 Though many new green architects are springing up all over the country, EnviroCitizen.org has found that some green architects have been around for quite some time. Earth Sheltered Homes, established in 1989, has been designing and building very unique eco-friendly homes for the last two decades. Earth Sheltered Homes are very unique and save you about 85% of your energy costs. Basically, an Earth Sheltered Home is exactly what you might expect - a home that is surrounded by earth. The home is constructed with reinforced concrete. The actual shape of the concrete is quite stunning! The homes are formed with cathedral ceilings and are about twenty times stronger than a flat-roofed structure. The concrete is combined with a fiberglass mix, which gives it its strength. Earth Sheltered Homes are built in one continuous (monolithic) pour, so that the entire structure is solid and free of leaks, cracks or imperfections.
An Earth Sheltered Home costs about the same as an average-priced family home, but you'll save in the long run by not needing to spend money every month on energy bills. They are incredibly clean, with an Air Handling system that circulates and filters the indoor air, preventing mold and mildew from running rampant in your home. Earth Sheltered Homes can be built anywhere, even on a flat portion of land within city limits. These homes run cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, making it a particularly eco-friendly option. Although the construction materials aren't considered to be green, the overall lifespan of the home is incredibly sustainable and eco-friendly. The operating costs of an Earth Sheltered Home are drastically less than maintaining a conventional home.
Earth Sheltered Homes are comfortable and last for generations. Your Water lines will never freeze and your home will be passively heat by solar energy. Earth Sheltered Homes can easily be powered by renewable energy, especially since these homes require so little energy. People who have seen Earth Sheltered Homes are always amazed with the beautiful aesthetics of the homes and by how much natural light illuminates the entire living space. Earth Sheltered Homes are particularly cool because they can be designed any way that you want. Skylights can be installed, back doors can be elaborate or simple and you could even design your home to have tunnels and intricate walkways. With Earth Sheltered Homes, you are limited only by your own imagination. These homes are very eco-friendly because of their very small energy needs. In fact, the amount of greenhouse gases that you will save in your lifetime living in an Earth Sheltered Home is equivalent to driving a car for over one million miles. Earth Sheltered Homes also only take two to four days to build the basic model, which is significantly shorter than the time that it would take to build a conventional home. The benefit of this is that it also uses fewer resources during the building process.
In EnviroCitizen.org's opinion, Earth Sheltered Homes are amazing! If you're considering building your own home, an Earth Sheltered Home is a beautiful, eco-friendly option that you should consider. |
