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.
I have seen houses like these on the Internet before and they are absolutely amazing. They look like something straight out of The Lord of the Rings or something. I love how they are built right into the earth. Talk about getting back to nature! You also make a great point about the fact that it would be cheaper utilities.
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