The most unusual dugouts for housing

Typical dugout used by our ancestors. Now these are sometimes built by hunters, fishermen, foresters, but they also increasingly prefer comfortable modern tents, so such dugouts are much less common..

Semi-underground houses have many advantages. First, you can save money on their construction. For the construction of dugouts, plots are used that are not suitable for an ordinary house, for example, with hills and slopes. Such sections are cheaper than flat ones. In addition, a modern dugout will only need to finish the entrance, sometimes – the main facade, and not all four external walls, thanks to which the construction goes faster.

Another plus of the dugout is its high energy efficiency. The thickness of the earth does not conduct heat well, it remains inside the rooms. The temperature in the dugout is always stable; heating it is simple and less costly. And in summer it will be cool in a semi-underground house.

The advantages of dugouts include ease of maintenance. The waterproofing of the house is provided during the construction phase, and in the future, the roof, covered with soil and grass, does not need special care.

Fans of eco-style today are building entire small towns, often in picturesque places near water bodies. With such a joint construction, of course, it is easier to provide the supply of communications, this process is cheaper for the owners..

When choosing a site for the construction of a modern dugout, be sure to take into account the level of groundwater, as well as the type of soil. Clay, for example, is not suitable, it is better that the soil conducts moisture well. Loam and sandy loam are suitable. Dampness is the main enemy of the inhabitants of dugouts, so you need to choose a place where there is less moisture.

Sometimes dugouts are built as a summer house, a summer residence, not for permanent use. Such small semi-underground houses serve as a decoration of the landscape, but at the same time they are quite suitable for living.

An important advantage of dugouts is often a real bunker. In the event of such natural disasters as a hurricane, the inhabitants of the dugout are in big gains. Earthen houses are also usually not afraid of fires. In the event of hostilities, a semi-underground house can serve as a bomb shelter, while it is perfectly disguised against the background of the landscape.

Modern dugouts are built from concrete and stone. You should take care of additional ventilation, otherwise the main drawback of the dugout will appear – the threat of dampness and a musty smell.

It is highly desirable that the only facade of the dugout faces the south. Otherwise, it will not be possible to provide a sufficient level of natural light. The largest possible windows will also serve this purpose..

It is simply impossible to call this structure a “dugout”. This is a real villa with a pool that occupies the entire top of the hill. However, the roof is earthen, the house seems to be lowered, built into the top of the hill, therefore it meets all the requirements of an eco-house.

There are three types of semi-underground houses: directly dugouts, built into the slope and bunded. In this case, the house is bunded, that is, three walls are additionally laid with stones and covered with soil. Any terrain is suitable for the construction of such buildings, it is not necessary to look for a steep slope or a depression between the hills..

Traditionally, dugouts have one floor, which can have a fairly high ceiling. If the building is on a hilltop, it is quite possible to make two exits on opposite sides. This will provide both through ventilation and more natural light..

And finally – Hobbiton. A whole village of hobbits, built in New Zealand, where the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed. Now it is a very popular tourist destination, and the mink houses themselves look attractive not only from the outside..