?  

Upper left: © Farm building in Germany with timber framing and brick infill, by Friedrich Haag / Wikimedia Commons / “Barum Gotenweg 5 004 2023 04 02” / CC BY-SA 4.0, no changes were made to the original photo 

Upper right: © Icelandic turf houses from Glaumbaer farm museum by Chris, CC BY-SA 2.0, no changes were made to the original photo 

Bottom left: © Roof tiles by Alvesgaspar, CC BY-SA 3.0, no changes were made to the original photo 

Bottom right: © Wall tiles by Martin Robson, CC BY-SA 2.0, no changes were made to the original photo