These makeshift communities are mesmerizing and astounding feats of architecture

Three-car garages and big backyards are a common sight in the US, but they're foreign in many other places.

Elsewhere, communities spring up by the people who build them, whether due to a lack of resources, political movement, or simply the will to survive after a natural disaster.

Not all of them are pretty, but design aesthetic isn't always a consideration when you need a roof over your head.

Scroll down to see some of the most harrowing feats of construction around the world.