The engine rotates the sheet and uses it as a horizontal rotor. They are constructed with car engines and long, makeshift serrated blades that appear to be made of steel sheets and scrap metal.
Many areas of the town are littered with propane cylinders, barrels of flammable materials and Booby traps which had been laid by a lone survivor, Father Grigori. Later, Gordon is forced to escape through the town when Overwatch forces raid Black Mesa East, during the chapter "We Don't Go To Ravenholm.". As it was linked to Black Mesa East via a tunnel, the entrance to the town was sealed shortly after the bombardment using makeshift barricades and stolen Sentry Guns to prevent zombies and headcrabs from reaching the facility. The massacre resulted in the annihilation of the settlement and it was consequently abandoned. The town remained hidden from the Combine for some time, however it was eventually discovered and attacked with a massive bombardment of Headcrab Shells, slaughtering the town's inhabitants by turning them into Zombies. These buildings, along with the streets, appear in an eastern European style, complying with the style of buildings seen throughout Half-Life 2.
Several high-rise apartment buildings can also be seen in some sections of the town such as the area near the coastline and the area near the room with dismembered zombies inside. The town of Ravenholm mainly consists of small to medium-sized houses that are mostly traditionally built, being made from concrete, brick, and wood.