Architecture resulting from tax avoidance: Houses in Netherlands

Long time ago, Netherlands’s city authorities have allowed the people to built their own house, but after a while they realize that the buildings are leaning forward due to the softness of the ground. As a solution for this, they have begun to create the foundation by striking wooden piles on the mud floor. These costs were taken from the taxes paid by the people. The amount of tax was calculated by the width of the building. The people had built their houses long and narrow to pay less taxes.

Therefore, it has always been difficult to move into these narrow, side-by-side houses. So, there are “hooks” on top of each house.household goods can move from here up. And the upper side of the houses is curved at a slight angle to the front, so that the goods that are being transported will not damage the windows of the house.