Underground House | Vaughan Keal

This scheme is specifically designed to avoid sight lines across a highly restricted landscape of Grade 1 listed Ancient Monument, Clunic Priory, surrounded by graded 2* and 2  listed building, in Conservation Area, AONB and Heritage coast, outside of development boundaries in open countryside......

The spiral drive compacts the approach by vehicle for the gradient descent and reflects the spirals of the universe with Fibonachi sequence. A lower entry court NE makes one side to balance a more expansive SW court, to create a feeling of not living underground with abundent natural light flooding the interiors throughout the day, and carefully analysed landscaping to draw the eye up out to landscapes and views of the church nearby.

Hunkered into the ground gives thermal mass stability, so large glazing areas can be employed for passive solar gains and removing services normally needed to heat convential builds. An innovation here is the use of pre-waterproofed concrete, industrial box culverts for speed and economy. Once the area dug, the principle construction is formed in 2 days from prefabrication. All the green surfaces give this a bioidiverse aspect with fruit and veg areas interspersed across the banks formed to feed the occupants. Water collection for grey and fresh water harvesting is employed, with pool a central feature.

This scheme was much praised by a formal RIBA design review panel.

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http://merls1.wixsite.com/keal/single-post/2016/12/13/Living-Underground-not-feeling-it