Building small villages or towns in your backyard is an affordable way to get started in village building. Though it takes some time and effort, it is a fun way to spend a day and create a community nearby.
Making your own village structures such as huts, farms, buildings, and fences can be done in many ways. Some more advanced are using re-enactment kits or replicated buildings made from log construction to finalize the look.
Doing this at home or in a workshop provides the most control and allows for some professional quality production. For example, you can hire someone else to build the houses for you while you check them out and critique!
Many people start their village building projects by using premade structures. These are available in cases such as huts built on stilts, buildings built with walls made out of double layers of dirt and construction material, etc.
Contents:
Buy the necessary materials
While you can make pueblo houses using just sand, sticks, and paper plates, the best way to make a good pueblo house is to use wood. This wood must be air-dried before you can use it.
You can buy either kiln– driedwood or seasonallygrownwood. Seasonallygrownwood is more cost effective as it may require more preparation time and tending before use. Kip-driedwood must be stored in a dry place until needed.
Both options have their benefits and we recommend choosing which one works best for you based on your skills and needs.
Find a big box to build it in
If you are building the houses out of papier-mâché or some other form of paper, you will need a big box to put them in to make sure they are sheltered. The same goes if you are using cement or another material to construct the houses.
You will also need a saw and jigsaw skills to cut your houses in half and into shapes. If you are using concrete, you will need a drill and/or patchwork bag skills to assemble your blocks, courtyards, etc.
And lastly, if you are using materials like ABS or concrete, you will need tools and knowledge of how they work.
Assemble the pueblo house walls
Once your children have decided on the material they want to use to build their pueblo houses, the next step is to decide how they want to build it.
There are many ways to assemble a pueblo house, so do not assume one way is best. Some children prefer taking advantage of their free time and tools to ensure a quality house.
One of the most popular ways to assemble a pueblo house is using pallets as the walls and a tarpaulin or matting as the floor. You will need at least two people when doing this, one to hold up the pallets and one to place in place.
You can also use wood or other materials instead of canvas, depending on what you have available.
Put in the support beams
Once your floor is complete, you will need to place in the support beams that hold up the ceiling. These are typically found in the middle of the floor between where the two walls join.
These support beams help hold up the roof, and they also connect to it. When you do this, you can add on to your home as you want!
To add on to your house, you’ll need to add on to these support beams. If you choose not to do this, your house may collapse under its own weight. It is important to know how to make a pueblo house, so start learning now!
Making a pueblo house takes some time and effort, but it is really fun to do with friends.
Put in wall supports
Once your roof is in place, the next step is to put in supports for the wall structure. These walls must be maintained to hold your students in and provide privacy.
There are many ways to create these support structures. Some use lumber and paint to create a shelf, table, or floor unit. Others use cement or rock chips to define a unit.
Make sure you choose materials that will last through years of use and abuse. You would not want your rock unit falling apart within a year of being installed!
Student houses are a great way to showcase student achievement. Having a dedicated student house will show off what students have been up to lately, as well as show off their commitment to the school.
Finish putting on walls
Once your floor and ceiling are in place, it is time to finish putting on the walls. Choose a location that is comfortable to breathe, as you will be wetting and drying the house before safety rules say you must.
You can use drywall dust or fresh cut sheets as your wall material. Both are lightweight and easy to move. Cut the sheets in half to get two layers of protection!
Put each layer of wall up at an arm’s length, then bring one side toward the center and tie off. Lower the other side into place, then pull up with a hammer and nails to secure. Repeat with all the walls!
Beneficial? Yes! This is how we did it in school, so we could learn from their mistakes.
Add roof supports
Once your house is built, you can start adding supports for the roof. These can be wooden or metal and can be small or large. We suggest only using these with small supports as the larger ones could be difficult to remove after the school year.
To add more support, simply repeat the process!
Bullet point: Add windows and doors
After the house is sturdy enough to withstand some stormy days, you can add some basic necessities like a living room, bedroom, and kitchen. Or if you are really fancy-ing it, you can add a sunroom or two.
To add more living space, simply add another room on top of what is already present.
Put on roofing material
If you want to put on some extra protection against the elements, you can do some roofing. A traditional pueblo roof has a thatching of grass or leaves over it to protect the structure from damage by wind and water.
You can also buy rubber sheeting or seeedra kal, which is like a thick waterproof canvas. Either one can be put over the existing thatching to protect it against moisture and possible vandalism.
Either way, these materials should be brought outside before dawn to avoid wetness during rainfalls and when cleaning up is needed. This is very important for someone who lives in poverty, as needing to raise enough money would be difficult without evidence of living(maybe even footprints!)
for them.