Thursday, April 16, 2009

Sustainable Living - Caveland

Although the idea of living in a cave may not automatically appeal to some or even most people, it definitely embraces the idea of sustainable living. This home built by the Sleeper family in Missouri utilized an existing, and very well known cave that once hosted performances by many well known musicians.

Although not off the grid (energy is supplied by local electrical service) the geothermal and passive solar properties of the cave essentially eliminate the need for any cooling or heating of the living spaces. Utilizing the cave as the shell of the building eliminates a large amount of cost and energy typically expended in manufacturing and transporting of materials and on-site construction. The cave provides the foundation, the exterior walls and the roof, leaving only the interior framing and finish-out. It also eliminates the life of maintenance typically required on the exterior of the home.

As long as you're not claustrophobic, home sweet home!

1 comment:

Lauren S said...

That is amazing! Very impressive...Unfortunately there aren't enough caves for all of us, but surely everyone could at least do a little more.