13 Subterranean Homes That Are Out of This World
Though it’s certainly not typical, a subterranean home can be an interesting, comfortable, and otherworldly environment—after all, rabbits, badgers, and even foxes do it. Indeed, there’s something about these hidden habitats that evokes a sense of snugness, safety, and warmth, so it’s no surprise that humans are finding ways to live beneath ground. Here are 13 homes immersed in the earth that will fire the imaginations of all aspiring subterrestrials.
A Home That Tunnels Through the Swiss Alps
Looking like a burrow on the side of a mountain, Villa Vals—a Swiss vacation rental available through Boutique Homes—was designed by Architects Bjarne Mastenbroek of SeARCH and Christian Müller of CMA. The entrance to the property is through a nearby wooden barn, which has a concealed underground tunnel that runs through the mountain into the villa’s subterranean core.
Buried in the middle of a forest clearing in Seoul, South Korea, Sugokri Earth House by BCHO Architects has two underground courtyards that are constructed out of concrete, as well as rammed-earth walls made from the excavated soil.
Also by Korean firm BCHO is Jedong Ranch, a house in Jeju Island, South Korea, that has a long staircase that leads down to an underground meditation space.
Architect Bruno Despierre of Brussels-based firm B-ILD transformed a 140-square-foot, former Dutch military bunker in the Netherlands into a snug underground vacation home with multipurpose furniture made from meranti-finished plywood.
Embedded into the top of a hill, Villa Ypsilon in the Greek seaside village of Messenia has a Y-shaped, earth-covered roof promenade that looks as if it's an extension of the terrain.
Nestled into an agricultural terrace in northeastern Spain, Casa Cova Blanca is an underground vacation home that draws in tons of light though its large, arched windows. The property is available for rent through Cool Stays.
OUTrail House by Polish architectural practice KWK PROMES has a basement level that was "carved out" of the grass-covered site. The roof has been turned into a green atrium that blends in with its verdant surroundings.
Laertis Antonios Ando Vassiliou of LAAV Architects is working closely with ARUP to build Casa Brutale, a daring, fantastical underground house in Beirut, Lebanon, that’s wedged into the edge of a cliff and features a pool on the cliff’s plateau.
At the eastern edge of Texas Hill Country, a private retreat known as the Hill Country Wine Cave is embedded into the face of a rocky hillside. Austin- and San Antonio–based firm Clayton Korte carefully designed the 1,405-square-foot subterranean cellar and lounge, utilizing lush vegetation and large boulders collected on-site to further conceal the main entry.
Slotted into the backyard of an 1840s brick villa, the House in a Garden is a strikingly sculptural home with a funnel-shaped roof clad in gleaming copper panels. The unusual shape optimizes access to garden views and natural light—both of which were previously limited on the small, north-facing lot.
On a hilly site near Mexico City, architect Javier Senosiain created a remarkable home that seamlessly integrates itself with the natural landscape: "The green dune wraps itself around the inside spaces almost completely, rendering it almost invisible so that, from the outside, all one sees are grass, bushes, trees, and flowers."
This unusual 1,256-square-foot residence in Okayama Prefecture, Japan, looks like a simple wooden box from the outside. However, the interior features a surprising layout with a sunken living area set within a dug-out "pit" in the ground.
Mar Plus Ask designed two dreamy homes that take cues from the surrounding storied olive trees on the Spanish island of Mallorca. The set of micro homes serve as a year-round retreat for architects, artists, and writers.
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