Korea Settlements

During the pre-modern age, there were two kinds of houses : tiled and thatched. Because tiles are much heavier than thatch, they were usually used for government buildings or the housas of the wealthy. A thatch-roofed house usually lasted only a short time, about one to two years, but served as excellent insulator against the severe cold of winter and scorching heat of summer.
A unique feature of Korean houses is the floor heating system, called ondol, a traditional heating system which uses a fire under the floor to heat the house. The ondol heating system is found everywhere in Korea except Jejudo Island. Ondol has been commonly used for the last 1,000 years, with a similar heating system having been found in Manchuria, in the northeastern part of China.

Ondol is also used in the modern apartment building as well as public accommodation facilities. Top hotel in Korea even offer the option of Korean-style rooms, ondolbang(room with ondol). One reason Koreans remove their shoes before entring a house is because of the ondol system. The heated floor can be fully experienced when you sit or lie on it, and people need to take off their shoes to feel the heat.

Hanok, the traditional Korean homes, built in between the 17th and 18th centuries had separate rooms for men(the outer house, or sarangchae) and women(the main house, or anchae). Also, some heads of families had a built-in shrine in their home for ancestors. In Korea, typical gardening was noy an essential concern, even for large, imposing houses with ample grounds. Traditionally, the principle of gardening was a borrowed scenery, so artificial gardening served no great value. Thus, Korea formed its own unique gardening techniques that were distinct from European and Japanese styles. For example, traditionally, covering even part of a courtyard with grass was prohibited in Korea because turf or grass was considered to be used only for
covering graves.

Long ago, Koreans believed in the existence of deities for each part of the house, such as the joists and girders, the master bedroom, dining room and kitchen. As a result, family members would place a small jar of rice or other grains in each of these locations. The main objective of this custom has basically vanished, though some rural villages still continue with these practices.