Underground Buildings: More Than Meets the Eye

by Loretta Hall

Unusual as they seem, underground buildings are surprisingly common. Every day, millions in North America work, shop, dine, study, and play in the more than three hundred public and commercial structures and five thousand private homes nestled in the earth. Underground buildings are safe, attractive, useful, and comfortable places to frequent and live. Unlike a common misconception, most are dry and warm, and they are often sun-filled. More than one hundred underground buildings are included in this fascinating subterranean tour. These buildings range from the famous to the unnoticed. Some were built for pragmatic reasons, others for aesthetic considerations, still others, for a combination of both.
There are impressive success stories and discouraging tales of failure. Some underground buildings are incredibly energy-efficient, for example, while others leaked so badly they were abandoned. A vast spectrum of structures is presented, ranging from stunning examples of hidden opulence to humble subterranean cubbyholes where unassuming people immerse themselves in nature's simplicity.

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2003

Reviews

[Michael Smith]

I have no training whatever in architecture or engineering, but I’ve always been interested, often fascinated, by unique and unusual buildings. Hall, a technical writer with a slightly groan-producing sense of humor, has put together a survey of below-ground-level structures in the United States, including private homes (whether bunkered and bermed or converted from old missile silos), schools, libraries (such as the Bradley Wing of the Los Angeles Public Library, which I was familiar with), museums, government emergency shelters (Mt. Weather and Cheyenne Mountain are both here), and corporate facilities (Kansas City is full of them). The information provided is just technical enough to make the author’s point about the utility and efficiency of building below ground, and there are loads of color photos and architectural drawings. I only wish the book had been several times as thick so it could include non-U.S. structures. Maybe she’ll do another volume.

[brian tanabe]

Poorly edited and incomplete book.

[Beth Lequeuvre]

Little too much like a textbook...