Today:
Many of us Tolkien enthusiasts can reminiscently relate to those quaintly charming Hobbit holes, whenever we think of underground living. But the truth of the matter is there have been many instances, situational or structural, where people have stayed or continue to stay underground for prolonged periods of time. Some permanent residential examples would be the fascinating Berber caves as those in Matmâta, Tunisia, or the remarkable town of Coober Pedy in Australia (which is considered as the opal capital of the world). Even in our familiar urban context, there are some unique and eye-catching design concepts of shopping malls, subways, tunnels and hotels, which are partially underground.
Tomorrow:
As a matter of fact, underground living can offer us a plethora of benefits, especially in relation to energy efficiency. And there have been well thought out conceptions ranging from residences to hotels that make use of such sustainable advantages.
One of such conceptions is what would be the first zero-carbon house in North West England. To be designed by Make Architects for the former football star Gary Neville, this £8m structure will be a country home based almost entirely underground. The 8000 sq ft luxury bunker will feature an affluent living space with sustainable attributes such as solar panels, wind turbine and even a ground-source heat pump.
Coming to shopping malls, KMD Architects have contrived a grand plan of constructing an energy-efficient shopping mall for Mexico City, which will in fact be 18m below a park in Santa Fe City Center. The conspicuous feature of this unique design will be the conical shaped windows for induction of natural daylight.
Now opulent hotels are not too far behind to bask in the novelty of underground designs. Milan-based architect Matteo Thun has conceived the exceptional Bella Vista hotel in Bozen, Italy. According to me, this is the closest thing you will come across which is akin to the wonders of the ‘Smials‘. Comprising of 11 different compartments, the design will make use of locally available materials and also utilize sustainable features, such as green roofs and geothermal energy for heating and cooling.
The Inspiration:
Whenever we come across any literature and fiction (or even realistic conceptions for that matter of fact) concerning the novelty of underground living area, the ideas have always been to be ‘naturally’ close to nature. What better way to holistically approach sustainability than being imbibed with nature herself?
Eco-credentials:
As we have already mentioned earlier, living underground entails a myriad of benefits, when compared to ‘over-ground’ living conditions. The advantages include - nearly constant comfortable temperature without the need for additional insulation (because of natural green roofing), spaces naturally endowed with sound mitigation qualities, significant resistance to hurricanes, tornadoes and most weapon systems and even the reduction of structural density (along with visual obtrusions) on the free flowing landscape. But the most definitive boon of living underground is the high level of energy efficiency. According to estimates, the stable subsurface temperature of the Earth saves around 80 percent in energy costs. And if we manage to channel this ‘green’ asset into our progressive sustainable technologies such as harnessing of solar or wind power, the end result could be close to a total autonomy from requirements of conventional energy sources.
The hurdles:
The structural engineering industry has not kept up its pace along with the flurry of interesting design concepts. Even modest estimates suggest that underground construction can at least cost more than 20 percent than traditional buildings. Other practically problematic elements like gathering of moisture on supporting members can severely hamper the construction process. Moreover, underground living can be easily affected by flooding and sometimes special and costly pumping equipment is necessary for countering such situations.
Is it feasible?
Resoundingly yes, especially in view of ingenious, yet cost-effective design considerations such as the Earth Berm technique or the Rammed Earth structures. Coming to the more commercial aspect of this affair, there is no doubt that architects do have to find a long-term solution for this relatively exotic field of design. But at the end of the day, we cannot deny the originality of such conceptions which aim to make total usage of green, emission free technology. They, at the same time, provide us with shelter from the repugnant effects of congestion, pollution and even global warming.
