Uros Totora Reed Houses

The Uros (Uru) people of Lake Titicaca live on artificial floating islands built from totora reed (Schoenoplectus californicus subsp. tatora), near Puno in Peru. Their houses, boats and the islands themselves are all made largely of this reed, making them one of the few building traditions in the world where the ground, walls and roof come from the same plant.

Islands

The islands are built on blocks of the matted root mass of the reed, called kile, which grows 1 to 2 m (3 to 7 ft) thick. According to a study by Rocío Torres Méndez for the CIB (International Council for Research and Innovation in Building and Construction), the root mass is cut into blocks about 3 m by 10 m (10 by 33 ft), tied together and anchored with ropes to stakes. Fresh reeds are laid on top continually because the lower layers rot: the study reports maintenance about monthly in the dry season and weekly in the rainy season. An island can last about 30 years before it decays and is abandoned. Smithsonian Magazine counted roughly 70 such islands, each about 15 by 15 m (50 by 50 ft).

Houses

The houses are also made of reed. The CIB study describes a frame of bamboo or wood covered with kesanas, mats of totora reed, laid in one or two layers. A double layer gives better resistance to water and better thermal performance.

Change

Tourism has become central to island life; Smithsonian Magazine reported that around 80% of the local population works in it. Modern materials such as solar panels now appear on some islands, and plastic bottles are used inside some reed boats.