7. The Underground House, Great Ormside, Cumbria, England
In an old quarry on a slope of the Eden valley and commanding beautiful views, local architect John Bodger designed a two-store house that burrowed backwards into the rock, and made maximum use of natural resources for light, warmth and power.
It was built by Phil and Helen Reddy, who were impressed by how environmentally friendly an earth-sheltered home could be, and soon found the ideal site for their dream house. The land they decided to build into was on an old quarry site that stood on a slope of the Eden valley in Cumbria. In April 2002, work on the house commenced, as well as the creation of a separate, single-store building designed to house a clinic for Helen’s veterinary practice.
