Green Roofs & Earth Sheltered

Earth Sheltered Design

Earth sheltering is a construction and design method that uses earth as part of a building's thermal control system. It can involve building a wall of earth around the outside of a home, or building a home into an existing hillside. In simple words, it's burying portions of a building underground.

Not to be confused with green roofs which are discussed later in this document.

Benefits:

People have been utilizing the earth for its benefits for thousands of years. For example, turf houses are the original green buildings in Iceland, dating back to when Iceland was first settled in the 9th century. They are built using natural materials, such as local wetlands and lava stones, to create thick walls that insulate against wind and cold weather.

• Gain the advantages of sheltering in the earth, which means a stable earth temperature - this reduces the extremes of weather. It will be naturally warmer in the winter and naturally cooler in the summer.
• Natural sound-proofing
• Less of the building exposed to the exterior and UV rays, meaning less maintenance required. This of course comes with the caveat that the earth sheltering aspect is detailed and waterproofed correctly.
• You can take advantage of building into different orientation faces depending on prevailing winds, local temperature, etc.
• Vegetated roof both reduces heat gain and heat loss.
• Better protection from natural threats like hail and tornadoes.