The Underground HeritageT he seeking of shelter within the earth is no newidea; man and animal alike have exploited the protectiveand insulative properties of the soil long before recordedhistory, developing sophisticated, yet simple, means of dealingwith harsh climates and hostile environments.1 Rangingfrom arid deserts to polar cold regions, subterranean dwellingsoffer refuge from exposure to sun, wind, storm, and extremevariations in atmospheric temperatures, as well as providingthermal compensation for seasonal temperature changes.Beyond producing immediate and “natural” shelter, the practiceof underground architecture possesses a tremendous heritagethat, although poorly if ever documented in architecturalhistory texts, is rich in spatial variety, in response to the overallenvironmental milieu, and in diversity of design solutions tosuch issues as access, ventilation, lighting, and cultural values.Troglodytic communities have existed in areas all over theworld, including Turkey, Egypt, Ethiopia, Israel, China, NorthAfrica, and the American Southwest, to name a few. A brieflook at historical and contemporary “indigenous” architecturereveals ingenious building schemes and a wisdom in the use ofresources which we would be wise to observe in our ownefforts to minimize our technological enslavery and its associatedenergy consumption. The following pages, then, describe afew such examples of subterranean building in differentregions and climates of the world. For a more comprehensivesurvey of troglodytic settlements, see Royce LaNier’s book,Geotecture, pp. 317 (Department of Architecture, University ofNotre Dame).
[...]... section of the Church of TOKALI, “one of the largest and most imposing structures in all of troglodytic Cappadocia.” TOKALI KILISE II (“BOSS CHURCH”) A.D 850 - 950; A.D 950 - 1020 from Kostof Part I — Contextual Issues 5 The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications THE SIGNIFICANCE OF CONTEXT The intent of this thesis is to examine the benefits of the architectural use of underground. .. 8 Ta b l e o f C o n t e n t s ix The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications Part I—Contextual Issues Kenneth B Labs The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications The Underground Heritage he seeking of shelter within the earth is no new idea; man and animal alike have exploited the protective and insulative properties of the soil long before recorded history,... rightly as unnecessary—with the tremendous wealth of 6 The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications land constituting this nation and the limited scale of urbanization prior to the twentieth century 4 The “ecological crisis,” however, is largely due to the failure of all to acknowledge the role of the individual within the context of a larger system; 5 the sum of individual actions now... argument in favor of longerterm use, and more permanent building types, would, moreover contribute significantly to the stimulus for increased development of underground space 18 The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications Kenneth B Labs SUMMARY: THE ROLE OF THE ARCHITECT One may conclude that the direct benefits of underground construction are most perceptible at the individualbuilding.. .The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications Kenneth B Labs Acknowledgments ue to the lack of published documentation on the subject of underground space, I have had to rely heavily on the cooperation of numerous interested individuals and agencies in the design and engineering professions Without their assistance and reference to other persons and articles,... least 50 ft of earth, the primary purpose of which is to escape the extreme heat and severe local windstorms The soil type is a soft sandstone left: after Schoenauer right: after Goldfinger Part I — Contextual Issues 2 The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications Kenneth B Labs WESTERN AND NORTHERN CHINA’S loess belt is reported to house some ten-million inhabitants in underground. .. examination of interfacing issues earth cover, plant material, slopes, thrust, and structure, for example—is provided along with an investigation of Introduction vii The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications PART I CONTEXTUAL ISSUES Kennneth B Labs Construction Procedures and Implications II 8 The Underground Heritage I1 The Kansas City Underground II 10 The Significance of Context... practicing professionals and professional agencies It is intended to present the subject of underground space at the program and design level, and as such is analogous to the design-development stage of architectural activity Part III is primarily oriented toward the final resolution of physical problems: it discusses the nature of the earthen environmental envelope, and introduces the types of subsurface... Geotecture, pp 3-17 (Department of Architecture, University of Notre Dame) AN ANCIENT UNDERGROUND DWELLING (after Maguire; no scale) 1 The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications Kenneth B Labs MATMATA is a subterranean village located in the arid lowlands of southern Tunisia A population of several thousand live in artificial caves tunneled into the walls of excavated crater-like courtyards... occurs, and (d) the quality and quantity of the resulting reinvestment.7 The following discussion will demonstrate how man’s activities in attempting to maximize humanly-useful productivity of environmental resources (a), frequently conflicts with both the quality and quantity of the “reinvestment,” (d) Such conflict necessarily 7 The Architectural Use of Underground Space: Issues & Applications has