The Underground House |
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Cumbria’s First Earth-Sheltered House |
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Backgound Information |
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Why are we doing this? |
We are both firm believers in the need to live in sustainable ways wherever possible. We are currently living in rented accommodation, are committed to the area and need somewhere to live. We want to live and work in ways that have as small an effect on the environment as we can manage. We believe that this is in the interests of us all. Part of the reason for choosing an earth-sheltered design is to minimise the visual impact of the workspace and house. In 1992, in Rio, Brazil, all the countries of the world made commitments to the concept of sustainability. In the UK, this means a commitment to Agenda 21 of the Rio declaration and to a National Sustainability Plan. Earth-sheltered housing is one of the most effective ways of minimising the use of scarce energy resources, but has many other advantages including low visual impact. The veterinary centre will provide a satellite facility to the main surgery which is in a far from ideal location for farm clients, with access and parking both very difficult for farm vehicles bringing livestock for treatment. This is particularly so during lambing, when 80 to 90 farm animals are brought to the surgery each month, mostly for treatment of conditions associated with lambing. At other times of the year approximately 20 farm animals (sheep and calves) are seen at the surgery each month. The new centre will be more convenient for farmers and will provide improved facilities for keeping farm animals in for extended periods, something which is very difficult in the current premises. |
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What is Earth Sheltering?From 'Sod-IT', a BESA publication BESA is the British Earth Sheltered Association; an organisation set up to promote earth sheltering. For more information on BESA, visit their website: We are members of BESA |
Earth sheltering basically means covering a building with a layer of earth which acts as a kind of blanket. There are many advantages to the environment by doing this, but there are two major ones.
If you are building in the countryside, why not build into a hillside, putting most of the brickwork below ground? If you are developing within a city, why not go down as well as up and why don't you create parks on the top of buildings too? The technology to do so exists. In fact, there are thousands of earth sheltered buildings in America and Europe, but very few in Britain. Why not? Because most planners, architects, and developers are not interested. The easiest method of earth sheltering is to build into a hillside, so that three sides and the roof of a building are covered over. The fourth side is mostly glass to gain the maximum of sunlight. Another approach is to build the rooms of the dwelling around a sunken garden or courtyard. This, too, maximises the amount of light coming from above. The first principle to learn is that going underground does not mean living in dark, damp or dingy caves. That idea went out with the cave man. In contrast, earth sheltering means using combinations of light, space, vegetation and water to their full advantage, both inside and out. Most importantly, earth sheltering means working with nature either by covering the building in earth, so that the roof can be turned into a garden, or by sinking the main structure below the skyline, so that the landscape above is unspoilt. As pioneering American earth sheltering architect Malcolm Wells put it: "Is underground architecture the only way to build without destroying the land? Of course not, it's simply one of the most promising (and overlooked) of ways. Sunny, dry and pleasant, it offers huge fuel savings and a silent, green alternative to the asphalt society." Lucy Tennison
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Advantages of Earth-ShelteringFrom 'Sod-IT, as above |
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Sustainability in Building DesignFrom 'Sod-IT, as above |
It will be necessary in the next decade to resolve some important conflicts arising from the growth in demand and the decrease in availability of resources of cheap water and of energy. This is an international problem and was discussed at the Earth Summit at Rio de Janeiro in June 1992, resulting in a number of agreed statements of principles governing the environment and development, which incorporated the concept of sustainability. In the UK, HM Government has committed itself in Agenda 21 of the Rio declaration to producing a National Sustainability Plan during 1993. Prior to this Planning Policy Guidance notes have already been published in February/March 1992, three of which are particularly relevant: PPG1 General Policy and Principles, PPG3 Housing and PPG12 Development Plans and Regional Planning Guidance. Some of the key policy statements included are: -
To achieve its objective, HM Government will look to the professional designers of residential and commercial property to actively incorporate sustainability into their designs. Two aspects are becoming critical: the availability and cost of water and of energy.' Accordingly, information will be developed on these topics to detail specific design approaches which may be adopted to economise on water and energy usage; minimise environmental impacts; and to ensure that today's construction does not adversely affect tomorrow's generation in its need for housing, water and energy. |
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DETR Energy Efficiency Best Practice Programme DocumentsGeneral Information Report 53: Building a sustainable future |
A Definition...
World
Commission on Environment and Development. Sustainable Homes... The domestic sector is responsible for 30% of UK carbon emissions, mainly due to the C02 emitted as a by-product of power generation and burning fossil fuels.
Creating a sustainable community will, to a large extent, depend on the standard of energy efficiency of the homes within the community.
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The Hockerton Housing ProjectHockerton
has been an inspiration |
The Hockerton Housing Project is the UK's first earth sheltered, self-sufficient ecological housing development. Project members live a holistic way of life in harmony with the environment, in which all ecological impacts have been considered and accounted for. The residents of the five houses generate their own clean energy, harvest their own water and recycle waste materials causing no pollution or carbon dioxide emissions. The houses are amongst the most energy efficient, purpose built dwellings in Europe. For further information about the Hockerton story or more generally about Hockerton Housing Project, contact Nick White:
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