$50 underground house eco building

http://www.permies.com

Mike Oehler guides us on a video tour of the house he wrote about in "The $50 and up underground house book". At the time the video is taken, this underground house is 35 years old. The property has about six underground houses. This underground house was his home for most of the 35 years.

A good example of an off grid tiny house build a long time ago.

Mike's book is the ultimate "how to" tutorial on cheap underground housing. He said that if he could do it all over again, he would call it "earth integrated". This book is the core to many other alternative building books.

PAHS

post shore polyethylene

• Category

  Science & Technology

[click411]

would it be cool inside when its hot outside I mean how do you build so sun is coming in the window in winter and still the sun coming in the window doesn't bake you in summer

[paulwheaton12]

It is very cool in the summer.

[paulwheaton12]

Have you read the book? Hundreds of thousands have used the earth for insulation and failed. This guy has a completely different approach and has built an amazing piece of engineering that has stood the test of time. Yes, it's rough. Newer ones followed this design with great success. THIS is the FIRST!

[demerc]

Well enjoy a 1/3 to a 1/2 life of debt/wage slavery while others are seeking alternatives that don't leave them at the end of life asking themselves what the hell it was all for, because they gave up some aesthetic and creature comforts that allowed them enough free time to cultivate meaningful relationships and ponder the mysteries of the universe.

[darrenoftheNorth]

It's all about insulation. Just like asking: how can heat come in when you have winter clothes on in the winter? How can a bear be warm when they are hibernating underground?

A lot of architects integrate grass on top of their buildings to keep the sun/heat away in the summer and it keeps any heat generated from inside, internal in the winter. You don't live in exreme cold do you?

[dictionaryzzz]

your mistake was telling your neighbor....

[Wyrm Spleen]

that is very interesting, thanks

[SouzaOhh]

Even if we build a small shack i believe that they will not waste too many time because of a "shack" in our land so just do it. When we have the opportunity we will build it bigger inside and underground. BEWARE NEIGHBORS WILL DENOUNCE US! THEY ARE JEALOUS. Do it hidden.

[SouzaOhh]

Go inform yourself about that then you could do a kitchen, bathroom and a small living room there then, 2 secret bedrooms underground. Ofcourse that your neighbors no matter they are cool they will denounce you because they are jealous of our free way, try to do it without anyone knowing be building first some big walls so no one can see you. Sorry my english and good luck! there is a great site to make your floorplans, the best i've found. floorplanner . com

[SouzaOhh]

No. There is always a way to do it :) don't give up there are alot of people like you, i am planning doing one for free so i have been studying about everything and i will probably build a small agricultural attachment, in every country you have a free licence contruction that is a small house to put the tools, normally not more than 10m2.

[Jesse-Rose Spiritsong]

i was told they will come and tear it all down.

[TadToomuch1]

I built a U-House in Vermont based on Mike's book. The only major change I made was to switch to EPDM (rubber membrane) to waterproof the outside, as plastic gets torn way too easily. Nice and snug in the winter and refreshingly cool in the summer without AC. Something to think about in these days of global warming.