Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Living Underground

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Mr. Baggins, the condo association has a problem with your mud hut.

As you know, I enjoy the "Lord of the Rings" movies. When I came across this site about a family in Wales that has built this eco-friendly dwelling, I just had to feature it.

It immediately reminded me of my trip to Hobbiton, while I was traveling in New Zealand. From the outside, this structure looks a lot like the design of the Hobbit homes in the films.

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I love the natural design of the structure, the curved wood framing around the doors and windows, and the rustic feel of the home. It would certainly be a bit more sound-proof on most days (you'd likely be living in the woods, so no need to worry about traffic or helicopter noise). Of course, you'd have to mow the roof at some point, but I'm sure you could find a local kid to do it in exchange for a bag of magic beans or something.

Although, I'm guessing that you might have a more frequent bug problem, being all covered in dirt and such. Of course, MY Hobbit house would need to be hermetically sealed from the inside (like my heart) and it would also need to have all of the modern convienences available today (no compost toilet for me), plus Wi-Fi, Cable and a top of the line audio system with big screen TV and Enya music piped into each room.

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As with many things in life, I like the idea of a home like this. I like the idea of living a simplier life in the wilderness, surrounded by nature and fresh air.

I also like the idea of someone paying for, building, maintaining and cleaning it for me too.

Any takers?

2 comments:

Brad said...

I saw this on Boingboing a while back. It's pretty cool but I'm with you. I don't want to live with the creepy-crawlies launching from the ceiling on me while I sleep. Maybe if it was good and daub & ashed on the inside to a stucco like finish.

Vampire Hours said...

I'm with you. I like the outside "look", but would rather have the inside be bug-free...especially when I'm sleeping. I've seen too many "this is what happens while you sleep" bits on the news...not for me.