Concerned about Rising Energy Costs? Global Warming? Forest Conservation? Air Pollutants and Allergens? Green space? The overuse of Fossil Fuels? Safety from natural disasters such as Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Earthquakes or Power Outages? Formworks’ beautiful custom homes address all of these issues. An immense amount of research and construction has already been conducted in order to create this modern green roof architecture that is popping up all over the northern hemisphere. Formworks’ designs are the most tested, tried and successfully proven system for earth sheltered, green roof technology. A Formworks home is unmatched in energy efficiency, comfort and security. As traditional homeowners are facing escalating ownership and operational costs, Formworks home owners are enjoying stability and peace of mind. This is my ideal for a retreat. I have spoken with melbo many times and have requested the information from Formworks Building, Inc. | Green Roof and Earth Sheltered Homes in the past. The home would not have to be built exactly like this, but I have always felt wood heating combined with earth sheltering to be the most logical longterm survival type home for any type of location. It is fireproof, hurricane proof, tornado proof, termite proof, etc.
I've always wanted a berm home and living in CT with hilly property, I have the perfect place. Surprisingly, there aren't too many around here. My idea is more like the formworks link just not so grand. Just a simple hole in the hill. Thanks for the links.
they have other homes that are not quite as grand. one has to always keep in mind that a website is the showpiece of the company. you can get as elaborate as you would like or you could simply have a door, a few windows facing to the south and you now live in an a perfect spot. The single level formworks home can be around 500 - 1200 or so sq. ft. If I remember correctly. Using metal studs, you could have a woodless home other than your kitchen finishes. Adding a fireplace or outdoor wood furnace, you could have radiant heating added if you wanted to. Its going to talk a lot of work for me to get my wife to move to something like this. I am considering flying out to durango with her to meet the architect from formworks and tour some of his creations.
Google image search on "hobbit hole", some great pics of some really cool underground setups http://images.google.com/images?q=hobbit hole&hl=en&btnG=Search Images
Additional Earth Sheltered Home Links I have been collecting these over the past few years. Just for informational resources ideas: http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/pdfs/earth.pdf#search='earth%20sheltered%20home%20project' http://www.earthshelters.com/ www.terra-dome.com http://www.ourcoolhouse.com/ -- (FYI-this is a very cool and ultra informative site created by a couple who built a website around the beginning to end project. Great informational read) http://www.motherearthnews.com/libr..._Square_Foot__or_less___Earth_Sheltered_House http://www.daviscaves.com/index.shtml http://www.undergroundhomes.com/ http://rcsmoot.home.texas.net/ http://earthshelter.com/
Looks like the beginning of a bibliography for the SM website. One prospective GF has already said it ain't for her, this berm/underground idea. But, says me, it need not be underground. I think concrete might resist the mobs a bit better than brick or wood.
edit to add "--one of many prospective GFs" I haven't made up my alleged mind if the trials and tribulations are worth the effort. The first (and so far last) ex wasn't. :twisted:
Finding the right property to accommodate this type of construction would have to be in the initial plan.... along with flowing water, workable land, defensive layout and so on would be pertinent to a berm style home. I have seen some great examples of this type of house and am very interested in finding the suitable property for this type of build.
Do not mean to sound arrogant but just the home is not enough. The surrounding land area, neighbors, access routes, proximity to water routes, and populations all should be considered. We would all like to be in the center of 100 acres with a perfect FOF and hidden egress routes but that is not practical in today's world. We can make the best of what we have and will have by making ascetically pleasing but "strong" changes.
We are planning to build a Monolithic Dome on our retreat land. See Monolithic Dome homes, schools, churches, storages, gyms and more | Monolithic
Had a drafting/architecture teacher in high school, who bought land overlooking Great Salt Lake, in Utah. My senior project was to work with her to design the house she eventually planned on building there, two stories of living quarters, with a 1st floor garage/shop space, buried into the hillside. Couple things I learned from that project: 1. Make sure to keep a southern exposure, especially if you're going to have any large windows. Keeps the house cooler in the summer (sun high overhead will push less heat into your dwelling) and warmer in the winter (sun further south in the sky will add heat via the windows). 2. Burying the house, even half way, should cut your energy bills tremendously. Ever been down in a cave? Been to Mammoth Caves, in Kentucky? Even in the middle of summer, you're going to want to wear a jacket down there! Irregardless of the heat load or cold on the surface, underground stays at a fairly constant temperature, year round. If you can combine burying the bulk of your house (hey, fewer windows to clean, right?), keep with a southern exposure, and combine that with a decent solar & geo-thermal system, you have pretty much licked the problems inherent with the stick structures we build these days. Word of warning, though.....don't forget drainage around the buried portion! Especially if you have a slope above & behind your house, you're going to have water wanting to enter & fill the gap between the solid ground and your house, where you back filled (disturbed ground makes for easier drainage). You can easily combat this by laying a French drain system around your foundation, draining downhill.
Nearby is an earth sheltered home with lots of south facing windows. He had to rebuild the face because the heat was unbearable. Now it looks "spanish" with a portico over shadowing his windowed front. Has a wonderful place to sit in cool/cold weather and the addition makes it look very nice.
I became interested in berm and underground housing after reading a book i believe was called the underground house book. I really like the idea of having a garden on top of it. In the southwestern part of the country south facing windows are a blessing and a curse. My retreat property has a few good locations where something underground would work well. It has many good points but one big downside, having a backdoor is an issue. Not a deal breaker, i have spent a good part of my life digging ( i am not a licensed plumber but work for a plumbing company for years) . If i am going to do an underground house/shelter it will have to have at least three ways out.
Being in south louisiana, although above the flood plane, building an underground structure here is wasteful spending, i would consider the more above the ground bunker I am a ready mix concrete producer and have alot of experience with using concrete for uncommon things. Therefore, i am researching building a complete concrete home with a root celler. 6" concrete roof, 8" concrete walls, all of which will be using foam blocks and deck support designed to be used to support the concrete in its plastic state and also remaining in place after construction to act as additional insulation. the design will stop a 7.62 ap round and reduce energy use by up to 80%, throw a flat roof on it and use it as additional green space that the varmints cant get to and you have a ready made space for a garden that is secure, add a water catchment system for rain water and have gravity fed water in a power outage or when water pressure is lost. fortified windows and doors and you have a safe with a garden on top.
