Homestead Green Building: Underground and Earth Sheltered Homes

Would you like to live like a mole, or some other burrowing creature?  Awesome!  But that's not what I'm going to talk about.  I'm going to talk about a green home design that has all the benefits of being below ground, but also has lots of windows and light so you don't feel like you're hibernating all the time.  Actually, there are several variations that tend to accomplish the same thing.  The beauty, and the main differences between these techniques is little more than a matter of how much money you want to spend, and much of the work you are willing to do yourself.

People across the face of the earth have been building homes underground or earth covered pretty much since the beginning of people building homes.  From the native Pueblo people digging into hillsides, to the ancient tunnels/homes dug beneath Turkey.  This is- by far- not a new concept.  Now me.... I like caves.  I like the dark.  But I also love opening windows to let fresh air circulate (when weather permits, of course).  And I do, occasionally like letting in a little sunlight.  With an underground home, you can create it to be however dark or light as you like.  Or, if you live with another person who maybe likes it a bit different than you do, it's a very simple thing to work in both lighter and darker spaces, making everyone happy.  Now, most homes described as "underground", really are more or less not.  They can be built partially underground, they can be built above ground with a green roof, they can be built with a surrounding earth berm, as in the earthship design we looked at last week.  But they are all generally referred to as underground homes because a good portion of the insulation and thermal mass comes from the earth itself.

There are a number of methods, designs, materials that can be used.  Like I said above, it all comes down to how much money you want to spend.  I have yet to come across a method that is completely free.  But I'm sure it could be done if you are fortunate enough and willing to do a lot of bargaining for whatever you need.  But the basic principles are pretty much the same across the board.  The biggest concern, no matter the design, will be moisture.  There is a certain amount of moisture naturally within the earth.  There will inevitably be moisture in the form of humidity, rain, and in some regions, snow.  So a really good moisture barrier is essential.  That, and a good design so that when rain and/or snow does fall, it's not going to be trapped right up next to your home, eventually resulting in mold, mildew, rot, or whatever else comes along with water damage.  Once you've got that part of the design figured out, the rest is pretty straightforward and easy peasy.  Dig out where you want your home.  Place a layer of moisture barrier down to keep it from coming up through the floor.  Place your floor.  Build your home.  Put down another layer of moisture barrier outside the home.  Then, depending on your climate and design, you can add insulation, another moisture barrier, and however much earth you want on top of that.  You can use reinforced steel and concrete, like this home.  Or you can go as simple as wood, dirt, and some form of water barrier.  One of the most likely names you'll come across in your hunting will be that of Mike Oehler.  I would highly HIGHLY recommend you read his book "The $50 and Up Underground House Book".  There is such a great wealth of information in there, especially if you want to save as much money as possibly in building your home.  In between these two opposite ends of the spending spectrum, there are many other options as well.  You can even buy land with an old abandoned missile silo to build your home into.  Or take one of the concepts discussed in the "temporary home" posts from a few weeks ago, like the shipping container or one of the prefab designs, and throw it underground.

I am not going to go into any more detail.  There is, once again, way too much information out there, and other people that can explain it much better than I can.  My job is to simply point you in the right direction from which to start your search.  So I am going to end this post with the sites I've gone to to find most of my information that began my research hunt on underground and earth sheltered homes.  All in all, this is a good option for the ultimate in privacy, and for reducing heating and cooling costs.  Don't overlook this idea simply because of some images in your mind of dark and dank places.  They truly can be light and beautiful.

http://opensourceecology.org/wiki/Underground_Housing

http://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/the-surprising-facts-about-earth-sheltered-living/

http://www.underground-homes.com/earth-sheltered-homes.htm

http://www.offgridquest.com/index.php?/homes-dwellings/building-methods/the-newest-cave-in-these-400-million-yea

http://www.offgridquest.com/homes-dwellings/home-stylings/underground-build

https://richsoil.com/wofati.jsp

http://www.burrowbureau.com/missile-silos-underground-homes.htm

http://www.undergroundhousedesigns.com/hello-world/