An underground home is a house or dwelling that lies under the standard ground level on a flat piece of land, or is built into a hillside or mountain side.

History

There is only written documentation of Scythian and German subterranean dwellings. Remnants have been found in Switzerland, Meklenburg and southern Bavaria:
"They had a round shape with a kettle-like widening at the bottom, from eleven to fifteen metres in diameter, and from two to four metres in depth".

Construction methods

In parts of rural Australia, subterranean houses are built in a manner similar to prairie dog

Prairie dog

Prairie dogs are burrowing rodents native to the grasslands of North America. There are five different species of prairie dogs: black-tailed, white-tailed, Gunnison's, Utah and Mexican prairie dogs. They are a type of ground squirrel, found in the United States, Canada and Mexico...

holes. There is a "chimney" placed higher than ground-level and a lower, ground-level, entrance. This orientation causes a continuous breeze throughout the house, reducing or eliminating the need for air conditioning.

External links

• Extra Information
• Underground Architecture
• Stockton Underground : An Owner-Builder Approach
• Underground Homes