In the early 1970s, before our neighborhood was designated a National Historic District and modern construction was forbidden, a builder demolished a bungalow and built an underground house. Not much of it was truly underground. The house was sunk into the ground, and then dirt was piled up about six feet all around and so densely planted that it was hard to see the structure from the street. The Underground House was under-appreciated by adults in my neighborhood, but beloved by children. It was magical.

Evening walks were often rerouted to accommodate my request to walk by the underground house. In the summer it was practically invisible, but in the winter, you could glimpse some glass and even peer into a lit window. Underground living seemed fantastic, even before I’d read The Hobbit. What could be cozier than retreating to a burrow?

Our local underground house was demolished two years ago, just when underground houses began to receive positive press—except for a tent, they are perhaps the most environmentally-friendly dwelling humans can construct. Since they are built partially underground, they are cheaper to heat and cool than conventional homes. Energy savings can be up to 80%, and with solar elements, it’s easy to live completely off-grid.

This building technique isn’t just for the geodesic dome crowd. Like the newly-hip tree house and yurt, underground living is chic again. This month’s Cookie Magazine shows an elegant, modernist version of (partially) underground living in London with an indoor pool, and child-friendly features like a slide, in addition to steps, to descend to the lower level. Older underground homes provide environmentally conscious living for the historically conscious crowd. Centuries-old, and brand-new cave dwellings in Andalusia, Spain are attracting savvy Europeans looking for a low-maintenance second home, and these modern troglodytes were recently profiled in The New York Times.

But, really, few of us are about to go and build, or buy, an underground house. The concept, however, seems worth introducing to your kids (perhaps you’re raising the new suburban developer!). You can do this the glam way; travelers can stay in caves in Spain, Italy, and Turkey. Or you can suggest the concept through play or housekeeping.

I propose two budget options:

• Underground house. Build an underground house of your own, but a very tiny one, for some treasured toys. Mound some dirt over a box or some cans to make a cave. Children might start adding light-shafts, windows, or create a warren or rooms.



• Root cellar. You can also exploit the constant temperature underground by building a root cellar, the traditional (and green) alternative to chunking the old fridge in the garage. Unlike the spare fridge, the root cellar is the perfect place to store winter vegetables, which you might have grown yourself, or, in your unbridled enthusiasm for a good deal, bought 30 pounds of at Costco. A root cellar can be elaborate, but an old trunk, lined with some newspaper and buried up to the lid in your backyard, works quite well in the cooler months for the modern family. The beer won’t freeze, and the turnips won’t mold. If all that digging seems extreme, you can also use a corner of your basement, but choose the damp one, and be sure the vegetables get some ventilation.

Enthusiastic, or whimsical? Check out the plans for a hobbit hole at Stormbear.