33Use of vegetable plants in housing construction in northern IraqM.R.A.KADIR University of Anbar, Ramadi, Iraq

Vegetable plants and their fibres have been used as building materials in Iraq since ancient times and are still used. Low cost house buildings are built using reed at the southern parts in the marsh areas where they occur in immense amounts, Raouf (1986). Reed panels have been used for interior walls of housing with both sides gypsum plastered. For better housing construction employing reeds many improvement have been suggested concerning their usage and their protection for longer life, Samarai (1986).