7 Hidden Earth Homes Around the World
Though Frank Lloyd Wright never built earth homes in hills, his autobiography suggests he might’ve approved of them. “No house should ever be on a hill or on anything,” the architect wrote. “It should be of the hill. Belonging to it. Hill and house should live together each the happier for the other.” Earth-sheltered homes—which typically feature either underground construction or homes built into slopes with soil against the walls and on top of the roof—are among the oldest forms of buildings, dating back thousands of years. Because the surrounding land acts as a thermal mass that insulates the property, the US Department of Energy recognizes them as energy-efficient form of construction. Further, the houses are often less susceptible to extreme temperatures outdoors. So perhaps the best way to live with the earth might actually be to live within it. But can residing surrounded in dirt actually be comfortable? Below AD visits seven exciting examples of earth homes that prove underground living can be as stylish as it is environmentally friendly.
Photo: Caleb Hoolihan/Getty Images1/7Hobbiton (Matamata, New Zealand)
Looking for the rolling hills and green pastures J.R.R. Tolkien describes in The Hobbit, location scouts for Peter Jackson’s movie adaptation found Alexander Farm in Matamata, New Zealand. Crews built temporary Hobbit Holes, but after much public interest, the set was saved from demolition and is now open for public tours.
Photo: architecture UK/Alamy Stock Photo2/7Malator (Pembrokeshire, Wales)
Designed by firm Future Systems, Malator was built for Bob Marshall-Andrews, a former member of Parliament. The home is largely underground because of legislations that prohibited visible construction, landscape destruction, or wildlife disruption in the national park where it's located. With only one metal chimney protruding from a hill's surface, the home received a nickname from locals: the Teletubby house.
Photo: Courtesy of Villa Vals3/7Villa Vals (Vals, Switzerland)
When planning what would become Villa Vals, architects Bjarne Mastenbroek and Christian Müller of SeARCH and CMA, respectively, wanted to design something that would fully integrate into the landscape. Access to the home is only possible through an underground tunnel that connects to a nearby barn (which is aboveground). Located in Vals, Peter Zumthor’s iconic Therme Vals is just nearby.
Photo: picture alliance/Getty Images4/7Peter Vetsch Homes (Switzerland)
Peter Vetsch is among the most devout earth architecture practitioners. He’s built over 100 homes in the style throughout Switzerland and abroad, spearheaded by the belief in “environmentally conscious, ecological, and progressive architecture.” Many of his designs are crafted using sprayed concrete—similar to bubble houses—and feature organic, curved facades reminiscent of Antoni Gaudí.
Photo: Josh Hansbrough5/7Dune House (Atlantic Beach, Florida)
Modernist architect William Morgan is responsible for this underground home, commonly known as Dune House. Located within a sand dune near Atlantic Beach, the property is actually composed of two identical 650-square-foot units. Inside, sunken conversation pits, a curving staircase, and built-in sofas make for a true mod gem.
Photo: Martin Bond/Alamy Stock Photo6/7Underhill (Holme, West Yorkshire)
The name of this home, Underhill, truly says it all. Designed by Arthur Quarmby, it was the first earth-sheltered house built in Britain in modern times and has since been listed on the National Heritage List for England since 2017.
Photo: Mo Thomson courtesy of Blue Reef7/7Blue Reef Cottages (Outer Hebrides, UK)
Though not fully underground, Blue Reef Cottages in Outer Hebrides feature turf roofs and sinuous curves to blend easily into the hills on which they’re built. Designed by Stuart Bagshaw, the residences were inspired by underground, neolithic homes.