Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1018167 in Books
• Published on: 1998-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

Amazon.com
The striking common sense of the author's perspective on design and the building process is based on millennia of use of earth-sheltered homes by animals and humans, using the earth to warm in winter and cool in summer. A cartoon on the book jacket summarizes Wells's perspective. One panel is called "20th Century," and has four steps of traditional building: love nature, kill it, build building, plant grass. The second panel, called "21st Century," says: love nature, leave it alone, find ruined land, build underground, restore natural habitat.

Wells's remarkable and imaginative architectural drawings, sketches, and landscaping and structural design plans are surrounded by his handwritten commentary about Earth-friendly building and design, cryptic remarks and humorous asides that make this book a pleasure to browse or read cover to cover. He offers a breathtaking assortment of some of the most creative and unusual home and building designs ever assembled in one book; site-appropriate structures for both urban and rural settings; and delightfully imaginative, dramatic, simple, and highly complex buildings for all purposes. Some are fully underground structures, some partially earth-sheltered, but all make the best use of light sources, designed to benefit from the sun and seasonal changes, and to protect or restore the natural habitat around and above them.

Wells's designs seem almost fanciful, but are indeed based on practical considerations and currently usable techniques and materials, helping open up a whole new concept of building based on one of the oldest known: caves and burrows. These are "caves and burrows" of soaring imagination and creative, 21st century brilliance. --Mark A. Hetts

Customer Reviews

why I don't understand Malcolm Wells
It seems that most of the reviewers have not read Malcolm's books other than this one. Mac never contends these to be guidwlines or tech-point renderings. But he is a master at formulating underground architecture. The reason that many homes didn't get built is that budget for this form of building DOES cost more,and more more efficient and earth friendly, whereas otherwise non-sustainable homes are not. This is a sketchbook, not a building manual, he does in fact sell architectural plans outside of this. These are to illuminate and vibrate the stagnant soul. It appears that some souls are more stagnant than others. Mac's books do read journal-wise and are more storylike. That's merely the way he writes. He is a warm, engaging and socially responsible human being that has found a better way to build. So, people, off the high horses.

Not a how-to, but a great book for ideas
This is a great book, if you take it for what it is - a collection of sketches and ideas working to tackle the problems of underground house design. Unlike Rob Roy or Mike Oheler, who have their set methods for how to build your underground house, and who aren't much interested in other methods, Wells is interested in exporing the full spectrum of possibilities for underground structures. Many of his ideas are for larger (commercial or institutional) buildings, but houses are included as well.

The real strength of this book is in learning, along with Wells, why some of his ideas (sketches) wouldn't or didn't work. If you want a step-by-step how-to on building a home, this is not the book for you. If you're seriously considering building your own underground home (particularly if you are the builder) this book is a very important resource.

The Earth-Sheltered House: An Architect's Sketchbook (Real G
The cover looks good. PLEASE don't waste your money on this book. The information is useless. I'm not a designer but I believe I could draw (and even do a better job) some pictures of what I think an earth shelter would look like and do better than making a Fantasy hobbit home.