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59-431: A building is a constructed object intended for occupancy by humans or animals. Building may also refer to: Building Buildings serve several societal needs – occupancy , primarily as shelter from weather, security, living space, privacy, to store belongings, and to comfortably live and work. A building as a shelter represents a physical separation of the human habitat (a place of comfort and safety) from

118-721: A big part of the regular maintenance required. Systems for transport of people within buildings: Systems for transport of people between interconnected buildings: Buildings may be damaged during construction or during maintenance. They may be damaged by accidents involving storms, explosions, subsidence caused by mining, water withdrawal or poor foundations and landslides. Buildings may suffer fire damage and flooding. They may become dilapidated through lack of proper maintenance, or alteration work improperly carried out. Earth sheltering An earth shelter , also called an earth house , earth-bermed house , earth-sheltered house , earth-covered house , or underground house ,

177-403: A certain general amount of internal infrastructure to function, which includes such elements like heating / cooling, power and telecommunications, water and wastewater etc. Especially in commercial buildings (such as offices or factories), these can be extremely intricate systems taking up large amounts of space (sometimes located in separate areas or double floors / false ceilings) and constitute

236-515: A connecting design to form a living space and then backfilled with earth. An experimental construction design from the 1980s of Japan, coined ' Alice City ', proposed to use a wide and deep cylindrical shaft sunk into the earth, with a domed skylight roof. Artificial caves can be constructed by making a tunnel into the earth. Building greenhouses underground has also been speculated about. Schools, commercial centres, government buildings and other buildings could be built underground. Earth sheltering

295-409: A group of inter-related (and possibly inter-connected) builds are referred to as a complex – for example a housing complex , educational complex, hospital complex, etc. The practice of designing, constructing, and operating buildings is most usually a collective effort of different groups of professionals and trades . Depending on the size, complexity, and purpose of a particular building project,

354-569: A large amount of land. According to the National Resources Inventory , approximately 107 million acres (430,000 km ) of land in the United States are developed. The International Energy Agency released a publication that estimated that existing buildings are responsible for more than 40% of the world's total primary energy consumption and for 24% of global carbon dioxide emissions. Any building requires

413-402: A regular house in the case of random attacks, as well as being better concealed from potential hostiles (without a map and unfamiliar with the area). He believed that underground, inhabitants would be better protected from "atmospheric radiation" ( fallout ). Because his design was not waterproofed, one would be "closer to a source of water", and could potentially simply dig a well in the middle of

472-566: A roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place'; "there was a three-storey building on the corner"; "it was an imposing edifice". In the broadest interpretation a fence or wall is a building. However, the word structure is used more broadly than building , to include natural and human-made formations and ones that do not have walls; structure is more often used for a fence. Sturgis' Dictionary included that "[building] differs from architecture in excluding all idea of artistic treatment; and it differs from construction in

531-500: A shelter since 2,000 BC. In certain areas of northern China, like the provinces of Shaanxi and Shanxi, since the loess earth is structurally uniform and compacted, providing easy access to good quality building material with stable structure, earth-sheltered homes have been in use for centuries. The 1973 Oil Crisis saw the price of oil dramatically increase, which influenced vast social, economic and political changes worldwide. Combined with growing interest in alternative lifestyles and

590-424: A slope in hilly terrain. Compared to other building materials, such as wood, earth houses feature efficient fire protection owing both to the use of concrete and the insulation provided by the roof. Taking the example of Earthships, there is a reported case where the structure survived fire better compared to other types of buildings. While residents of earth sheltered homes report noticing more minor earthquakes,

649-561: A stable and sustainable ecological cycle that benefits the environment. Compared to conventional buildings, earth houses can fit into their surroundings. The soil-covered roofs hide the building within the landscape. Some claim that the construction method is advantageous to the nitrogen-fixation of the soil on the roof, because it would otherwise be covered by the foundation of a traditional house. Contrary to conventional roofs, earth-house roofs allow plants to grow semi-naturally on them. Such houses can also be built as terraced structures on

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708-413: A sunken courtyard, which is a rectangular underground pit about 10 meters deep, then arrange rooms dug off the main courtyard. The second type is dwelling space carved out of earth cliffs which are often south-facing, and the facades are sometimes faced with bricks or stone. They usually come with larger courtyards since it doesn't bother to excavate. Three main types of earth shelter are described. There

767-427: A thermal battery effect lasting several months. It is claimed that an earth shelter designed according to these principles would store the sun's heat in the summer and release it slowly over the winter months without need for other forms of heating. This method was first described by inventor and physicist John Hait in his 1983 book. The main component of it is an insulated and waterproof "umbrella" which extends out from

826-431: A thermally massive building in cooler climates is that after a prolonged period of cold, when the external temperature increases again, the structures internal temperature tends to lag behind and take longer to warm up (assuming no other form of heating). The reduction of air infiltration within an earth shelter can be advantageous. Because three walls of the structure are mainly surrounded by earth, very little surface area

885-461: A window below the ground was better than that from other windows, and that the flooring he used in his an underground home (plastic sheeting over bare dirt) was "superior" to what is elsewhere available. He claimed he would provide a built-in greenhouse in the design. He claimed his homes could be used as fallout shelters in case of nuclear wars and also claimed that, in the case of complete societal collapse, his design would be more defensible than

944-629: Is a matter of debate, but generally three stories or less is considered low-rise. There is clear evidence of homebuilding from around 18,000 BC. Buildings became common during the Neolithic period . Single-family residential buildings are most often called houses or homes . Multi-family residential buildings containing more than one dwelling unit are called duplexes or apartment buildings . Condominiums are apartments that occupants own rather than rent . Houses may be built in pairs ( semi-detached ) or in terraces, where all but two of

1003-518: Is a structure (usually a house ) with earth ( soil ) against the walls and/or on the roof, or that is entirely buried underground. Earth acts as thermal mass , making it easier to maintain a steady indoor air temperature and therefore reduces energy costs for heating or cooling. Earth sheltering became relatively popular after the mid-1970s, especially among environmentalists . However, the practice has been around for nearly as long as humans have been constructing their own shelters. Earth sheltering

1062-405: Is also great variation in the approach to earth sheltering in terms of materials used and expenditure. The "low tech" approach might involve natural building techniques, wooden posts and shed style roofs, recycling of materials, owner labor, hand excavation, etc. The relatively more high tech approach would be larger, using concrete and steel. While typically more energy efficient post construction,

1121-512: Is commonly less energy efficient, in terms of heating needs. Therefore, atrium designs are found mainly in warmer climates. However, the atrium does tend to trap air within it which is then heated by the sun and helps reduce heat loss. Atrium designs are well suited to flat sites, and are fairly common. Depending on what definition of earth sheltering is used, other types are sometimes included. In culvert homes ("Cut and Cover"), precast concrete containers and large diameter pipes are arranged into

1180-439: Is critical for solar heat gain. It is helpful to accompany the window with insulated drapes to protect against heat loss at night. Also, during the summer months, providing an overhang, or some sort of shading device, is used to block out an excess solar gain. Passive annual heat storage is a building concept theorized to create a year-round constant temperature in an earth shelter by means of direct gain passive solar heating and

1239-419: Is exposed to the outside air. This alleviates the problem of warm air escaping the house through gaps around windows and door. Furthermore, the earth walls protect against cold winter winds which might otherwise penetrate these gaps. However, this can also become a potential indoor air quality problem. Healthy air circulation is key. As a result of the increased thermal mass of the structure, the thermal lag of

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1298-614: Is less dense and contains the root systems of many different plants, thereby acting more like thermal insulation , meaning, it reduces the rate of temperature flowing through it. Approximately 50% of the heat from the Sun is absorbed at the surface. Consequently, the temperature at the surface may vary considerably according to the day / night cycle, according to weather and particularly according to season. Underground, these temperature changes are blunted and delayed, termed thermal lag . The thermal properties of earth therefore mean that in winter

1357-480: Is often combined with solar heating systems. Most commonly, the utilization of passive solar design techniques is used in earth shelters. In most of the Northern Hemisphere, a south-facing structure with the north, east, and west sides covered with earth is the most effective application for passive solar systems. A large double glazed window, triple glazed, spanning most of the length of the south wall

1416-481: Is one in which at least one business is based and people do not live. Examples include stores , restaurant , and hotels . Industrial buildings are those in which heavy industry is done, such as manufacturing . These edifices include warehouses and factories . Agricultural buildings are the outbuildings , such as barns located on farms . Some buildings incorporate several or multiple different uses, most commonly commercial and residential. Sometimes

1475-487: Is one of the oldest forms of building. It is thought that from about 15,000 BC migratory hunters in Europe were using turf and earth to insulate simple round huts that were also sunk into the ground. The use of some form of earth sheltered construction is found across many cultures in history, distributed widely across the world. Normally these examples of cultures using earth sheltered buildings occur without any knowledge of

1534-834: Is recorded in the Guinness World Records as the "first underground house" in the UK. The majority of publications about earth sheltering date to this period, with dozens of books dedicated to the topic being published in the years leading up to 1983. The first International Conference on Earth-Sheltered Buildings was hosted in Sydney, Australia in 1983. A second conference was planned for 1986 in Minneapolis, USA. Other notable proponents of earth sheltering active in this era include Mike Oehler , Rob Roy, John Hait, Malcolm Wells , Peter Vetsch , Ken Kern and others. Since

1593-539: Is sometimes applied to earth shelters. Passive cooling which pulls air with a fan or convection from a nearly constant temperature air into buried Earth cooling tubes and then into the house living space. This also provides fresh air to occupants and the air exchange required by ASHRAE . In 1981, Oehler promoted his low-budget building design (a simple hole in the ground with walls of wooden planks backed by plastic sheeting) by claiming it needed no foundation, used less building material and labour, had less maintenance,

1652-550: Is termed amplitude dampening (or temperature amplitude factor). Phase shifting is the time taken for the minimum external temperature to reach the interior. Partially covering a building with earth adds to the thermal mass of the structure. Combined with insulation, this results in both amplitude dampening and phase shifting. In other terms, earth sheltered structures receive both a degree of cooling in summer and heating in winter. This reduces need for other measures of heating and cooling, saving energy. A potential disadvantage of

1711-1297: Is usually a response to high ground prices resulting from the desire of many people to live close to their places of employment or similar attractors. Terms for residential buildings reflect such characteristics as function (e.g., holiday cottage (vacation home) or timeshare if occupied seasonally); size ( cottage or great house ); value ( shack or mansion ); manner of construction ( log home or mobile home ); architectural style ( castle or Victorian ); and proximity to geographical features ( earth shelter , stilt house , houseboat , or floating home). For residents in need of special care, or those society considers dangerous enough to deprive of liberty , there are institutions ( nursing homes , orphanages , psychiatric hospitals , and prisons ) and group housing ( barracks and dormitories ). Historically, many people lived in communal buildings called longhouses , smaller dwellings called pit-houses , and houses combined with barns, sometimes called housebarns . Common building materials include brick, concrete, stone, and combinations thereof. Buildings are defined to be substantial, permanent structures. Such forms as yurts and motorhomes are therefore considered dwellings but not buildings . A commercial building

1770-660: Is where the earth shelter is set into a slope or hillside, and earth covers the roof in addition to the walls. The most practical application is using a hill facing towards the equator (south in the Northern Hemisphere and north in the Southern Hemisphere ), towards the aphelion (north) in the Tropics , or east just outside the Tropics. There is only one exposed wall in this type of earth sheltering,

1829-655: The back-to-the-land movement , the public of the US and elsewhere were becoming more interested in saving energy and protecting the environment. As early as the 1960s in the US, some innovators were designing contemporary earth shelters. After the oil crisis and until the early 1980s there was a new resurgence in interest earth shelter/underground home construction, which has been termed the first wave of earth-covered dwellings. Architect Arthur Quarmby finished an earth sheltered building in Holme, England in 1975. Named " Underhill ," It

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1888-419: The outside (a place that may be harsh and harmful at times). Ever since the first cave paintings , buildings have been objects or canvasses of much artistic expression . In recent years, interest in sustainable planning and building practices has become an intentional part of the design process of many new buildings and other structures, usually green buildings. A building is 'a structure that has

1947-706: The "Earth Houses" of Swiss architect Peter Vetsch . There are about 50 such earth shelters in Switzerland, including a residential estate of nine earth shelters (Lättenstrasse in Dietikon ). Possibly the most well known examples of modern earth sheltering in the English-speaking world are Earthships , the brand of passive solar earth shelters sold by Earthship Biotecture. Earthships are concentrated in New Mexico, USA, but are found less commonly throughout

2006-1001: The United Nations estimate contributed to 33% of overall worldwide emissions. Including the manufacturing of building materials, the global CO 2 emissions were 39%. If new technologies in construction are not adopted during this time of rapid growth, emissions could double by 2050, according to the United Nations Environment Program . Glass buildings, especially all-glass skyscrapers, contribute significantly to climate change due to their energy inefficiency. While these structures are visually appealing and allow abundant natural light, they also trap heat, necessitating increased use of air conditioning systems, which contribute to higher carbon emissions. Experts advocate for design modifications and potential restrictions on all-glass edifices to mitigate their detrimental environmental impact. Buildings account for

2065-486: The color harmony of soil and earth. Meanwhile, the material properties of soil and earth give earth homes the simplicity of geomatic masses. Also, earth homes blend in perfectly with the landscape and highlight the beauty of the surroundings, which is a significant basis of the arcology concept. For example, yaodong and pit cave dwellings in Northern China hide themselves underground and blend in perfectly within

2124-524: The construction method elsewhere. These structures have many different forms and are referred to by many different names. General terms include pit-house and dugout . One of the oldest examples of berming , dating back some 5,000 years, can be found at Skara Brae in the Orkney Islands off northern Scotland . Another historical example of in-hill earth shelters would be Mesa Verde , in southwest USA. These building are constructed directly onto

2183-442: The earth shelter for several meters in all directions. Hence the term "umbrella house". The earth under this umbrella is kept warm and dry relative to surrounding earth, which is subject to constant daily and seasonal temperature changes. This creates a large heat storage area of earth, effectively a huge thermal mass. Heat is gained via passive solar in the earth shelter and transferred to the surrounding earth by conduction. Thus, when

2242-466: The earth, the protection against unwanted air infiltration and the combined use of passive solar techniques, the need for extra heating and cooling is minimal. Therefore, there is a drastic reduction in energy consumption required for the home compared to homes of typical construction. The unique architecture of earth houses protects them against severe windstorms. They cannot be torn away or tipped over by strong winds. Structural engineering and, above all,

2301-426: The high tech approach has higher embodied energy and significantly more costs. In the earth bermed (also termed "bunded") type, earth is banked against the exterior walls, sloping down away from the building. The berm can be partial or total. The polar facing wall may be bermed, leaving the equator-facing wall un-bermed (in temperate regions). Usually this type of earth shelter is built on, or only slightly below

2360-422: The homes are resilient against large earthquakes, as their subterranean nature allows them to move with the earth. Picture a small twig house sitting on top of a tub of dirt: Shake the dirt, and the house will dance and stress. But if you bury the house in the dirt, you can shake the tub without stressing the house as much. Roof covering is done using the excavated material, in which plants can be planted. Due to

2419-585: The houses have others on either side. Apartments may be built round courtyards or as rectangular blocks surrounded by plots of ground. Houses built as single dwellings may later be divided into apartments or bedsitters , or converted to other uses (e.g., offices or shops). Hotels , especially of the extended-stay variety ( apartels ), can be classed as residential. Building types may range from huts to multimillion-dollar high-rise apartment blocks able to house thousands of people. Increasing settlement density in buildings (and smaller distances between buildings)

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2478-407: The idea of excluding scientific or highly skilful treatment." Structural height in technical usage is the height to the highest architectural detail on the building from street level. Spires and masts may or may not be included in this height, depending on how they are classified. Spires and masts used as antennas are not generally included. The distinction between a low-rise and high-rise building

2537-425: The lack of corners and exposed parts (roof), eliminate vulnerable surfaces which would otherwise suffer from storm damage. Compared with the material needs of standard buildings, earth-sheltered homes can greatly reduce the number of natural resources. Traditional wood structure home requires lumber for framing and interior finishes, which is quite a big demand. Soil as the main building material and blending in with

2596-437: The landscape, earth-sheltered houses drastically reduce the demand for lumber. Earth homes organically embrace animals and poultry as well as water, soil, and plants. Arcology studies the relationship between animals and plants and man-made buildings during ecological development. For example, raising poultry and domesticated animals is an important part of the traditional Chinese rural human settlements and these elements create

2655-461: The late 1980s, earth-sheltered homes have become increasingly popular. The technique is more common in Russia, China and Japan. It is possible that Northern China has more earth shelters than any other region. As of 1987, approximately 10 million people live in underground homes in the region. Some claim that thousands of people live underground in Europe and America. Notable European examples are

2714-523: The ledges and caves on the face of the cliffs. The front wall is built up with local stone and earth to enclose the structure. In North America, almost every native American group used earth sheltered structures to some extent. These structures have been called ' earth lodges ' (see also: Barabara ). When Europeans colonized North America, sod houses ("soddies") were common on the Great Plains . In China, man-made cave dwellings have been used as

2773-451: The mass of the earth between the living area of an earth house and the surface grade, an earth home offers significant protection from impact/blast damage, or fallout associated with a nuclear bomb. Earth shelters may provide privacy from neighbors, as well as soundproofing. The ground provides acoustic protection against outside noise. This can be a major benefit in urban areas or near highways. Earth sheltered dwelling express itself with

2832-406: The middle of the shelter to provide adequate light and ventilation. The atrium is not always fully enclosed by raised ground, sometimes a U-shaped atrium is used, which is open on one side. With an atrium earth shelter, the living spaces tend to be located around the atrium. The atrium arrangement provides a much less compact plan than that of the one or two-story bermed/in hill design; therefore it

2891-427: The original grade . Due to the building being above the original ground level, fewer moisture problems are associated with earth berming in comparison to underground/fully-recessed construction, and it costs less to construct. According to one report, earth berming provided 90-95% of the energy advantage as a completely below grade structure. The in-hill (also termed "earth covered", or "elevational") construction

2950-558: The project team may include: Regardless of their size or intended use, all buildings in the US must comply with zoning ordinances , building codes and other regulations such as fire codes , life safety codes and related standards. Vehicles—such as trailers , caravans , ships and passenger aircraft —are treated as "buildings" for life safety purposes. Buildings represent a large part of energy, electricity, water and materials consumption. As of 2020, they account for 37% of global energy use and energy-related CO 2 emissions, which

3009-468: The reducing availability of building space, and the increasing need and interest for environmentally friendly housing will make earth shelters more common. There are an estimated 30-40 million Chinese living in such earth homes today still, mostly along the Yellow River in Northern China. There are mainly two kinds of earth homes in the area. The first type is pit cave dwellings. Usually, people dig

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3068-549: The requirement for the structure to withstand greater weight relative to above grade houses means that earth sheltering remains relatively rare. In this respect, the Passive House (PassivHaus) energy performance standard applied to above grade airtight, superinsulated low carbon or zero carbon buildings has had much wider uptake in modern times. Over 20,000 buildings certified to PassivHaus standards have been constructed across Northern Europe. Some postulate that over time

3127-657: The room. He furthermore claimed anyone could build one of his designs irrespective of skill or ability for only $ 50. Due to its density, compacted earth acts as thermal mass , meaning that it stores heat and releases it again slowly. Compacted soil is more of a conductor of heat than an insulator. Soil is stated as having an R-value of about 0.65-R per centimeter (0.08-R per 1 inch), or 0.25-R per 1 inch. Variations in R-value of soil may be attributed to different soil moisture levels, with lower R values as moisture level increases. The most superficial layer of earth typically

3186-675: The temperature below the surface will be higher than the surface air temperature, and conversely in summer the earth temperature will be lower than the surface air temperature. Indeed, at a deep enough point underground, the temperature remains constant year round, and this temperature is approximately the mean of summer and winter temperatures. Sources vary in their stated values for this deep earth constant temperature (also termed amplitude correction factor). Reported values include 5–6 m (16–20 ft), 6 m (20 ft), 15 m (49 ft), 4.25 m (13.9 ft) for dry soil, and 6.7 m (22 ft) for wet soil. Below this level

3245-511: The temperature in the earth shelter dips below the temperature in the surrounding earth, heat will return to the earth shelter. After a time, a stable temperature is reached which is an average of annual heat changes in the external environment. Some criticize the technique (along with the earth sheltering technique as a whole), stating concerns including difficulty and expense of construction, moisture and lack of evidence. Another design aimed at passive seasonal energy storage, annualized geo solar

3304-468: The temperature increases on average 2.6 °C (5 °F) every 100 m (330 ft) due to heat rising from the interior of the Earth. Diurnal temperature changes between maximum and minimum temperatures can be modelled as a wave, as can seasonal temperature changes (see diagram). In architecture, the relationship between the maximum fluctuations of external temperature compared to internal temperature

3363-411: The wall facing out of the hill, all other walls are embedded within the earth/hill. This is the most popular and energy efficient form of earth shelter in cold and temperate climates. The true underground (also termed "chambered" or "subterranean") earth shelter describes a house where the ground is excavated, and the house is set in below grade. They can feature an atrium or courtyard constructed in

3422-427: The world. In other areas such as the UK earth sheltering is more uncommon. Overall earth shelter construction is often viewed by architects, engineers, and the public as an unconventional method of building. Techniques of earth sheltering have not become common knowledge, and much of society is unaware of this type of building construction. Generally speaking, the cost of excavation, increased need for damp-proofing and

3481-401: Was aesthetically pleasing, had a lower taxation rate in the US at the time, cost less to regulate temperature, was less affected by stormy weather, had pipes which wouldn't freeze where they entered the house, were "ecologically sound", relatively fireproof, soundproof and had an increased garden space as compared to regular house on a similarly sized plot of land. He also claimed the view from

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