Out of the Box: 10 Amazing Underground Homes

Villa Vals in Vals, Switzerland
When builders were given the surprise approval to break ground so close to the famous thermal baths of Vals, they decided to conceal the villa inside an alpine slope. The formal entrance of the home is through a barn and an underground tunnel on the other side of the hill. Interested in staying here? Visitors can view pricing and availability at the website.

Photo courtesy of SeARCH

Arc House in East Hampton, New York
The last thing homeowner and former mortgage banker Bob Stansel wanted when he was laying out plans for his 6,400-square-foot new home was for neighbors to think he was bringing some "monster" into the neighborhood. So he built more than half of it underground. Passersby need never know that the house has four bedrooms, a gym, and multiple living spaces.

Photo courtesy of Maziar Behrooz Architecture

Earth House in Seoul, Korea
Architect Byoung Soo Cho has built an underground home in the middle of a thick forest and rice fields about an hour east of Seoul. It has a 23-foot-by-23-foot courtyard, plus a kitchen, a library, two bedrooms, and a bathroom. The inspiration for the home goes back to Cho's Harvard days when he studied Taoism and negative and positive spaces. Cho uses the home for self-reflection, meditation, and gazing at stars. Photo courtesy of BCHO Architects

Cave House in Festus, Missouri
The current residents of this cave home actually found the property on eBay. Over the course of four years, they managed to carve out loads of workspace and three bedrooms, with geothermal heat (so there's no need for a furnace). The sandstone lair is now an office for their small business.

Photo courtesy of Caveland.Us

Cave House Gross in Greifensee, Switzerland
The owner of this dwelling needed to build more space for his family but didn't want to have to ask for permission from his neighbors. His solution? He created two sunken courtyards with three additional bedrooms for his kids below ground.

Photo courtesy of Hannes Henz

Dutch Mountain House in Huizen, the Netherlands
Built into a mound at a Dutch nature reserve, the home is nearly invisible from certain angles; wood from surrounding areas helps it blend into its environment. While the exteriors appear minimal, the interior design is full of flash—one room has a bookshelf made from a vintage Jaguar, and a set of "skateboard" stairs lead to an upper floor.

Photo courtesy of Denieuwegeneratie
 

Pachacamac House in Pachacamac, Peru
Built for two retired philosophers, the buried home sits about 60 miles outside Lima near pre-Inca remains. A glass-and-metal box rests at the entrance, symbolizing "architectural intervention on untouched nature," according to the architects. They're not lying: There is no electricity or water-sewage system in the area.

Photo courtesy of Longhi Architects

Country Estate in New Canaan, Connecticut
New additions to the house (originally built mid-century by Philip Johnson) include a new art gallery, pool house, and garage. Stone and concrete foundations cut into the hillside, revealing a hint of the rooms that lie below.

Photo courtesy of Roger Ferris + Partners

Windowless Home in Leiria, Portugal
The living room is located under a giant roof window that allows light to stream in, while the more private areas of the home (including the bedrooms) sit underground and open into a private courtyard.

Photo courtesy of Sergio Guerra

The Earth Shelter in Northern Michigan
Architect Adam Bearup just put finishing touches on the subterranean structure. With living quarters, a greenhouse, a farm (complete with cows, chickens, and donkeys), a storageroom, and a walk-in freezer, the house is (in theory) apocalypse-proof.

Photo courtesy of Adam Bearup