Housing: from nomad to space and digital
PublicEarly hominins live in the open wild
The first hominids roam in small groups through savannas and forests, without a fixed dwelling place.
Mastery of fire
Early humans learn to make and maintain fire, providing protection, warmth and the ability to cook.
Caves and temporary shelters
Nomadic groups use caves and simple lean-tos of hides and branches as temporary dwellings.
Agricultural revolution and first permanent settlements
The transition to agriculture makes permanent settlement possible, with the construction of the first houses of clay and straw.
emergence of the first villages and cities
Settlements grow into more complex communities with temples, walls and structured streets, as in Mesopotamia.
Rise of palaces and temple cities in Mesopotamia and Egypt
Powerful rulers have monumental palaces and temple complexes built as the centre of city and society.
Roman housing culture: villas and insulae
In the Roman Empire, a sharp distinction emerges between luxurious villas in the countryside and densely populated apartment complexes (insulae) in the city.
medieval castles and walled cities
Feudal lords build fortified castles, while citizens gather in walled cities with narrow streets and wooden or stone houses.
Renaissance townhouses and palaces
From the 15th century onward, refined townhouses and palaces for the affluent citizenry and nobility arise in Italian and later European cities.
half-timbered houses and middle-class dwellings in Northern Europe
In cities and villages in Northern and Western Europe, wooden half-timbered houses arise as a typical form of housing for craftsmen and the middle class.
Manor houses and country estates of the colonial elite
From the 17th century onward, wealthy merchants and colonists build stately mansions and country estates, often financed by global trade networks.
industrialization and urbanization
The industrial revolution drives massive urbanization, with worker housing, apartment complexes and modern infrastructure.
Rise of social housing and public housing policy
Governments and housing corporations began building affordable housing on a large scale for the growing working class.
Construction of post-war high-rises and apartment districts
After the Second World War, large-scale high-rise projects emerged to quickly create housing for the growing population.
first habitable space stations
Humanity establishes a permanent presence beyond Earth with space stations such as Mir and later the International Space Station.
digitisation of consciousness and post-physical living
Speculative: people upload their consciousness to digital networks, rendering the concept of a physical home obsolete.
Rise of palaces and temple cities in Mesopotamia and Egypt
In cities such as Ur and Memphis, large mudbrick and stone palaces arise surrounded by dense residential quarters of ordinary citizens. This early urban architecture reflects social hierarchy: powerful rulers and priests live in magnificent complexes, while artisans and farmers live in smaller, tightly packed houses. The image shows a sunlit city with a large clay-brick palace, surrounded by narrow streets and flat roofs.