FAQ

Is there enough light in an underground house?

We bring daylight into the interior in several ways. Large windows go into the front of the house. The light coming through them is enough to light the main rooms at the front, such as the living room and the kitchen. The ceilings at the front are raised, so the light reaches further back into the house, and the rear rooms can be lit with rooflights. You can read more about light in the house here.

Is an underground house damp?

The external walls of the house are a single monolithic piece of concrete. The water is kept out by the concrete itself: it is watertight, water cannot pass through it, and it keeps this property for its entire service life, which is over 100 years. On top of the concrete we apply a rubber layer. This is not waterproofing, it protects the concrete from the plant roots of the green roof.

Is the air in an underground house fresh?

Fresh air indoors is provided by passive stack ventilation. Fresh air comes in through open windows or micro-ventilation slots, it mixes with the stale air indoors, and openings below the ceiling take it out through ducts. Thanks to this system we need no electronics to supply the air, and thanks to the large heat storage in the surrounding soil, heat-recovery ventilation is not needed either.

Can I choose my own building contractor?

Our experience so far shows that we can guarantee the highest quality and a trouble-free build only if the shell is built by our own people, who have the extensive and essential experience with this type of construction. We do not recommend entrusting this stage to another company. The later stages of the build can be taken over by other contractors without any great concern.