Earth Sheltered House Plans

Earth sheltering
Background
Living in shelters underground has been a large part of human history. The connection to residential dwellings on Earth began with the use of caves, and in time the evolution of technology has led to the construction of dwellings suitable land. Today, the shelter earth is an uncommon practice, especially in the United States during the energy crisis and the oil crisis of 1973, with the movement of return to land, there was renewed interest in earth shelters and building homes in an effort to shore living. However, progress has been slow, and shelter land is often regarded by architects, engineers, and the public as an unconventional method of construction. Earth sheltering techniques are not yet well known, and the good of society remains unaware of the processes or services of this type.
Construction types
Earth berms: the Earth is piled against the outside walls and packed down the house. The roof may or may not be entirely covered with earth, and the windows / openings may occur on one or more sides of the shelter. Because of the construction is above ground, the less moisture problems associated with earth berms in comparison with the underground construction / fully recessed.
En-Hill Construction: The house is built on a slope or hill. The most practical application using a hill facing the equator (south in the northern hemisphere and north in the southern hemisphere). There is only one wall exposed to this type of land cover, the wall facing the hill, all the other walls are anchored into the ground / hill.
Metro / Fully enclosed construction: The soil is dug and the house is located in the basement. It may also be known as an atrium style because of the common atrium / courtyard built in the middle of the shelter to provide sufficient light and ventilation.
Benefits
The advantages of earth sheltering are numerous. They include taking advantage of the earth as a thermal mass, providing additional protection against the elements, energy savings, providing substantial privacy, efficient use of urban land, shelter have low maintenance, housing and land often takes advantage of passive solar building design.
mass of the Earth absorbs and retains heat. Over time, this heat is released into the surrounding areas as a refuge from the Earth. Because of the high density of the earth, the change in temperature of the Earth occurs slowly. This is known as lag Hermal. Because of this principle, grounding provides a fairly constant temperature for underground shelters, where even the outside temperature undergoes large fluctuations. In most U.S., the average temperature of the earth once beneath the frost line is between 55 and 57 degrees Fahrenheit (13-14 degrees Celsius). bottom line freeze vary from region to region. In the lines freeze U.S. can go about 20 inches to over 40 inches. Thus, at the base of a levee deep, the house is heated against an exterior temperature gradient may be ten to fifteen degrees, instead of against a grade higher temperature where the air is outside wall instead of the earth. During the summer, the temperature gradient helps to cool the house.
Reducing air infiltration into a shelter of land can be very profitable. Because the three walls of the structure are mainly surrounded by land, the surface is very little exposure to outside air. This alleviates the problem of warm air escapes from the house through gaps around windows and doors. In addition, the earthen walls to protect against the cold winds of winter that would otherwise penetrate these gaps. However, it can also become a potential problem of indoor air quality. airflow in good health is the key.
Following the increase of the thermal mass of the structure, thermal.