Sod houses are traditional houses that were built in the heathlands of Drenthe, The Netherlands, mainly in the 18th and 19th centuries. Sods houses were built with a wooden frame and the walls were made of sods, which were stacked with the grass side outwards. The roof was usually covered with reeds or straw. The more luxurious houses also had windows. Living conditions in sod houses were appalling. Families of six to nine people often lived there, sometimes together with a sheep, goat or several chickens. It was cold, smoky and damp and the houses were difficult to heat. Only the poorest lived in complete sod houses. Those who had it a little wider provided the living area of the house with stone walls and covered the sides with roof tiles.

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