Traditional home construction can really inhibit the creative spirit in a forward thinking home owner. As people strive to push the aesthetic and environmental aspects of home ownership, earth houses may be just the thing for the progressive home owner.

Earth houses are located all over the world in many different forms and designs, but the overarching feature that makes this design what it is would be the fact that the homes use natural terrain to form the walls of the house. This does not mean the house in built underground. Rather they are incorporated into the landscape around them. Some may be built into the side of hills, and some may be part of a man made mound of earth.

In Taos, New Mexico, earth home outer walls are made from filling old tires and solid waste with dirt to create strong structures. The homes demonstrate an innovative way to recycle large trash objects.

As the structures have advanced, they are being designed with windows and natural lighting instead in dark, cave-like ways. Keeping in step with the structures in New Mexico, the outer “hill” faces north to protect against the winter wind. The south side of the home is all windows. This affords plenty of natural light to reduced energy costs. Earth homes are extremely energy efficient because heat and air conditioning are unable to escape the thick earthen walls. The homes also hold humidity better.

Since these homes follow the flow of the earth, the walls are not square. Therefore, the creative homeowner will find the possibilities endless when decorating the interior. Every earth house project is considered a highly individual project where the focus is on the human being rather than the structure.

A few drawbacks to earth homes would be too much humidity if not properly ventilated, and dark areas opposite the window side of the structure. Both problems are remedied with proper construction and planning.