Peter Vetsch - Earth Houses

Earth houses are houses built using soil or natural terrain features to help form the walls. Such buildings are partly or completely embedded into the ground.
Architect Peter Vetsch is a major advocate for earth houses, and has built over 90 such homes over the course of his career. One of the main advantage of earth houses is insulation : the thermal inertia of the walls and absence of air leaks makes for naturally energy efficient buildings.

[@Jane-dq7on]

A person ahead of his time. A pioneer. I hope mankind won't take too long to evolve in order to catch-up.

[@onnoneneedssex]

Actually the mankind used earth sheltered houses for thousands years

[@jansenreolada1687]

combine this design with EarthSHIP concept and totally off the grid and then install aquaponic for your food inside of your house

[@kristineschilling6917]

solar panels, a basement with pond and hydrponic/aquaponic plant growth. Seasonal veggies on the green spaces around the roof and such.

[@Cheapers-Vac]

Just so comforting to view ! How must it be to live there or live here in Canada 🇨🇦 in one !

[@mojomojo5779]

How would the concrete be permanently sealed from leaks?

[@eiramsmith4920]

I'm from Omaha Nebraska and there is an underground house in my city that been around for years, someone finally bought it and move in . It's really beautiful and unique and it's the first only underground home in my city !! It was built way before I was born , and I was born 1978 !!

[@JeeJeanVittoVlogs]

Wow! I love this kind of design. Thank you for sharing.

[@goofyfoot2001]

You should be able to build your own home without government involvement.

[@JamesKain]

There is so much govt overreach you can't even buy a gallon of gas with out 75%+ tax on it. Ask your local gas station owner, how much profit they get per gallon. It's probably going to be around .02 or .03¢. Upgrade any wires in your house? Touch one wire and any of them out of code? Got to replace all of the out of code ones. Which normally means a hole house rewiring. Want to cut hair professionally? Not with out some type or styling or barber degree... ... Live with in 75' of water. Can't do anything without a permit. You'll have about 80% chance or denial. If it's under 25' you're not getting it. Even if it protects the body of water.

[@puppydog12000]

If you need electricity from a wire or water that isnt coming from a well you own then you are going to have to pay the government because they provide that.

[@JamesKain]

@@puppydog12000 I didn't know the government owned the power companies. I know the officials get many many kick backs so their monopolies don't get broken up. In Maine you can get power from some smaller companies, but 100% of all the power is funneled through one company. We need many many micro power stations. It's dumb to have just a few large power producing facilities. I've actually been talking to my local Congressmen about this. I have to draw up 2 proposals. The second is about a new idea for getting rid of the old power poles.

[@JamesKain]

@Wischmopps I thought better of getting into it is all

[@ImSimplyAHuman]

Amen to that!

[@montygandhi8149]

Holy cow!! What a view!! What an awesome place to live😍

[@dariuszrysak1133]

Beautifull house... inside and outside. I would need a smaller version of something like this...

[@APAS-br3ff]

cool, reminds me of Mike Reynolds Earthships. made of tires, set into the earth, water from rain, no AC, all heated and cooled naturally. electric from solar

[@PeyaLuna]

while more expensive to build, the low heating/cooling costs plus the fact that you can actually use the 'roof'space makes it worth it...they build a huge(!) animal shelter using that technique in my country, with the 'roof' being used as a fenced run area for the dogs. they estimate that the higher building costs will pay itself off within 12-15 years

[@Jinjin000w]

Such a beautiful house!

[@Xingqiwu387]

FANTASTIC! I wish we had this company in the USA too!

[@alexandrasophia24]

you and me both. Anything is possible.

[@thepr0m3th3an]

We do! =D they are called Earthships.

[@Xingqiwu387]

@@thepr0m3th3an No, earthships are very different and are constructed using old car tires etc. These are constructed with ferro-cement.

[@erdembilican6054]

Weihan Xingqi are the wires on 02:29 called ferrocement?

[@Mllet3d]

Could you imagine what an incredible sunsets they have near that extraordinary fireplace, what a view. You think it might be on Airbnb this winter?

[@mwanaishamellon4180]

I have never seen same thing as beautiful as this well done

[@queenruth7777]

We should build some in K'la

[@TheGohbomba]

Amazing house harmony with nature

[@EfrainMcshell]

I like this man and his ideas.....

[@kalinrydel9994]

that bathroom is beautiful

[@addijav1648]

❤️ Beautiful creation... 👍👍

[@franzschiestl7015]

Also Peter ich muss dir sagen ich bin mehr als begeistert Phantastisch.Super .Ich würde in Zukunft nichts anderes mehr haben wollen.

[@jodybeskinirutherfordcoanimal]

Amazing!

[@wulfclaw4921]

Fantastic!!

[@carenclover9277]

My Dream House

[@multimediastudio777]

Magnifique!

[@Authenictruthoid]

My new hero ! Peter , Keep up the GREAT work your doing. Peace I'm also a subscriber now.

[@moanawalters945]

Brilliant ideas and yes the money side will be high to change the way we live and save lives and lands, it's up to us.

[@mimib7970]

love it!!

[@jiat2001]

I want to build a Hobbit hole, very similar to what I saw in the video. Very awesome and keep up the good work ❤️👍🏽👏🏽

[@thelazy6102]

Did you build it?

[@jiat2001]

@@thelazy6102 Not yet but I still need to save some money and buy some land near a water source. That's one of my dreams when I retire.

[@thelazy6102]

@@jiat2001 can you tell me how to make strong enough roof that can withstand last?

[@jiat2001]

@@thelazy6102 I've read a report about a guy in the UK who made the roof using logs in a circular way and covered it with grass. Unfortunaltey, the local government had his hobbit house torn down because of housing regulation or something stupid.

[@thelazy6102]

@@jiat2001 yes that's why I'm asking, making strong roof is important, tell me later if you get any idea about that.

[@mamarana524]

Peter Vetsch should have a meeting with Micheal Reynolds

[@naturalnaturecampugandapob7637]

Amazing idea ,were I could also wish to join since I also own a property camp construction done in same way

[@1_fishin_magician153]

cool ..thumbs up !!

[@iDelta77]

Its so pretty!

[@andrewvoytos5104]

Круто! Моя мечта!👍

[@lennonmccartney7834]

awesome : ]

[@sublimelyh70]

Coolness...

[@gsmscrazycanuck9814]

WOW!!!!

[@glenrisk5234]

Been thinking for a good while of building an arch-style house underground. Cold is far less of a problem here than heat is but half a metre of earth would keep it very livable and exposed sides would prevent it being too divorced from the external reality?

[@ronaldlindeman6136]

These underground houses were proposed in the 1970's. the cost of building with dirt on the roof is not worth the cost. It is better to have thick insulation than thick ground. We can build with 3 feet of insulation in the roof and 2 feet of insulation in the walls in cold climates and it will do better.

[@PeyaLuna]

but those insulations are made out of artificial materials, don´t last forever and are difficult if not impossible to recycle....and you still have a patch of dead, sealed land where nothing grows

[@antonovromanov7412]

He’s correct

[@tiad2739]

I wanna live here so baddddd

[@Nofretari]

I would be willing to live in one of his house if it was built in my country.

[@vickypal5707]

Nice thing

[@seanbaker8231]

ferrocement method, and is code enforcable, so no issues there!

[@mojomojo5779]

The problem is figuring out how to permanently seal the concrete from leaking

[@Tyguy161]

Cool

[@jesusfe8116]

Presente y futuro

[@ChrisBGramz4u]

Ive always wanted my own cave to build a house from.

[@f52023]

I would like to build on ground, hidroisolate it and cover with ground from 3 sides. How many ground around house is needed to keep the house isolated from winter cold and summer heat?

[@lav1daloca]

thats smart

[@user-uf8hj1cw3d]

Is there a link for the whole doc episode? Thank you!

[@carenclover9277]

Wow

[@michaeld4861]

I think this is great and somewhat similar to earthships but without the recycle aspect. But he did say "people just cover everything in concrete" and then show homes made 100% out concrete. lol If he incorporated Mike Reynolds sustainability principles too then it would be fantastic.

[@mojomojo5779]

But how would the concrete be permanently sealed from leaks?

[@carenclover9277]

💖💖💖💖💖💖

[@Cheapers-Vac]

They are beautiful and rare homes ! Could there be one made effectively of hemp-Crete instead of concrete ?

[@shawnwebb9502]

smoke yourself outta house an home..hemp!

[@amiracleone2803]

No I don't think that Hempcrete could hold up. The weight of the dirt is extreme.

[@nobrainnopain1984]

This is the way to go humans

[@hinfofo]

My girlfriend is from giswil xD it's such a beautiful village 😁

[@MatthieuFloury]

Hello, could somebody tell me how to contact the household which we see the house at mid video?

[@roseco581]

If you made these south facing, with a bit more glass on the face wall you basically could turn it into a self-reliant earth ship that heats and cools itself. If you basically add a sloping metal roof you can collect rainwater and be self sufficient there too.. Just saying...

[@janhollon3078]

The biggest threat to these earth houses is vagabond gophers!

[@Blagger3000]

Looks like there's more concrete used to create the "earth" building than a conventional house.

[@raduberaru9369]

even so , he points that everything around you see it is concrete , he didn t hate the use of concrete but the looks of it , using concrete does not mean you need to actually see only that and maybe something green

[@PeyaLuna]

@@raduberaru9369 its not just about the looks, but also about the 'roof' absorbing rainwater - switzerland is notorious for flashfloods, especially in spring when all the snow melts - plus you can plant a whole garden on it for the benefit of the bees and other animals

[@lancebaker1374]

Concrete is needed, because of the extreme pressure of wet soil.

[@Dereven_SKY]

werde versuchen auch sowas zu bauen, aber extrem billig! Sonst die Idee ist wunderbar!

[@jamessowles1699]

I am thinking earth burm myself depending on dirt may be fully coverd.

[@RAGproduction]

looks like they used cement and reinforcing bar to me in the construction photos. surely it's just topped with earth, no?

[@moosefactory133]

Building a free form house like this using rebar is not a new idea. I once asked a builder why you don't see more houses using this method and what he told me that it increases the cost per square foot and most people will opt for a more conventional construction with more square footage in the home.

[@Nofretari]

moosefactory133 it might be more expensive to build but you make up the difference with energy savings.

[@garybiggs9010]

Yes, and storm damage security, no need for re-roofing, paint, etc.

[@moosefactory133]

It may be more expensive to build but I can see perhaps in the future the exterior and even the interior walls of a house being done with a 3-D printer. There is a You Tube video of a man who used concrete in a very large 3 D printer to construct components of 12 foot high castle playhouse. He assembled them and it is very impressive. This could really bring down the cost.

[@CurbHopper111]

It's only more expensive if you pay someone to build it for you because using these materials are more labor intense than building with wood. But if you build yourself it's actually a lot cheaper because the materials are cheaper.

[@spymaine89]

banks wont loan need cash

[@alanworks4354]

Looks like mowing and trimming would be a major pain...and dangerous.

[@michaelbergman1073]

The problem is that using conventional building products is equality damaging as these alternative buildings. You are just trading product for product. you can sugar coat it a million ways but I think it just comes down to affordability vs what you want.

[@Eaglescout217]

Michael Bergman yeah the US Earthships are better with recycled materials

[@Exiles800]

Probably the main benefit is energy saving through thermal mass...It strikes me that these will leak eventually...

[@mgm553]

cob is literally made out of dirt, gravel, and hay. So please, enlighten us on how this is just as bad as drywall and whatever crap they replace asbestos with

[@ritikdhasmana4495]

1:14 2:48 3:48 4:30

[@bethwildwood1181]

Hundertwasser ideas !!!!!!!

[@spymaine89]

labor intense. show construction specs. how heat.

[@servantofgod8483]

Greed destroys the Earth.

[@timothyweiss9340]

How can the lower middle class afford these homes can Peter build earthen homes for the lower middle class or apartment complexes....

[@tufanodominique7135]

Comment faites-vous l'étanchéité du toit en béton ?

[@dickisfree5461]

y a plus de 5 cm de béton projeter, .....du béton.....de la merde commercial quoi, dans 70ans max elle est a terre.

[@sgserene]

Peter can you please help me build my underground house? I have a nice piece of land on top of a mountain with beautiful views.

[@Prijimaster]

Where is the land? I may not be a pro architect, but it's my life dream to build something like this, and I do have construction and design experience...

[@amiracleone2803]

@@Prijimaster Northern California

[@tmckmusic8584]

I like it, but it uses too many resources. .. mix this idea with an "earth ship" from New Mexico, and voila! A match made in Earth.

[@MatthieuFloury]

Yes but it uses much more less resources than usual habitat already

[@DiegoLinde]

Earthships emerged out of the New Mexican desert and are perfectly suited to that environment. Switzerland is a completely different environment. Under-ground /cave-like homes are perfect for mountainous environments. I do agree it would have been nice to see more systems integration (energy, water, )in this home; those are principles that appeal so much about Earthships to me.

[@MatthieuFloury]

@@DiegoLinde Sure you right on this point, but the aesthetic aspect is to consider too

[@lancebaker1374]

It looks like $20,000 of mosaics.

[@Albisriede]

Looks great, but is out of financial reach for most people. This place would cost millions to build in a place like Switzerland. Who can afford that? Apparently 'artisans' can ; -) There may be a drawback to concrete too. It tends to 'sweat', preventing moisture from escaping. For those familiar with 'earth ovens' the recommended material is cob, not cement/concrete, because cob allows moisture to slowly escape, making for better bread. The real problem in our world is consumption and overpopulation. Nobody seems to be willing to address that.

[@elneneeserio]

probably like 500,000.00 dollars

[@leloodallasmultipass]

so, one third of what it would cost where I live.

[@michaelhallii3322]

what about radon?

[@lennonmccartney7834]

how much $$$$$

[@MatthieuFloury]

@@ryuhayabusa97289000 chf per metter?

[@gabriellafarella2926]

È una "rivisitazione" della "storica" "Cave House".... ma "Underground House"...... niente di eccezionale....è una sfida(?) .....molto ben rifinitta...

[@theother9941]

How are they insulated? Is it just earth, or do they use some manmade insulating material as well? I would like to build something similar in Scotland

[@garybiggs9010]

Usually have a spray foam exterior insulation then plastic over that.

[@CurbHopper111]

With earth homes, at least cob material, which I'm most familiar with, there's no man made insulation. The earth material is enough. Also, the walls are usually a lot thicker, like 12 inches wide, because it's easier to build that way, but it also provides more insulation.

[@garybiggs9010]

But I assume you are not building underground with cob? I'm only going underground w/ reinforced concrete or surface bonded block/ stone. Underground insulation also depends on the location. If you are sheltering from desert heat 90% of the time, no insulation is probably fine. You want the cool of the earth in the walls. In the cold north, you will want to heat the air and the walls of the home so you want a 4" layer of exterior foam. This also reduces internal condensation and mold problems.

[@CurbHopper111]

Gary Biggs No need to go underground unless you want to. They do well where I live in AZ too, but cob homes were originally built in the UK a long time ago without man made insulation and are doing fine there as well. Though you need a heat source inside the home, like a fire place or wood stove. The walls retain heat and then release it at night after it starts to cool down again. A cob wall isn't a cool wall, especially not in the desert. It sucks up the heat very well, which is why it works as insulation in hot places too, as it prevents much of the heat from coming in. And a heat source from inside isn't going to escape out. In a cool climate the house will stay toasty all day, then at night when the fire is off the walls will re-heat the house with the same heat.

[@garybiggs9010]

I do agree that cob and earthship construction above ground is good stuff. Your are basically replacing the underground principle w/ thick walls above ground. And the thicker, the better. I'm in the central states prairie where it can get to 6 below 0 on some occasions. I am fortunate to have a proper slope E. facing hillside I can dig into or can go partial or completely above. Got to save many pennies first though!

[@blitvar1]

Use geopolymers!

[@Nad76]

Concrete house

[@lancebaker1374]

Peter is wrong about soil being an insulator. It's the opposite; soil is an efficient heat transfer material. Thermal transfer simply allows the summer's heat that is stored by the soil to warm the home. This will be quite limited, however, as their isn't much summer heat in Switzerland.

[@pauluminous]

Soil efficient in heat transfer? Ever walked bare foot on a beach and had to tip-toe like an idiot cause you're burning your feet? Dig your feet into the dirt/sand and problem solved. Soil is perfect for thermal mass yes, as storage not transfer. Root cellars and underground houses like this one vary only a few degrees in summer vs winter while the outside temps vary as high as 40C

[@leloodallasmultipass]

ANTS!

[@sublimelyh70]

There are easy ways to take care of that. There are plug-in's which create a high frequency sound in a room that humans and pets can't hear, but certain insects such as ants, roaches, mosquitos, moths, termites, house flies and the like can. It drives them away. ;)

[@mememe3946]

Soap and water...

[@kmrtv]

ein wenig errintert mich das Haus Design an Luigi Colanie......this House design looks littlbe bit like Luigi Colanie....... both are swiss people...

[@marcknight4568]

obviously he doesn't have any bricks.

[@milojenikolovski7522]

Where are kids?

[@tigersharkzh]

So many advantages to this method but for me there's one major design flaw, acoustics. Round plastered walls and ceiling guarantee bad acoustics. I've been in spaces like this and I feel very uncomfortable. For me, similar concept but with flat walls and ceiling in the right proportions.

[@drainmonkeys385]

Climate change? You mean weather. But it’s still cool, I would love it

[@неболаја]

how da faq is dat an EARTH house when to make it u had more iron bars than a truck !!!!!!

[@BetterDeadThanRed99]

What's this? A center for ants? *How can we be expected to teach children to learn how to read if they can’t even fit inside the building* ?

[@brand3820]

I'll pass...

[@enaraelosua7758]

Tio !!!!el cambio climatico es un bulo

[@akarna69]

GET TO THE CHAPPA! XD

[@Guy_de_Loimbard]

"Honey, could you mow the roof please?"

[@Mike-xi4zt]

I think he watches to much Tellie Tubbies.

[@tonyv1505]

Anybody thought of stealing this idea when making your own earth home someday I know i have lol

[@geoplastcaribeplast9774]

Kaput

[@askquestions4634]

Terrible, terrible high pitched noises that are just way too much to handle.

[@drainmonkeys385]

Climate change? You mean weather.

[@diegodeluna1727]

kissing a dog!!!!!!

[@MixedTone]

He saw that people were just becoming women with no credit card limits....wrong direction from the conservation male perspective.