Earth Sheltered Homes

About Earth sheltered homes

Earth sheltered homes, it is one of the architectural style which uses the natural terrain for forming the walls of the house and is usually is set partially in ground and is covered with the small growth. The modern Earth sheltered homes which are built today, use concrete walls with insulation. The aim of the Earth sheltered homes is to live with the ground, not on the ground or under the ground.

Normally, the modern houses and the apartments in the villages and the cities are built by separating the ground with the house, so it is built in the air which is separated from the ground. It results in the loss of the humidity and the heat. This also results in the in loss of the lifespan of the external shell of the building. The concept of the Earth sheltered homes uses the ground as the walls of the house and it works like insulating blanket by protecting the house from low temperatures, wind, rain and natural abrasion.

Advantages of the Earth sheltered homes –

CO2 , energy savings and insulation – Earth sheltered homes are eco-friendly as they have natural insulation from the weather. The unique design of the architecture protects the home from excess heat in summer and the excess cold in the winter.
Earthquake and the windstorm protection – Earth sheltered homes protect the home and the people from windstorm and the earthquake. Due to the structural engineering and the lack of the corners in the Earth sheltered homes eliminates the surfaces which are the vulnerable from the storm damages. Further, the organic shapes of the arches, the Earth sheltered homes benefit due to the improved stability.
Landscape protection and the use – Unlike the modern houses and the apartments, the Earth sheltered homes are eco-friendly as they preserve the landscape while utilizing the land. As the roof is covered by the soil and green area, the space contribute the nitrogen and oxygen balance. In the hilly area, the maximum space is utilized by the earth sheltered home while preserving the green landscape.

Use of the Earth sheltered homes –

The prevalence of the Earth sheltered homes has been recommended in such areas, which are historically said to be unstable and are prone to the natural disasters like earthquake, summer storms and the forest fires. The design of the Earth sheltered homes protects the house these disasters.

The earth sheltered houses are different from the modern houses and the apartments in concept. The houses and the apartments are built by separating ground from air whereas the earth sheltered houses use the natural terrain as the walls of the house and use them to insulate and protect the house from rain, low temperatures, snow and other natural phenomenon. As the design of earth sheltered house protects the house and its people from several disasters like earthquake, forest fires and windstorm, the earth sheltered homes are recommended and built in the most of the areas which are prone to these disasters.