Choga (architecture)

Choga (Korean: 초가; Hanja: 草家; lit. 'grass house') is a term for traditional Korean houses (hanok) with thatched roofing. The main building materials used to build these houses are straw, wood and soil.

Thatched-roofing was especially popular among farmers and low-income classes in traditional Korean society. Certain plants, such as gourds and pumpkins, could be grown on top of choga roofs. One of the major disadvantages of the materials used, in particular rice straw, was that it could rot quickly when exposed to the elements.

Choga is one of the two classifications of traditional Korean housing. Choga is named after and characterised by its straw thatched-roof; to be distinguished from giwa, its tiled-roof counterpart. Choga was the representative housing for the working class in Korea from prehistoric times until mid 20th century. Due to urbanisation and choga's nondurable nature, this type of dwelling has been almost entirely replaced in Korea.