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Underground Earth-Sheltered Homes. When an entire earth-sheltered house is built below grade or completely underground, it's called an underground structure. An atrium or courtyard design can accommodate an underground house and still provide an open feeling.
- A Short History of Underground Homes
- How Does Housing Need to Change?
- Where Are Homes Built Underground?
Before the advent of agriculture about 10,000 years ago, the homes we lived in were essentially a part of our inhabited landscape. Our nomadic, hunter and gatherer ancestors mostly made their homes in caves that they found as they followed animals across the lands. Because they moved so frequently, the idea of a permanent dwelling place (a house, i...
As our collective demand for homes, businesses, industries, and other buildings continues to surge in the coming decades, the need for natural resources is inevitably going to grow. Increasing the operational efficiency of homes to achieve net-zero energy status is undoubtedly essential in the sustainability picture. However, the homes we live in a...
Australia
In Coober Pedy, Australia, a small "Outback" town north of Adelaide, over 80 percent of the town's population lives in "dugouts." These dugouts are underground homes carved from the surrounding rock. The town, widely known for its opal mines, is also unbearably hot, with temperatures routinely as high at 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit). Decades ago, local miners struggling with the heat experimented with building underground shelters. The natural coolness from the surrounding eart...
Iceland
Earth-sheltered homes were also widely used in areas of the world where timber was hard to come by. In Iceland, a combination of a lack of standing forest and extreme winter temperatures led many people to build "turf homes." These homes, also known as torfbaeir, were made from flat stones, wood, turf, and soil. Icelandic people built these homes with simple wooden or stone frames to hold the turf or sod laid in a herringbone style in two layers to increase insulation. The result was a beauti...
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- # Earth-Bermed House in Hudson Valley, New York. Architect: Allan Shope. Completed in 2011, this earth bermed house was built by architect Allan Shope as his own residence.
- # Earth Sheltered House in Rocky Mountains, Colorado. Architect: Gluck+ This 2,850-square-foot house in the Rocky Mountains was designed by Gluck+ in 2004.
- # NCAVED House in Serifos Island, Greece. Architect: MOLD Architects. Completed in 2020, this one-of-a-kind house is located on a small secluded rocky cove on Serifos Island, Greece.
- # The Horizon House in San Bernardino, Paraguay. Architect: Bauen. This 345-square-meter house was completed by the architecture firm Bauen in 2019. It is partially buried under the ground to match the downhill topography of the site.
An earth shelter, also called an earth house, earth bermed house, or underground house, is a structure (usually a house) with earth against the walls, on the roof, or that is entirely buried underground.
Jan 22, 2024 · Earth-sheltered homes—which typically feature either underground construction or homes built into slopes with soil against the walls and on top of the roof—are among the oldest forms of...
- Katherine Mclaughlin
Jul 19, 2023 · An underground house, also known as an earth-sheltered home or subterranean dwelling, is a residential structure built partially or entirely below ground level. It takes advantage of the earth’s natural insulation and stability to create a sustainable living space.
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What is an underground house?
Jan 20, 2020 · Underground earth sheltered homes are built below ground level and typically feature a central, open atrium or courtyard to allow residents access to light and air. These homes have rooms that need heat like bedrooms and living rooms close to the center to get the most heat.
