EARTH SHELTERED HOUSES
by Jill Fehrenbacher
It’s time the average home buyer discovered what eccentric hippies and hobbit wannabees have long known: earth-sheltered houses are the way to go. These homes can be completely underground, or simply protected by earth on one side. Due to the earth “berms” protection against the natural elements, Earth sheltered homes are much better insulated and much more energy efficient than regular homes. These hobbit homes are much less expensive to heat and cool, and can save homeowners a significant amount of money. They are also much more resistant to weather and natural disasters.
It?s unfortunate that the current literature on earth-sheltered housing tends towards an oldschool-hippy-aesthetic, which I can’t imagine is very engaging with the kids. However, I encourage designers and home buyers to look past the Tolkieness of Earth-sheltered houses and examine some of the excellent building ideas that can be found in books like Malcom Well’s “The Earth Sheltered House ” and Earthsheltertech.com.
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Is it posible to back fill around an existing home for the purpose of using less energy to heat and cool the home.
If so, would it be cost effective?