Architecture is based on need, available materials, and skill base.
Is defense from organized enemy a priority? Medieval fortifications are pretty standard across cultures.
What is your labor force? If the answer is 'plentiful slaves' for example, you can afford to build on a lavish scale (and will likely have a need for strong defenses). If it is 'hired freemen', then your budget is going to be a lot more restricted.
Look at the historical cultures in that climate: the Aztecs and Incas built with stone which exists to this day; they didn't have the wheel, but they had a vast pool of expendable labor, so they built on a lavish scale.
Every building project, past or present, boils down to budget.