I happened on this article. The house is beautifully integrated into, and under, a wildflower meadow. The House Under the Ground https://www.wallpaper.com/entertaining/veuve-clicquot-la-grande-dame-2015-creative-makers If I had the energy (I don't), the money (I don't), and the time (I don't), I think this house would be perfect for me. As it is, I can look and admire. My main concerns would be, how much light comes into to house? It seems like it might be dark. A few "sun tunnels" might help, bringing light from the meadow roof into the interior. It also seems safer in a world now plagued with wildfires, and possibly cooler in a hotter world. Ready for hobbit life (or gnomes). That link might not be working? Here's a different article. https://www.dezeen.com/2023/09/27/willemsenu-the-house-under-the-ground-eindhoven/#
Great article. Surely it would be cooler…but yes, light. It makes me think of those places in Spain, Turkey and Tunesia. Thanks for the link.
So Daniel, I have taken more time to look into this house more. I had not seen it before on the news or in the newspapers. I mean, how can someone just go and build an unique structure and not inform me. The second link worked better for me. Well after reading the english text, I found other accounts written in Dutch. The explanation was kept simple so blokes like me can understand the descriptions. It really is an interesting concept, isn’t it. My Bride liked the looks of it but thought it would be too isolated, remarking that when we lived in Alaska we lived quite far out and while very enjoyable at the time, she finds it nice to be around people. I get it. Thanks again for posting this article, it was so interesting to read about.
Thanks @Sjoerd, I dont know what happened with the first link - it worked at first, then it didn't. I really liked that house. My only thought about becoming a bit more environmental, is I would have liked stone instead of concrete. I don't think stone would work, but it was my thought. Somewhere, I read that cutting and transporting stone has less environmental footprint than cement, but who knows? In my area, it would be nice for wildfire protection. Im not certain about earthquake. It reminded me a little bit of Newgrange, which was built in about 3200 BCE, or possibly the Klekkende Hø tomb, among others. https://www2.stetson.edu/neolithic-studies/passage-tombs/klekkende-hoj-passage-tomb-mons-denmark/ https://www.newgrange.com/ Should it have a special window and hallway to catch the solstice sun?
That New Grange site looks very interesting to me. I may make it over to Ireland one day. The Danish one, I have visited a number of years ago. We have some structures like that in my country, some without sod and some with. There is another site that I visited in Greece— Mycenae. The so- called tomb of Agamemnon. That is a very interesting old city with a world-famous history. You probably have read Homer’s account . It is where Agamemnon left from to go and retrieve Helen who had been taken to Troy. He returned and was killed by his wife, Cletemnestra in a bathing pool up above this pic in the main city. It was an impressive visit for me, a basic history buff.
Sjoerd, I am always interested in neolithic history and a lot more recent too. Those seem to be all over Western Europe. The Orkney Island sites also look intriguing. It would b so interesting to visit them. There are lots of Maya, Toltec, Inca and other new world stone-built sites and mounds that I would also love to see. If we could live multiple lives, I would visit them all. That Clytemnestra was not someone I would want to get upset with me. Agamemnon too. I'm glad they don't live next door LOL.
