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With the population growing more and more each year,
it was only a matter of time before people started building their homes
underground like Hobbits from the Tolkien tale. Mankind started off
living in caves, and now we realize that "earth homes" are actually a
very eco-friendly way to live. These eight underground homes are so
amazing they might make you want to set up camp underground too!
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Cave House in Festus, Missouri
This modern and energy-efficient 15,000-square-foot home is built within
a sandstone cave in Festus, Missouri. Built by Curt and Deborah Sleeper,
the home features modern interiors that blend with the natural
unfinished sandstone walls. Thanks to geothermal heating and clever
design, there is no need for air conditioning or a furnace to heat/cool
the home.
This space was previously used as a concert venue and a roller skating
rink! It gained fame by being auctioned off on eBay before becoming a
private residence.
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Malator in Druidstone, Wales
This contemporary home is touted as one of Wales' architectural
masterpieces. According to their website:
"The turf roof, steel chimney and peephole doorway inevitably gave way
to its local nickname as ‘the Teletubby house'. The basic design of
Malator is very simple, with essentially one room inside, divided by
prefabricated coloured pods, while on the outside, the house melds with
the surrounding landscape."
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Hidden House in Lower Silesia, Poland
This underground house from KWK Promes was designed so the grassy roof
of the home is accessible only to the residents, via a set of stairs
inside the house.
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The Underground House, Great Ormside, Cumbria,
England
Built on an old quarry site, this two-story home was designed by
architect, John Bodger, for Phil and Helen Reddy.
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Sedum House, North Norfloak Coast, U.K.
This home was built to maximize exposure to sunlight, though most of the
home is underground! Eco-friendly, easy to heat and cool, and featuring
a unique rain water harvesting system, this private residence may very
well be the home of the future!
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Flower Petals in Bolton, U.K.
Former captain of the Manchester United football team, Gary Neville, has
plans to build this eco-friendly underground home in Bolton, U.K.,
providing the town's planning committee finally approves his plans. So
far, the committee has rejected the football star's proposal to build
this 8,000-square-foot, four bedroom, energy-efficient home that will
blend in with the surrounding Pennine hillside. The large
flower-petal-shaped openings are designed to let in light to the floors
below.
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Stone Desert Home in Greece
This rectangular structure designed by Deca is very eco-friendly,
utilizing natural light and heat, and cooling cross-winds. Built between
the slopes of two adjacent hillsides, the house has a simple box-like
plan that blends into the surrounding desert, while still incorporating
traditional Greek design elements. The house is visible only in the
center, and even then could pass as a half-buried ruin more than a
modern home.
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Estate Lättenstrasse, Dietikon, Switzerland
This Swiss estate, by Vetsch Architektur, consists of 9 houses
connected by stairs that lead down to a basement and even a subterranean
parking lot. These "earth houses" use the ground as insulation that
efficiently protects them from rain, extreme temperatures, wind and
abrasion.
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