Shelter
Earthship is a registered trademark by Michael Reynolds, that refers to a type of passive solar house made of natural and recycled materials (such as earth-filled tires), designed and marketed by Earthship Biotecture of Taos, New Mexico. Earthships are primarily designed to work as autonomous buildings using thermal mass construction and natural cross ventilation assisted by thermal draught (Stack effect) to regulate indoor temperature. Earthships are generally off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels. Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun. For example, windows on sun-facing walls admit lighting and heating, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. The thick, dense outer walls provide thermal mass that naturally regulates the interior temperature during both cold and hot outside temperatures.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship
- Image by Erik Wannee (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Earthship_Zwolle.jpg)
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthship
- Image by Erik Wannee (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons (http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Earthship_Zwolle.jpg)
Earth sheltering is the architectural practice of using earth against building walls for external thermal mass, to reduce heat loss, and to easily maintain a steady indoor air temperature. Earth sheltering is popular in modern times among advocates of passive solar and sustainable architecture, but has been around for nearly as long as humans have been constructing their own shelter.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_sheltering
The earth sheltered house uses the ground as insulating blanket which effectively protects it from temperature extremes, wind, rain and extreme weather events. An earth sheltered home is energy-efficient, quiet, freeze-proof and low maintenance. Aesthetically an earth sheltered home blends in with the natural environment, leaving more yard space and more space for wildlife.
- Text and Image from: http://www.inspirationgreen.com/earth-sheltered-homes.html
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth_sheltering
The earth sheltered house uses the ground as insulating blanket which effectively protects it from temperature extremes, wind, rain and extreme weather events. An earth sheltered home is energy-efficient, quiet, freeze-proof and low maintenance. Aesthetically an earth sheltered home blends in with the natural environment, leaving more yard space and more space for wildlife.
- Text and Image from: http://www.inspirationgreen.com/earth-sheltered-homes.html
Hobbit Houses...
Ever since JRR Tolkien placed his diminutive characters in houses built into the ground, underground dwellings have been nicknamed Hobbit Houses. Whether or not these homes resemble Bilbo's famous house in the Shire, earth sheltering was around long before we first heard about Frodo and the Ring, and its environmental benefits are especially appealing today.
- Text from: http://www.bobvila.com/hobbit-houses/27590-12-hobbit-houses-to-make-you-consider-moving-underground/slideshows
- Image from: http://simondale.net/
Ever since JRR Tolkien placed his diminutive characters in houses built into the ground, underground dwellings have been nicknamed Hobbit Houses. Whether or not these homes resemble Bilbo's famous house in the Shire, earth sheltering was around long before we first heard about Frodo and the Ring, and its environmental benefits are especially appealing today.
- Text from: http://www.bobvila.com/hobbit-houses/27590-12-hobbit-houses-to-make-you-consider-moving-underground/slideshows
- Image from: http://simondale.net/
The Icelandic turf houses were the product of a difficult climate, offering superior insulation compared to buildings solely made of wood or stone, and the relative difficulty in obtaining other construction materials in sufficient quantities. Iceland was fully forested when it was settled (save the mountains and highlands), with forests of birch trees. Oak was the preferred timber for building Norse halls in Scandinavia, but native birch had to serve as the primary framing material on the remote island. However, Iceland did have a large amount of turf that was suitable for construction. Some structures in Norway had turf roofs, so the notion of using this as a building material wasn't alien to many settlers.
- Text and Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_turf_houses
- Text and Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Icelandic_turf_houses
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. In parts of rural Australia, subterranean houses are built in a manner similar to prairie dog 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.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_home
Underground dwellings are an alternative to traditionally built above-ground dwellings for some home seekers, especially those who are looking to minimize their negative impact on the environment. Some of the advantages of underground houses include resistance to severe weather, quiet living space, an unobtrusive presence in the surrounding landscape, and a nearly constant interior temperature due to the natural insulating properties of the surrounding earth. The greatest draw for most is the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of underground dwellings. When combined with renewable energy sources, energy cost can be greatly reduced. Initial building costs are often low, as underground building is largely subtractive rather than additive, and because the natural materials displaced by the construction can be recycled as building materials. However, underground living does have certain disadvantages; such as the potential for flooding, which in some cases may require special pumping systems to be installed.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_living
- Image from: http://www.homedit.com/10-spectacular-underground-homes-around-the-world/
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_home
Underground dwellings are an alternative to traditionally built above-ground dwellings for some home seekers, especially those who are looking to minimize their negative impact on the environment. Some of the advantages of underground houses include resistance to severe weather, quiet living space, an unobtrusive presence in the surrounding landscape, and a nearly constant interior temperature due to the natural insulating properties of the surrounding earth. The greatest draw for most is the energy efficiency and environmental friendliness of underground dwellings. When combined with renewable energy sources, energy cost can be greatly reduced. Initial building costs are often low, as underground building is largely subtractive rather than additive, and because the natural materials displaced by the construction can be recycled as building materials. However, underground living does have certain disadvantages; such as the potential for flooding, which in some cases may require special pumping systems to be installed.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_living
- Image from: http://www.homedit.com/10-spectacular-underground-homes-around-the-world/
A yurt is a portable, bent dwelling structure traditionally used by nomads in the steppes of Central Asia. The structure comprises a crown or compression wheel, usually steam bent, supported by roof ribs which are bent down at the end where they meet the lattice wall (again, steam bent). The top of the wall is prevented from spreading by means of a tension band which opposes the force of the roof ribs. The structure is usually covered by layers of fabric and sheep's wool felt for insulation and weatherproofing.
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt
- Image from: http://www.yurts.com/what/view/
- Text from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurt
- Image from: http://www.yurts.com/what/view/