That’s right, May 14th is Underground America Day!
I know you probably know nothing about it. It’s not a national holiday or anything, but it’s a cool day set aside to celebrate the 6,000-ish North Americans who have decided to build their homes underground instead of on top of it. Underground America Day began in 1974, when architect Malcolm Wells came up with the idea. Malcolm Wells was an amazingly innovative architect that lived from 1926-2009 and his passion was designing buildings and homes to be more ecologically friendly.
“I woke up one day to the fact that the Earth’s surface was made for living plants, not industrial plants.” -Malcolm Wells
I know it sounds crazy, but these homes are the best chance we have at reducing our carbon foot prints. They allow us to not take up so much land for starters, but living underground also saves on fuel like you wouldn’t believe. Living “earth sheltered,” as berm houses are often explained, means using the earth’s natural ability to maintain temperature and provide safety from the elements. Bears do it. Wolves do it. Rabbits do it. We used to do it…
Now it’s time, in my opinion, for us to move forward with our architecture by reflecting back, just as we often do with parenting styles and healthy living choices. We are renting our home right now, but my husband and I are collecting plans and getting new information all the time about different builders that construct these homes.
I know you’re probably thinking that they are going to be dark and damp… but that’s just not the case any more. While the Jetsons and other futuristic shows and movies depict our future in the skies, I see it beneath the earth’s green grass helping us make as little impact as possible, but allowing us to live in beautiful spacious homes while doing it.
If I’ve gathered your interest at all, take a look at these sites and see for yourself the potential: