Building a House to Last 500 Years

500 year old homes are not an impossibility in many parts of the world. But in the United States, we don’t think of homes as something that can last centuries, so don’t try. Our comparatively young country and tradition of building with wood have partially blinded us to the possibility of building something to last for ages.

It’s easier than ever to build a house with a reasonable chance of lasting hundreds or maybe 1,000 years. Roman concrete in the Coliseum has lasted over 3,000 years. But we’ve taken the wrong lesson from this story— there’s nothing magic about Roman concrete, The Romans were both lucky and smart. Lucky enough to have a special type of volcanic ash available nearby, and smart enough to develop concrete that self heals when water begins to penetrate.

The point is that modern concrete can be much better, is constantly improving, and affordable enough to be used by everyone. What’s missing is the desire to build homes that could last hundreds of years after we’re gone. Building a home intended to last centuries is a gift to future generations and a wise use of resources.