I’ve always wanted to live in a fairytale cottage covered in ivy, surrounded by flowers and forest. Isn’t that every little girls dream? With the environmental movement in full swing, and some pioneering experts to lead the way, now I can! You’ve seen Lord of the Rings, right? (If not, you better get on that). The hobbit holes that they inhabit in that movie are breathtaking.
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Not a nasty, dirty, wet hole, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, nor yet a dry, bare, sandy hole with nothing in it to sit down on or to eat: it was a hobbit-hole, and that means comfort. It had a perfectly round door like a porthole, painted green, with a shiny yellow brass knob in the exact middle. The door opened on to a tube-shaped hall like a tunnel: a very comfortable tunnel without smoke, with panelled walls, and floors tiled and carpeted, provided with polished chairs, and lots of lots of pegs for hats and coats — the hobbit was fond of visitors. The tunnel wound on and on, going fairly but not quite straight into the side of the hill — The Hill, as all the people for many miles round called it — and many little round doors opened out of it, first on one side and then on another. No going upstairs for the hobbit: bedrooms, bathrooms, cellars, pantries (lots of these), wardrobes (he had whole rooms devoted to clothes), kitchens, dining rooms, all were on the same floor, and indeed on the same passage. The best rooms were all on the left-hand side (going in), for these were the only ones to have windows, deep-set round windows looking over his garden, and meadows beyond, sloping down to the river.
- J. R. R. Tolkien, “The Hobbit”
Some extraordinary individuals and families have taken it upon themselves to create their own hobbit holes, better known as low impact woodland homes. My personal favorite was built by a Welshman, Simon Dale, and his family (no contractors, and he’s not a professional). Simon proclaims, “This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverance and a mate or two to give a lift now and again”. With only a few months and a few thousand dollars, the Dale’s had found a unique solution to the high-cost of housing while indulging their desire to live closer to nature, by building a small eco-home into a hillside. Some of the “green” features of their home include: a skylight to let in natural light, solar panels to fuel lights and electronics, a refrigerator cooled by air coming from underground through the foundation, water supplied by gravity from a nearby spring, the collection of roof water for use in the garden, and a compost toilet.
When asked about the advantages of an earth sheltered home (like that of the Dale’s), Robert Harrison (another “regular guy” building his own hobbit hole) explicates, “An Earth Sheltered home is extremely low-maintenance. There is no roof to repair, no breakdown of foundation or walls, no rust or rotting. The primary part exposed to the outside world is the cement, which is sheltered from the heat and cold by the ground. The interior wooden panelling and floors would be stained and polished, and if kept dry, should last well beyond our lifetimes. Less power is needed for heating and cooling, since the earth does not change temperature quickly and never freezes. It also makes for a much more attractive outside, since the surrounding lawn and even hill overtop is all usable landscape for our kids to play on someday”. An earth sheltered home has a limited visual impact on the chosen site (it 
blends in with nature, preserving the character of the land, and promotes, rather then disturbs wildlife), preserves greenspace (it allows the roof to remain as part of the greenery, whether as a garden, yard, etc.), and makes for more efficient land use (hilly terrain that may otherwise be destroyed or unsuitable for conventional construction is easily utilized for just such a project). Earth sheltered homes, particularly in urban areas, are not only aesthetically pleasing, but can actually revitalize the natural landscape due to the increase of plant and animal habitat. According to a University of Minnesota study, water and air quality are also improved and the soil is enriched by allowing the natural ecological processes to occur within the boundaries of a built environment. One of the biggest draws for me is the energy efficiency of earth sheltered homes (you can save as much as 90% on your energy costs). More energy efficient means less of a drain on our finite natural resources, and a personal carbon footprint reduction. Need more reasons? Check out 25 Reasons Why You Should Consider Earth Sheltered Living (from Earth Sheltered Technology, Inc.).
Why go green when it comes to housing? Did you know that buildings in the U.S. consume 6 times as much energy, and produce 6 times as much greenhouse gas emissions as ALL cars and trucks combined? And it doesn’t stop there; The negative impacts of conventional building practices are far more substantial then you might think. Buildings consume seventy-six percent of the electricity used in the U.S., making the building sector the largest greenhouse-gas-emitting sector, surpassing both the industrial and transportation sectors (Architecture2030.org/U.S. Energy Information Administration). The operation of buildings is also responsible for a large percentage of water use, and building construction consumes large quantities of wood and raw materials, and generates a huge amount of solid waste. The manufacturing of many building materials contributes to air and water pollution, as well. Underground architecture and sustainable design is one response to this dilemma, and a step in the right direction. Eco-Living.net has an extensive list offering information on various types of alternative structures and building methods (Cob is another one of my favorites). To access their list for more websites and ideas, click here.
Not sure what they mean by “green” or low impact building? “Green essentially means healthy, energy and resource efficient, and environmentally low-impact. “Green building” is a term that is used to describe a process for designing, developing, constructing, and operating buildings and infrastructure using sustainable methods and materials—to provide healthy living environments for people, to reduce the use of energy and natural resources, and to minimize negative impacts on local, regional, and global ecosystems” (globalgreen.org). According to lowimpacthousing.com, “A growing number of architects, designers, developers, builders and homeowners are working to reduce the environmental impact of housing… This movement goes by several names: Ecological housing; Factor four housing; Green housing; Healthy housing; Low emission housing; Passive housing; Zero emission housing, and so on. The common theme is to lower environmental impacts throughout the lifecycle of a house – from site selection through design and materials choices, construction, operation, maintenance and demolition”. Every step in the process is evaluated for green strategies to replace or better the traditional methods.
We can all make a difference, and every little bit helps. In the words of Ghandi, “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. It starts with you.
Tags: green housing, hobbit hole, low impact