Six surprisingly comfortable cave home
People have been living in caves for thousands of years. In certain parts of the world, it was easier for prehistoric people to carve out warm, dry spaces than to use other building methods. Houses were cut into soft sandstone cliffs in China and the Middle East and into volcanic ash and lava flows on Pacific islands. Indigenous peoples of North America built elaborate cities under cliffs.While some of these ancient structures are still standing and a few are still inhabited by contemporary residents, people today are experimenting with the benefits of modern cave living. And what may surprise you is that many of these homes are well-appointed, with modern conveniences, good ventilation, and even spectacular views. Most of them cost less than conventional housing.
As anyone who has ever visited a cave knows, underground spaces are naturally quiet and maintain a constant temperature -- cool in summer and warm in winter. Plus, their primary structure is all-natural material, and it's as locally sourced as possible.
Cave homes certainly aren't available everywhere and may not be for everyone, but they are a good reminder of what's possible when we think "outside of the box."
(Photo: Phil Parsons / Flickr)
For centuries, people lived in homes carved into the soft sandstone of the Kinver Edge escarpment on the border of Staffordshire and Worcestershire in England.
The most famous cluster was under Holy Austin Rock, which at one time served as a hermitage. The last cave dwellers moved out in the 1950s, but the site is preserved by the National Trust, which has restored some of the cave houses to the Victorian period.
Some observers have wondered if the cave homes and their small cottage gardens had inspired J.R.R. Tolkien in his imaginings of hobbits, since he grew up nearby.
Courtesy of Curt Sleeper
Courtesy of Curt Sleeper
Tucked into a 17,000 square-foot hole left by a sandstone mine in Festus, Missouri, is the spacious, beautiful home of William "Curt" Sleeper, his wife Deborah, and their three kids. The Sleepers almost lost their unique three-bedroom house to foreclosure, but they recently received backing from a private investor after media exposure.
Courtesy of Curt Sleeper
The Sleepers constructed the façade of their dwelling out of 300 sliding-glass doors purchased from a local resale shop. "I stripped the aluminum and resold it to the local recycle center," Curt adds. "We pull more than 100 gallons of water per day from the air with our dehumidifiers and then pump that outside to water our gardens and feed chickens."
The Sleepers' home is lit with fluorescent bulbs and boasts gorgeous recycled oak flooring. Inside, it appears loft-like and spacious, maximizing natural light with the large windows. It even features a serene goldfish pool fed by a natural spring. The innermost chamber used to be a roller rink in the 1950s, and is now a playroom for the kids.
The Sleepers decorated their unusual space with antique furniture, giving it a lost-in-time feel, although they also have modern conveniences like a laundry room. They even have a cat, Garfield.
In addition to windows, cave homes can be fitted with light ducts that direct sunlight deeper into the dwelling. Although cave homes tend to do very well through earthquakes and are fire resistant, they can have trouble with moisture (hence the Sleepers' dehumidifiers).
[mapu] / Flickr
Set in the scorching South Australia desert, the small town of Coober Pedy is often called the Opal Capital of the World, since the region is the source of 80% of those glittering precious stones. The name Coober Pedy is often interpreted as a mangling of the Aboriginal words for "white men in holes," since Australians have been mining there since 1916. About half of the population of Coober Pedy still lives in cave houses. There are also underground churches, inns, and a museum.
Many of the subterranean spaces take advantage of existing mines, while others are made fresh with local mining equipment. The "dugout" homes are cheaper to build than conventional units and require little air conditioning, a boon in an area where average daily temperatures approach 100 degrees in the summer.
Coober Pedy and the surrounding Outback landscapes have served as a backdrop in numerous films, from Pitch Black to the Mad Max movies and Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.
thecavehouse.com
Want your own luxury cave? In the eclectic town of Bisbee, Arizona, (near the historic Tombstone) you'll find The Cave House, which is currently on the market for just under $2 million.
The Cave House has no water bills, thanks to a natural spring, or heating or cooling bills. It does have an efficient pellet fireplace, as well as a guesthouse, workshop, shed, carport, hot tub, barbeque area, and a separate office and library.
thecavehouse.com
thecavehouse.com
thecavehouse.com
(me and my future husband..hehe)Steve & Jemma Copley / Flickr
Cave homes have long been popular in parts of the Mediterranean region, from Turkey to Spain, Greece, and Morocco. In Spain's Andalucia region, you can find numerous listings for comfortable cave houses for sale and rent, typically at prices that beat above-ground offerings.
Matthew E. Cohen / Flickr
Now a tourist attraction in Fresno, California, the Forestiere Underground Gardens were designed and hand-built by Sicilian immigrant Baldasare Forestiere, a vineyardist and horticulturalist.
Starting in 1906, Forestiere spent 40 years carving an exotic underground escape from the San Joaquin Valley's powerful heat. Fashioned after the 'visions stored in his mind,' his caverns are a network of gardens illuminated with skylights, as well as comfortable living spaces for himself, including a kitchen, bedroom, and fish pond.
The complex sprawls across 10 acres, and is now listed as a California Historic Landmark. It goes to show that not only can one live well in the earth, but one can even grow fruit trees -- Forestiere had citrus, dates, olives, and much more, as well as a bounty of other vegetation.
~taken from YAHOO NEWS
*how much will it cost to build a home like any of this?millons?billions?arghhhh!!!! hhhaha..
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