Comments on: Real Life Hobbit House

By: Joes

Joes — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 12:31:08 +0000

CUTE!!!!!!

By: rbsanjeeb

rbsanjeeb — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 11:41:45 +0000

looks great. thanks for sharing;
can u tell whats the number of trees to make one????????????????
seems it needs a lot of those

By: Ninjustin

Ninjustin — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 07:32:14 +0000

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.

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 06:12:42 +0000

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

By: amy

amy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 03:15:38 +0000

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…

By: shana

shana — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:44:57 +0000

seriously awesome- nicest house ive ever seen

By: Television Spy

Television Spy — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 02:29:09 +0000

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

By: The Arabic Student

The Arabic Student — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:09:28 +0000

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

By: SHW

SHW — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 01:08:48 +0000

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.

By: Reid McCullough

Reid McCullough — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:46:41 +0000

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.

By: Jason Buberel

Jason Buberel — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:45:01 +0000

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

By: Flash

Flash — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:34:53 +0000

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

By: Mike

Mike — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 23:01:09 +0000

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.

By: Cheap

Cheap — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:09:50 +0000

How much does it cost

By: Karen B. Tobin

Karen B. Tobin — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:04:12 +0000

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

By: sassy

sassy — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:03:21 +0000

CUTE!!!!

By: charlie

charlie — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 22:01:39 +0000

How do things stay together?

By: Xocowolf

Xocowolf — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 21:42:20 +0000

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…