Earth Homes From Around the World

[Ben]

Some of these are pretty neat looking. I've always had an interest in earth homes, but my biggest concern would be getting sufficient natural light to all areas of the home without defeating the main purpose of the structure. Otherwise if I'm gonna sit around underground all day with the lights on, I'd just as soon buy a missile silo. 

http://www.worldsbiggests.com/2013/04/the-coolest-earth-houses-around-world.html

[Sergeant Bob]

Hobbitses, everywhere!

[cassandra and sara's daddy]

you ever see solatubes?
http://www.solatube.com/

[geronimotwo]

i have had an idea for a rammed earth, covered with earth idea for some time.  i think it would work best in a dryer climate.

[Ben]

you ever see solatubes?
http://www.solatube.com/

Interesting...

[Gowen]

http://flyingconcrete.com/

They show some really neat structures being made.

[dm1333]

You can alway go with poured or stacked concrete walls that are earth bermed.  More windows, more light and you still get the same effect.

This is off of one of my favorite web forums

http://countryplans.com/smf/index.php?topic=5386.0

[Tallpine]

I'm not sure about the eco-friendly part, since concrete is one of the highest enviromental impact building materials: non-renewable, requires multiple mining/quarrying operations for the components.   


I would like a hobbit house, though.    

Our ancestors lived underground and I'm not sure that we are smarter. 

[dm1333]

Hey, I didn't say anything about eco friendly!     There is another concrete earth bermed house on the City-Data forum, it was an interesting read and according to the owners a very comfortable house year round.  They were completely off grid.  If I settle down somewhere like Utah or Arizona I might try to build an earth ship or a rammed earth home.

[RoadKingLarry]

Meh, hippy hovels.













 

[Tallpine]

Meh, hippy hovels.

I dunno ... I sure get tired of being either too cold or too hot.

A house impervious to forest fire would be nice too.

[Ben]

I dunno ... I sure get tired of being either too cold or too hot.

That's the (worthwhile IMO) price you pay for living away from busybodies. 

[Tallpine]

That's the (worthwhile IMO) price you pay for living away from busybodies. 

Yeah, why do you think I live in this miserable climate? 

An earth sheltered house that was cooler in summer and warmer in the winter might be a good idea.

[AZRedhawk44]

There's an elementary school in Walla Walla, WA where the architect decided to mound up earth along the sides of the school.  Blue Ridge Elementary.

http://www.blueridgeeagles.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86&Itemid=189



I'm having a hard time finding pictures of it, but the earth berm around the school must be 25-30 feet high.

Doesn't seem the school district is that impressed with the results of the proposed cost savings, because there's no mention of the odd architectural design on the school's web site at all.

[Tallpine]

Doesn't seem the school district is that impressed with the results of the proposed cost savings

My cellar doesn't freeze even though there is no heat down there.

There is some downward heat loss through the floor, though.

Likewise the well pit is about 6 or 7 feet deep with just a couple layers of 2" styrofoam and the metal lid on top.

Just something that is fire proof, where one could shelter in place through the worst fire storm, would be worth it where we live.

[AZRedhawk44]

What about air?  If your earth-home is surrounded by a fire including a fire on top of you, aren't you going to suffocate from the smoke even if your house doesn't burn?

[Tallpine]

What about air?  If your earth-home is surrounded by a fire including a fire on top of you, aren't you going to suffocate from the smoke even if your house doesn't burn?

Actually, no - I didn't die last summer when when were doing structure protection and had 100+ foot high flames all around us.   

[AZRedhawk44]

Actually, no - I didn't die last summer when when were doing structure protection and had 100+ foot high flames all around us.   

Well that's good.   

[Tallpine]

Well that's good.   

Yeah, we had it all figured out that we had defensible space, but there was a couple minutes there that I was sorta interested to see how it was all going to turn out.

[bedlamite]

Some of these are pretty neat looking. I've always had an interest in earth homes, but my biggest concern would be getting sufficient natural light to all areas of the home without defeating the main purpose of the structure. Otherwise if I'm gonna sit around underground all day with the lights on, I'd just as soon buy a missile silo. 

http://www.worldsbiggests.com/2013/04/the-coolest-earth-houses-around-world.html

I can't find the site, but I remember seeing a periscope window a while back that looked like it worked well.

[AJ Dual]

Would be cool for a fallout shelter too. You could have  "Z" shaped shaft with mirrors and outside views, but no free path for gammas or neutrons to get at you.

Security and blast protection is weaker, but would make your two weeks to a month for the Iodine etc. to burn through some half-lives easier to take. 

[dm1333]

Meh, hippy hovels.

Meh, hippy hovels with low heating and cooling bills!  That won't burn in a forest fire!  And look like they are more tornado resistant than your average T111 shack!!!!