A particular feature of Paiwan construction is its use of slate, which abounds in the mountains of southern Taiwan. They use slate to build houses that are cool in the summer, warm in the winter and sturdy enough to resist typhoons, in other words, a structure entirely suited to the climate of southern Taiwan.
石板屋則是排灣族建築的一大特色，由於台灣南部山區多板岩，排灣族便以石板建屋，這種夏涼冬暖又堅固防台的建屋方式，頗適合南台灣的天氣。