my former house (a "stick" house--woos frame construction)
had a mud room--the entrywaywhere boots and coats could be
left when entering the interior.

my ancestors lived in a dug out on the Nebraska prairie on
their homestead http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugout_%28shelter%29
there was a two story (rare) sod house near there
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0500/frameset_reset.html?
http://www.nebraskastudies.org/0500/stories/0501_0108.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sod_house