Earth-Sheltered Homes: Anatomy and Benefits

The typical four-walled home that we all have come to know and love isn’t the only option available for homeowners anymore. With today’s advancements in construction technology and architectural design, it’s now possible, now more than ever, to both live comfortably, be eco-conscious, and live out your Lord of the Rings fantasies and live like Bilbo Baggins.

Earth-sheltered homes offer an amazing array of benefits for homeowners that are looking for sustainability in their living quarters and can handle weather conditions much more than a typical home can. These homes are similar to green homes, in that they incorporate the earth into their construction, conforming to the surrounding vegetation. It creates a very unique and comfortable living experience for the occupants while also maximizing sustainability efforts.

There are different types of earth-sheltered homes, and each offers its own unique benefits. Earth-covered homes are the most popular right now and are sometimes known as green roofs or living roofs. Earth-bermed homes have the walls and roof covered with earth and have amazing insulation properties. In-hill homes look exactly like a modern-day hobbit hole, with a structured interior to maximize sunlight exposure. Underground earth-sheltered homes are homes built below the ground and offer much more privacy than any other earth-sheltered home.

Earth-sheltered homes are naturally eco-friendly since their construction takes into account the environment around them. This incorporation keeps the house to be noninvasive, allowing the local vegetation to flourish. Likewise, earth-sheltered homes help capture and filter rainwater, much more than common rooftops, slowing down the flow of rainwater into sewer systems and helping to prevent flooding.

There is so much more that goes into earth-sheltered homes! Luckily BigRentz compiled all the information you need to learn about these amazing and eco-friendly homes into an easy to read infographic!