Real Life Hobbit House

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Real Life Hobbit House

Submitted by admin on Saturday, 6 June 200918 Comments

The house was built with maximum regard for the environment and by reciprocation gives us a unique opportunity to live close to nature. Being your own (have a go) architect is a lot of fun and allows you to create and enjoy something which is part of yourself and the land rather than, at worst, a mass produced box designed for maximum profit and convenience of the construction industry. Building from natural materials does away with producers profits and the cocktail of carcinogenic poisons that fill most modern buildings.

sustainable hobbit house

simon dale house hobbit hole 1

Main tools used: chainsaw, hammer and 1 inch chisel, little else really. Oh and by the way I am not a builder or carpenter, my experience is only having a go at one similar house 2yrs before and a bit of mucking around inbetween. This kind of building is accessible to anyone. My main relevant skills were being able bodied, having self belief and perseverence and a mate or two to give a lift now and again.

hobbbitba hobbit roof

simon dale house hobbit hole 6

simon dale house hobbit hole 7

Tony Wrench and Jane Faith are living proof that people are capable of adopting eco-friendly lifestyles. The hobbit house takes it to a new level with regard to renewable resources. However, your house can be more eco-friendly by using a compost bin, solar panels and organic cotton sheets. A few innovations and additions to your home can make it have less of an impact on the environment. Source 1 Source 2

18 Comments »

Xocowolf said:

This is great!
I’ve seen subterranean houses here in Oregon, and I’m seriously thinking of making my own house out of cob. There was one guy in Bend who bought several acres and was in the middle of developing a “Hobbit House” subdivision when the bank money dried up.

A question:
Was the subterranean part dug by hand or via land-mover?

A concern:
Round houses are great but cabinetry often proves problematic in that they all have to be custom-built on-site. Translation: $$$$$ (or in this case, £££££).
Then again, building with driftwood, earth and maybe a bag or three of concrete would offset that…

- 7 June 2009 at 22:42

charlie said:

How do things stay together?

- 7 June 2009 at 23:01

sassy said:

CUTE!!!!

- 7 June 2009 at 23:03

Karen B. Tobin said:

Beautiful, beautiful photos of your house. You must be so proud. Thanks for sharing. I got the link on twitter where I follow “weirdnews”.

Karen Braucher Tobin
Portland, Oregon

- 7 June 2009 at 23:04

Cheap said:

How much does it cost

- 7 June 2009 at 23:09

Mike said:

Looks great, but what happens in a year or two when the dirt rots out the roof? There’s a reason homes are made from pre-treated wood and not just logs. Without proper engineering you’ll be extremely hard-pressed to replace rotting lumber. Or you could just build a new house every couple years when it becomes unstable. I prefer professionally built structures I know will last.

- 8 June 2009 at 00:01

Flash said:

Is there a web site for this curiosity? I’d love to see a video tour!

- 8 June 2009 at 00:34

Jason Buberel said:

That is, without question, one of the most amazing things I have seen. I would LOVE to some day live in a home like that.

Great work! -jason

- 8 June 2009 at 00:45

Reid McCullough said:

As a builder, I’ve always been interested in doing something like this, albeit with modern implements.

A few technical questions:

How did you safeguard against water penetration?

Is there any insulation or climate control?

What kind of foundation did you install, and did you survey the soil for stability before you began?

How are you dealing with subterranean insects?

If this is just a pet project that you expect to fall apart in a few years, I wouldn’t call this particularly eco-friendly, especially considering the amount of excav work, or the incandescent light bulbs you installed.

- 8 June 2009 at 00:46

SHW said:

Very impressive, and inspiring.

My only question would be about building codes. This type of project really speaks to individuality and (self-)sustainability. But I can also understand the reason society has restrictions and rules, for the safety not only of yourselves, but also those around you.

- 8 June 2009 at 02:08

The Arabic Student said:

Very cool. The first part of the first Lord of the Rings films is my favorite part because of how awesome the Shire looks.

- 8 June 2009 at 02:09

Television Spy said:

Looks like it would be fun to live in, until it starts to rain.

- 8 June 2009 at 03:29

shana said:

seriously awesome- nicest house ive ever seen

- 8 June 2009 at 03:44

amy said:

you have no idea how this home touches me. i have dreamed of living like this my whole life. no one ever “gets it”…YOU got it! i would love to see photos of the process-and more of the finished product. when i go to bed tonight, i know where i’ll be…

- 8 June 2009 at 04:15

Jason said:

Is that a baby falling down the steps in the thrid picture? Mercy.

- 8 June 2009 at 07:12

Ninjustin said:

The only real question I have is what keeps water from seeping in. How is the Celling/roof sealed? Very cool, just want to know how comfortable it is.

- 8 June 2009 at 08:32

rbsanjeeb said: