Winfried Bullinger

The Mursi, who live in south-west Ethiopia, build dome-shaped supporting structures from flexible wood and cover them with grass, which characterises the appearance of the huts as a building material. The small, circular entrance can be closed with a disc made of branches and grass. A settlement consists of several similar huts. The neighbouring Surma, who are related to the Mursi, build their round huts by anchoring wooden stakes in a circle in the ground and erecting the roof structure on top. They also cover the roof with grass. The Mursi and Surma settlements are used for several years. The grass is constantly renewed until the huts are left to decay so that new homes can be built on unused land in the neighborhood.