My dream house

This semester, one of my classes is called Energy, the Environment and the Economy. One of our projects is to conduct a simplified energy audit of a home or apartment. Because of that, we've been talking about energy-efficient design for homes, and I have a new definition of dream house.

Yes, a house built into either a natural or excavated hillside.

Besides the unique look, it's a very environmentally friendly way to built a home. If all the windows are facing south, you would get a lot of solar gain and very little heat loss since the rest of the home is covered in earth. Underground, the temperature stays about the same (50 degrees F) no matter the temperature above ground. In Minnesota, this means a cooler home in the summer, and a warmer home in the winter.

Think about how low your heating bill would be! And you could have a little garden on your roof.

Smart design that incorporates nature is a great thing, and I hope it's a trend that will take off.