The first edition of this classic volume was hailed as an "outstanding book in every respect" by Solar Age, "the definitive book on the subject" by Workbench, and "essential reading for anyone who plans to build underground" by Living Alternatives. Focusing on one of the most innovative housing trends to emerge in the past decade, the completely revised second edition of this respected guide to earth sheltered housing covers nearly all facets of the subject. It discusses history, site and building design, energy use and costs, waterproofing, insulation materials, and public policy issues. You will find the latest technical information and current trends in design direction along with results of extensive computer simulations of energy performance and energy use monitoring of houses. Ten case studies new to this edition illustrate and analyze some of the best and most innovative examples of earth sheltered design around the country. Other key areas covered range from energy conservation potential to insurance and home financing. The design guidelines, technical information,and practical examples offered here will be especially valuable to builders, designers, and researchers. This useful reference source provides a comprehensive introduction to earth sheltering. The Underground Space Center at the University of Minnesota was established in 1977 as a research and information center concerned with various aspects of underground development and construction. The center's goals are: to serve as a focal point for the planning and coordination of underground space use, to carry out research in area? affecting the use of underground space, to provide an information and referral service on all aspects of underground utilization, and to serve as a base for international cooperation on research and information transferral.

Earth Sheltered Housing Design

Arts & Photography

Underground Space Center

Architecture

Van Nostrand Reinhold Company

<p>Interest in the use of earth sheltered housing has expanded greatly in the past six years and particularly in the last two years. Prior to 1973, the few isolated earth sheltered houses in the United States had been built for primarily aesthetic reasons. Since then, due to the greater awareness of energy conservation and the environment, the number of earth sheltered houses has increased very rapidly. Despite the sizable increase in interest and awareness of the earth sheltered housing option, however, housing starts for this type of structure are still only a tiny fraction of all housing starts. In examining the future of earth sheltered housing, two key questions are raised: Does earth sheltered construction offer sufficient net advantages in relation to other types of housing to sustain a widespread continued increase in its use? Are there legal, regulatory or financing restraints which will make this a difficult option to pursue and hence only sought by the determined home owner/builder? This study discusses these issues in order to determine whether earth sheltered housing use is likely to continue to expand substantially, and whether such expansion is being hindered by unnecessary restraints. If there are such restraints it must be determined whether governmental actions can and should ease these restraints and, in addition, provide a positive boost for this type of construction.</p>

Earth Sheltered Housing: Code, Zoning, and Financing Issues

University Of Minnesota

Dept. of Housing and Urban Development

University Press of the Pacific

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