Earth-Shelter Living, the high style way

Earth-shelters or Earth-ships, have an image of being part of the Eco-Warrior camp, with 'Swampy' and his mates ramming used tyres with earth to make retaining walls, taking turns on the fire-pit to provide bean feasts for helpful friends putting in the 'man' hours. For them sustainability is the key idea, to create living environments that have less impact on resources, so reducing energy use is important and earth can be used as an insulation and thermal store, especially behind a glazed screen facing the sun for solar gains. They also build using what is available, hence the recycling of tyres.

This example though has come a long way since the original methods especially the process side. It is based in the theory to retain and stabilise heating, through passive solar gains, so that energy costs for heating are reduced. Swampy and mates pushed the sustainable agenda by getting hands on and dirty, advocating these principles instead of nuclear power, which they consider bad for the planet. Actually it turns out 'Swampy' is confused with a chap called Michael Reynolds, who was an architect pioneering 'earth-ships' in the US. Swampy was a character in the UK, an environmentalist famous for protecting forest sites from clearing by he considers corporate capitalists.

It is the sustainable principle that is important. Earth-sheltering has been adopted by more mainstream architects in recent years as the examples of sustainable design increase. These professionals have translated the concepts into more appropriate technology for building with certainty. The cheaper methods have risks, and leaks from rainwater have been an issue with the pioneering days.

There are three forms of earth-shelter basically; 1- Berm format which basically uses earth to give mass and insulation, 2- In-Hill, where usually a south facing hill is built into and 3- Underground. The principle has been known since ancient days with berm forms like Skara Brae, in the Orkney Islands Scotland being a prime example of 5,000 years ago and the Mesa Verde in South West USA an In-Hill form.

Michael Reynolds invented 'earth-ships', the tyre filling form, to create retaining walls, and used logs for structure, to form a roof covering in earth, the prime façade facing South in glazing often a double form spatially, with a greenhouse space fronting the deeper living spaces. This enables some control on the heating part, where controls can be placed on the Living areas for extreme variations across the season. The greenhouse would be very hot in summer and acts as a buffer zone, equally in winter when temperatures outside drop, preventing heat loss from the Living areas. The stability of temperature mainly coming from the sheer mass of earth surrounding moderating variations.

This is the great advantage of utilising the thermal mass part, and allows a designer to more fully use passive solar heating principles for energy efficiency.

So to today, and our example here. Well this modern scheme was a little more in it's reason to be. It happened to be the appropriate approach to resolve a more significant raft of issues. The land is highly restricted in UK Planning Legislation terms; A Cluniac Priory site, Ancient Monument, Grade 1 Listed, Church, Conservation Area, Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, surrounded by Grade 2 and Grade 2* buildings. Furthermore, it was outside the Village Development Boundary. All in all impossible to gain permission, or so everyone thought.

Vaughan Keal the architect, took the attitude that Planning Policies are not absolutes, they are worded for some manouvring to take place and that requires finding the most suitable answers to each individual policy 'restriction'. Think of a series of hurdles to jump over, each one individually, for to fail at one would be race end. It wasn't the time that is important here, so the planning department drags it's feet on the premise this was not going through. However, come appeal to the Planning Inspectorate, although turned down in the applied form, the Inspector determined that it did not essentially break the 'intention' of the policies and gave encouragement to go ahead with a couple of changes. It was the design that caught their attention because it was an earth-shelter built into an existing bank that would not impact upon the various listed buildings, because it could not be seen. The architect had created a design where the roof became the garden level with the existing land on the village side. It formed a Haw-Haw, the device used at grand country piles to keep roaming animals at bay but retain magnificent views from the house onto the landscape. This is what the Design & Conservation Officer called an "ingenious solution".

A 'Bird's Eye' view from the South West, looking down on the 'C' shaped building, surrounding a courtyard with swimming pond. [painting by the architect]

As can be seen the roof is all landscaped with a chamomile lawn to the centre part, veg plots to left and striped grasses to the right. Entry is via a sweeping drive left (North side) allowing the gradient down to an entry court and 'porte cochère' for parking.

The two courtyard areas are separate but have visual connection through glazing, so one has a spatial depth and glimpse of the main courtyard to a pavilion at the other end. Glazing surrounds the whole main courtyard so one never feels it is living underground. Infact it is brighter than the majority of normal housing, designed to form a sun-trap bouncing light around and the pond is a reflection pond that creates lovely ripples of light in breezes, that dance around the rooms inside.

The glazing also has the ability to slide right back so that the inside and outside join together. For as the architect says "This is a 21st Century design where the building is part of the landscape, one with it, and not just sitting on top of it". This sustainable theme runs through in the landscape areas that have been envisaged to grow all the vegetables and fruit for the owners, with specific sections designed to support the functional aspects. Water is harvested and stored to supply greywater and landscaping needs. The Annex Pavilion has specific grasses to encourage bees.

And of course sustainability is at the core with it being an earth-shelter design, surrounded by thermal store massing to stabilise for all that glazing facing South and West.

The main courtyard with all rooms focused via large glazing areas onto the feature swimming pond, surrounded by natural stone surfaces. The linear arrangement of the paving emphasises the long planes and horizontal feel of this site. The neighbouring church is clearly seen in the background. This winter shot was before landscaping has become established, pond plants and fruit trees to the left and high along the lead edge shall be hedgerows in which handrails shall be hidden to protect the upper levels.

One can see the servicing areas distinguished; bathrooms ensuites behind special magnetic blinds fitted inside the glazing units. The angles of sight lines were all carefully considered between the Living area 'wing' left and the long run centre to right which are bedrooms.

Above in the garden spaces, it provides a higher level viewing space looking out over the Wangford marshes and the greater Henham Estate beyond. All in all immersing one in landscape rather than any notion of 'a garden' like those in sub-urban set ups. It has a completely different feel entirely. In time with a maturing landscape this feeling will gain strength has nature will reinforce the idea of external rooms, with shelter, colour, texture, and those fruits of labour.

Inside the calm feel and tone remains with choice natural materials and neutral earthy tones used, Wood, stone floors, glass, and light finishing throughout really do negate any feeling of underground living. This backed up with decent servicing through mechanical ventilation recovery keeping air fresh and a high specification lighting system. Together with a heat pump the environmental side works efficiently away in the background, all the combined technology, and there is quite a lot, hidden from view efficiently in dedicated cupboard spaces. This ensures that the over-all look and feel retains a calm visual impression. The whole having an uplifting experience on the spirit, a calm atmosphere in nature.

The main courtyard looking South toward the Pavilion Annex, across the swimming pond. Some planting added shows how a symbiosis takes place naturally as the building was always envisaged to be at one with nature.

It will take a few years before the landscape takes shape and the whole really jels together. It will be very special then, deserving the phrase from the Planning Inspector "Architecture of the highest order". The Past President of the Royal Institute of British Architects called this project an "Award winner", and the contractors who worked on three buildings with similar characteristics of design, felt this was the best of the three. In time as each settles this one will grow, to show the relationships of the man-made abode in nature and possibly be the favourite suggested. Only time will tell.

Marcus Shine