Thread: What primitive (or medieval) house design best resists hurricane winds?

cant delete it, its already in anthropology etc

Cave

Any stone masonry.

Originally Posted by Aireal

Any stone masonry.

Like a cave!

there are some islands in the pacific where they have chronic high winds and occasional typhones. They dig a pit, line it with stone, then build a masonry house with wooden roof in the pit. There is a 2 foot or so gap between the pit walls and the house walls. The gap between the two walls eliminates the damp, "living in a basement" problem but since the whole structre sits below grade it is protected from the wind. So effective is this design that the islanders build gazebo like "summer towers" to live in during summer when the main house is too warm.

Cruder, is the pit-house AKA dugout: dig a huge hole, erect timber roof flush with ground, cover with sod. Access by ladder through a timber-framed skylight. These were pretty common around the world but not as hurricane shelters - temperature is nearly constant all year at this depth. Dankness was not a problem because our houses also served as smokers, with firepits perpetually flaming and meats hanging from rafters.