Earth-Sheltered Architecture, a Suitable Context for Urban Development

Earth-sheltered buildings are the older forms of stable architecture and are replacements for houses on the ground. According to zone typography and in order to use thermal mass of soil, these buildings are aimed at stabilizing indoor temperatures, reducing power consumption, and providing comfort temperature. The mass of soil is a good barrier against high temperature of hot arid climates and low temperature of cold arid climates that because of minimum temperature fluctuations increases comfort. In addition, beneath the ground usually has a temperature near the average annual temperature of that zone. In underground buildings, protection against hurricanes, extreme temperatures, fires, surface pollutants, being seen, and proper strategy comes first. In this paper, we've tried to suggest this kind of earth sheltered architecture as a suitable model to urban designers by looking at the history of earth sheltered buildings and hand carved architecture, principles of sustainable development, categories of earth sheltered homes, matching the elements of sustainable development with models of earth sheltered homes and case samples. Research methodology in this paper is historical-interpretive and comparative. The results of this research show that earth-sheltered architecture is one of the most effective ways of building interactions with environment. Also because of our current constructions, negative environmental, economic, and social impacts are imposed to the life cycle. In the near future, this process will become a big problem and makes people to look back at earth sheltered architecture that is recommended as a progressive way by designing buildings and towns in the context of sustainable development issues, and urban architects and designers can use it as an efficient and sustainable model.

Keywords:

earth sheltered , sustainable architecture , geothermal energy , sustainable urban development