to live like a hobbit...

[LedJedi]

Use Solatubes to pipes some sunlight in.

You can add some variety to your design by utilizing the precast concrete tubes. They come in a variety of shapes and sizes.

Also consider you are going to want a lot more storage space than you can imagine.

Consider designing rainwater harvesting into your design, with a tank or cistern inside.

If you are going to have a crawlspace, take a serious look at radiant floor heating. You can install it yourself to the underside of the floor, and heat the whole house with a small conventional water heater.

wow, i really dig the solar tubes. I knew there was stuff like that out there but i wasn't sure what it was called.

Curious about the rainwater. I assume filtration would be expensive, but I like the idea. My boss is putting a rainwater collection system in his house for non-food related things like washing clothes and such. I'm planning on looking into getting water from a well on the property if at all feasible anyway so this would be a good compliment to that and would save excess taxing on the well resources.

Not sure on the concrete tubes. might be ok for some variety, but that seems like it would more than likely add unnecessary complexity (and therefore expense) to the project.

[Rex B]

Curious about the rainwater. I assume filtration would be expensive, but I like the idea. My boss is putting a rainwater collection system in his house for non-food related things like washing clothes and such. I'm planning on looking into getting water from a well on the property if at all feasible anyway so this would be a good compliment to that and would save excess taxing on the well resources.

In most cases, it is cheaper to bury a 2000-gallon concrete cistern than to drill a water well. But with no conventional roof to collect from, it may not be easy to collect runoff.
Filtration isn't too bad, depending where the runoff comes from, and what you plan to do with the water.

Not sure on the concrete tubes. might be ok for some variety, but that seems like it would more than likely add unnecessary complexity (and therefore expense) to the project.

Think about the above-mentioned hidden tunnel. Or the entranceway.
Think about a large-diameter tube set on end for a cistern, or stacked for a short silo or tower. Good place for that belt-fed "plinker" Lots of possibilities.

[AR Traveler]

One thing you may want to investigate before you get too far is the roof. I have one of these big boxes and the roof material isn't that much different than what's on top of a typical sedan. When you see them stacked 7 high at a shipyard, it's the corners which carry the load. The sides and floors are plenty tough but the roof will move several inches just from walking on it since it's really just enough steel to keep everything dry. With the weight of the dirt saturated with water I think your ceiling would need some serious reinforcement. A truss system across the top might have other benefits such as allowing access for HVAC, electrical, etc. Also, maybe turning it (the box) upside down would fix it...

[LedJedi]

One thing you may want to investigate before you get too far is the roof. I have one of these big boxes and the roof material isn't that much different than what's on top of a typical sedan. When you see them stacked 7 high at a shipyard, it's the corners which carry the load. The sides and floors are plenty tough but the roof will move several inches just from walking on it since it's really just enough steel to keep everything dry. With the weight of the dirt saturated with water I think your ceiling would need some serious reinforcement. A truss system across the top might have other benefits such as allowing access for HVAC, electrical, etc. Also, maybe turning it (the box) upside down would fix it...

good point :)

[jimlongley]

Here is another idea. I moved the walk-in but it's still close to the bath and laundry.

I added a 2 car garage with storage for lawn mower and bikes. The "back door" entry is through the pantry. Because when I'm hauling groceries, that is where most will end up. That way you won't have to haul grocery sacks all over the house to unload them -- just go straight in and drop them off in the pantry on the way into the house.

When I saw your first diagram I was going to post a suggection to put the kitchen/pantry nearer to the entrance, just for that practical reason.

Good move!

[RPBrown]

The layout is entirly up to you. What I'm going to say is based on construction issues. My parents actually looked into this 35 years ago and finally decided to have the first floor only below ground.

1) You will have to have ventilation to bring in fresh air. I recommend an energy recovery ventilator (ERV).

2) If using the steel containers, don't spray with concrete first. Concrete will retain moisture for years and can cause the metal to rust.

3) Be sure to get a good sealer on whatever material you use. Even thick concrete will leak water and cause a flood on the floor. Will also retain water from rain--see note 2 above.

4) Be sure construction is done in dry season. Otherwise cost overruns will occur due to colapses.

All of these are based on experiences of my parents and only half of their house is underground