Where do I start if I want to build a hobbit house?
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Where do I start if I want to build a hobbit hole?
Jasmine Myers
Nov. 30, 2021Last updated: Nov. 30, 2021
I live in the Pioneer Valley of Western MA, and I'm looking to build my first home in as eco-friendly a way as possible. When I was a tour guide at a historical site, we used to show people huts that had been built into the side of a hill for insulation, and it made so much sense to me that I'm now really interested in building into a hill or into the ground as a form of geothermal cooling and heating.
这是一个完全的白日梦还是一个稍微好一点的想法，如果是后者，有什么建议我应该从哪里开始这样做吗?我很擅长搬运重物和使用摇臂锯，但这也只是我的专业水平。我还没有土地所有权(正在努力;这里有几种可能性)，我的收入相当有限。
An earth dwelling or ‘hobbit house’ can have a lot of appeal, but there are many drawbacks that you should know about before building one. Dirt *can* work as an insulator for homes, but it is important to understand how, so you understand its limitations.A Hobbit House would follow the basic principles of an Earthship, so I would recommend you read this page first –
Why Earthships don’t work in cold climates
The main reason Earthships are a flawed design is that the Earthship corporation seemingly does not have a good grasp on the basic laws of thermodynamics. Earth can act as an insulator from frigid winter air temperatures, but only up to the point where the air temperature in your hobbit house reaches the temperature of the surrounding earth.
We cannot tell you the exact winter ground temperature in your region but I would be suprised if it was as high as 50°F, which is much lower than what would be considered a livable indoor temperature in modern times. If you plan to keep the home above the temperature of the earth (as in above 50°F), then the ground will not be an insulator, it will be a heat sink endlessly robbing you or warmth. It is a huge step up from winter camping, but an equally huge step down from an efficient home in modern times. It made sense in the historical times you mention, because they didn't have manufactured insulation, which insulates about 10 times better than dirt.
如果这听起来像是我在试图劝阻你这样做……我不能说谎。这是真的。我明白它的吸引力，但它根本无法与我们所谓的“绿色家居建筑”的任何现代标准相媲美。建在地下可以在夏季和冬季平衡温度，但如果你想要的房子在某种程度上被归为节能住宅，它绝对必须包括“实际的”绝缘。我不想戳破你的幻想，但现在总比为时已晚要好。在“地球”的页面上阅读，如果你有任何问题，可以回来，我们非常乐意提供帮助。
This is extraordinarily helpful! Thank you so much!
Glad to help Jasmine. We hate to see people drop their life savings on building a house that may not do what they think it will do. Cback in if you want more help. Good luck!
(sleeping 12 to a 10x14 room probably also helped in that first year on Cape Ann!)
Not sure if this question is still active after 8 months, but i just have too say, you can build a warm, dry earth sheltered Hobbit Home, regardless of your climate zone.
With the right plans, the right location and making sure you have a continuous layer of insulation all the way around the building envelope, the exterior temperature should not matter to the building.
I am currently building a Hobbit Home in Ontario Canada, and i know from my solar water heater input thermostat that the water temperature 4 feet underground is ALWAYS 45 degrees.
Has it been easy ? Hell No. 18 different architects to get the plans drawn up properly, and even then the first concrete company STILL ARGUED that i do not need to insulate the footings of the Hobbit Home - if you don't, you get mold and mildew along the bottom of the wall....
另一个我听到很多的想法是，它是更昂贵的建造一个土庇护的家比一个普通的。我不同意。我在给地下室浇水，盖屋顶，然后埋起来。那么我就会相信，在那上面再建一整个二楼，加上所有漂亮的装饰会更便宜。带状疱疹、墙板等……
看看罗伯·罗伊的《地下家园全集》吧。
Daves Hobbit Home build on Facebook, or you can Google "undergroundandlovinit".