Earth Sheltered Homes: Plans and Designs

Earth Sheltered Homes is a digital PDF reference on earth-sheltered housing, residential design, and underground homes. It includes plans, photographs, drawings, and construction information for a range of documented houses.

This digital format is available as an instant download after purchase. The book offers an armchair tour of earth-sheltered homes from the United States and Europe.

Created by Donna Ahrens, Tom Ellison, and Ray Sterling, the volume combines an overview of earth-sheltered housing with detailed examples and reference material.

Book Overview

Earth Sheltered Homes: Plans and Designs examines the design and construction of homes that incorporate earth into the building plan. Its overview discusses site integration, thermal performance, energy use, natural light, thermal mass, passive solar gain, active solar systems, and the relationship between a home and its surrounding landscape.

The book is organized into three parts. It begins with an overview of earth-sheltered housing, continues with Minnesota Housing Finance Agency demonstration houses, and concludes with sixteen houses from the United States and Europe. The examples include plans, photographs, drawings, and written construction information.

This Design reference is suitable for readers researching earth-sheltered architecture, underground homes, residential plans, and historical approaches to energy-conscious housing.

What You’ll Discover Inside

• An overview of earth-sheltered housing and the reasons for its development.
• Discussion of how earth, soil temperature, thermal mass, and building structure affect energy performance.
• Coverage of site planning, landscape integration, natural light, noise reduction, and protection from wind.
• Examination of passive and active solar features in earth-sheltered homes.
• Eight Minnesota Housing Finance Agency demonstration houses, including houses in Camden State Park, Willmar, Waseca, Burnsville, Seward, Wild River State Park, and Whitewater State Park.
• Sixteen additional houses from the United States and Europe, including Suncave, Remington, Clark, Hadley, Feuille, Sticks & Stones, Earthtech 5 and 6, SunEarth, Boothe, Wells House/Office, Architerra, Terra-Dome, Demuyt, Wheeler, Moreland, and Topic.
• An appendix and index for continued reference.

Why This Book Matters

Earth Sheltered Homes documents a period when earth-sheltered construction was becoming more familiar to the public, architects, and builders. It records a range of built residences and demonstration projects through plans, visual material, and construction information.

The book also connects architectural design with site preservation, energy performance, passive solar principles, and the use of thermal mass. As an archival design reference, it provides evidence of how earth-sheltered housing was presented and studied in the early 1980s.

Book Details

Device Compatibility

This is a digital download, and no physical copy will be shipped. Access is available after purchase.

The PDF works with appropriate Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and compatible reading apps. Device features may vary by application and operating system.

FAQ

When can I access the book?
Access is available after purchase through an instant digital download.

Will I receive a physical copy?
No. This product is a digital PDF download, with no physical shipping.

What devices can open the file?
The PDF can be read with appropriate Kindle apps, tablets, desktop computers, mobile devices, and compatible reading apps.

Download Earth Sheltered Homes: Plans and Designs for a focused archival reference on earth-sheltered housing plans, design approaches, and documented residential examples.

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