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Collection by Luke Hopping

How Low Can You Go? 7 Homes that Hug the Earth

In an age of rapidly rising skylines, there's something to be said for homes that choose to connect with the earth. These low-lying and subterranean residences are a lesson in staying grounded.

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The house has two doors, one leading to the library and kitchen, and the other to the bedrooms and bathroom. The two sections are not connected by any interior passage or door.
The house has two doors, one leading to the library and kitchen, and the other to the bedrooms and bathroom. The two sections are not connected by any interior passage or door.
Breaking up the roof planes and concrete floor plates allowed the house to blend into the landscape. The wall that wraps the building ensures it is still a single, coherent form.
Breaking up the roof planes and concrete floor plates allowed the house to blend into the landscape. The wall that wraps the building ensures it is still a single, coherent form.
“There’s a lot of horse talk here, and with this place there is plenty of opportunity for interaction. My horses can play Mister Ed and join right in,” says Kropach. Her inquisitive Andalusian steeds regularly socialize with guests via sliding windows along the house’s main north-facing elevation.
“There’s a lot of horse talk here, and with this place there is plenty of opportunity for interaction. My horses can play Mister Ed and join right in,” says Kropach. Her inquisitive Andalusian steeds regularly socialize with guests via sliding windows along the house’s main north-facing elevation.
On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, author Chris Brown and his dog Katsu head to the river; the path was once a dumping ground on top of a long-defunct underground oil pipeline. The green roof was conceptualized by John Hart Asher of the Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.
On the outskirts of Austin, Texas, author Chris Brown and his dog Katsu head to the river; the path was once a dumping ground on top of a long-defunct underground oil pipeline. The green roof was conceptualized by John Hart Asher of the Ecosystem Design Group at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center in Austin.
Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.
Clad in Western red cedar siding and punctuated with floor-to-ceiling windows, this minimalist two-bedroom home boasts sunrise views over the Sonoma hills.
In Salt Lake City, a place not renowned for progressive architecture, Brent Jespersen built a luminous canyon retreat—using his architect father and a famed Utah modernist as his guides.
In Salt Lake City, a place not renowned for progressive architecture, Brent Jespersen built a luminous canyon retreat—using his architect father and a famed Utah modernist as his guides.