The Korowai, Papua New Guinea

Building Up High, a Fresh Perspective

A clan from Western New Guinea, in the Indonesian province of Papua, the Korowai live in tree-top houses, far out of reach of mosquitoes and predators.

To build these houses, their first job is to select a sturdy tree as the central pillar. Using temporary scaffolding erected around the tree, a floor is assembled, supported by various secondary trees and main branches. The floors are made of small, interconnected logs, the walls of bark or woven foliage, the roofs of palm fronds. Access to each house is granted via a small, notched trunk.

All the materials required to build the dwellings are taken from the immediate environment. The areas around the houses are therefore cleared, enabling any intruders to be quickly detected. Depending on their needs, a clan can build between one and five houses, raising them an average of eight to twelve meters above the ground.