We have come a full circle when it comes to housing arrangements. We started off living in caves and seem to have come back to the same point. This is because we’ve finally realized that it’s actually a very eco-friendly way to live. However, building a house underground is not an easy task and things are bound to get complicated. These 10 underground homes are so fabulous that it’ll make you want to build your own underground abode!

1) Flower Petals

Located in Bolton, UK this house belongs to British football star Gary Neville.  It is hidden under the ground except for the petal-shaped openings designed to allow the light to enter and light up the entire house.  It is sprawled across 8,000 sq ft and was designed by Make  Architects to keep energy consumption to a minimum.

2) Swiss Mountain Underground House

This unique house has been designed by the architects of SeArch, Netherlands and Christian Muller. It is located in the Swiss village of Vals and is hidden on all sides save for one. This magnificent structure has been planned in such a way that it completely eliminates the need of cooling in summers and heating in winters.

3) Estate Lättenstrasse

This house looks like its stepped straight out of a fairytale. The Swiss estate actually consists of 9 houses connected by stairs that lead down to a basement and even a parking lot. Designed by Vetsch Architektur, this house uses the ground as insulation and this is protected from rain, natural abrasion, wind and extreme temperatures.

4) The Cave House

Carved out of a mountain, this house is located in Festus, Missouri. It is the brainchild of Curt and Deborah Sleeper and has been used for many different purposes over time.  This 15,000 square foot residence was originally used as a mine for decades.  It was also used as concert venue and a roller skating rink. The cave house needs no air conditioning or a furnace for cooling and heating the house due to its intelligent design and geothermal heating.

5) Greek Isles Underground House

Designed by Deca Architecture, this underground house has been made only from natural materials. It has been carved in such a way that only the second story is visible above the ground. It has been specially designed to withstand that windy weather of the Aegean Sea.

6) Stone Desert Home

 

  The Stone desert home is built in such a way that it looks more like a half-buried ruin that a modern home. Designed by Deca, this eco-friendly house is built between the slopes of two adjacent hillsides and barely rises above the dessert level surrounding it. As the house is half-hidden in the earth, it utilizes natural light and heat as well as cooling cross-winds.

7) Malator Underground Eco House

 

  This house has been given the nickname of ‘Teletubby house’ because of its turf roof, steel chimney and peephole doorway. It has been phrased as the ‘blueprint for the future of Welsh Housing’ and is considered as one of Wales architectural masterpieces. The interior of the house is very simple, with only one room inside which is divided by prefabricated colored pods.

8) Sedum House

Sited in the steep sand hill in North Norfolk Coast, this house is a home of the future.  It is eco-friendly, easy to heat and cool and also has a unique rain water harvesting system. The main focal point of the design is the ‘sun’ even though most of the house is underground. It was built to maximize exposure to sunlight and thus the house has plenty of sunlight during the winters too.

9) Cave Dwellings

 

These cave dwellings are 700 years old and are carved out of natural volcanic rock formations. They’re situated at the base of Mt.Sahand, Iran. As these apartments are very old, they have all been renovated and have all the modern necessities of home.

10) Hidden house

1) Volcano Boarding

 

  This sport was created in 2005 and takes place at the foothills of Nicaragua’s Cerro Negro mountain every year. The surfers are clad in protective jump suits, knee pads and helmets as they race down an active 2,380 feet volcano on their specially-constructed plywood boards. They can reach speeds of up to 80 km/hour. More than 10, 000 people have participated in volcano boarding since its creation.

2) Limbo Skating

Limbo skating, also known as roller limbo, is a sport in which a person skates underneath an obstacle like a horizontal pole without touching it. In order to achieve this when the objects are at a very low height, one must spread their legs apart, if possible into a full split and lean their upper body forward with the face almost touching the ground. Roller skating under cars has taken India by storm. Aniket Chindak holds the unofficial record for ‘limbo-skating’ beneath 57 cars in 45 seconds.

3) Train Surfing

This is an extremely dangerous sport which involves the riders climbing or ‘surfing’ on the outside of a moving train.  It was common way to ride trains in Indonesia and South Africa. People may also surf to avoid the cost of a ticket, not just a recreational activity. However, due to the death of many young people the sport was forgotten until 2005. It was rediscovered by a gang from Frankfurt, Germany.

4) Crocodile Bungee

The usual way of bungee jumping is not enough of an adrenaline rush for some people. Hence, Australians have invented a new way of bungee jumping. They bungee jump into a body of water containing live crocodiles.

5) Cliff Diving 

 

  A new aspect has been added to the sport of diving known as cliff diving. Here, a diver dives into the water from a high cliff. It is one of the riskier kinds of diving as here the diver needs to pass in between the rough rocks and take the plunge of a lifetime. It all began from the Hawaiian Island on Lanai in 1770. For the benefit of the divers, certain standards have been set to make it safer. Some of these include determining the height of the jump (23-28 meters for men, 18-23 meters for women) an ideal entering speed of 75-100 km/hr and a free fall time of 3 seconds.

6) Freestyle Poweriser Stilts

 

  This is a wacky sport where one is required to wear strange things on your feet that are sort of a cross between low stilts and pogo sticks. The idea is to perform stunts with them.  It sounds a little dull until you either see or experience it.

7) Underwater Hockey

This sport was first invented in Great Britain during the 1950’s when some British divers were looking for ways to stay fit during the winter. Underwater hockey is a sport that some divers undertake during the winter months when the outside temperatures are too cold for diving. This game is played with nothing more than the stick, protective gear and gloves and snorkeling equipment. Hence, it also tests how long players are capable of holding their breath underwater. It is played at the bottom of the pool using a puck which weighs over one kilogram. This sport is fast gaining popularity with some countries forming national teams which take part in world championships.

8) Airkicking

In this sport, a human catapult is used to launch individuals over 26 feet into a swimming pool or foam pit. It uses a special combination of air pressure and water recoil technology. The participant sits in a specially constructed seat at the rear end of the catapult arm and then sets the device in motion himself by pushing a button.

9) Slacklining

    

  Slacklining is a sport which requires perfect balance. It consists of two fixed points with nylon webbing stretched tight between them. The tension in the line can be adjusted to suit the needs of the performer. In this way it is different from a tightrope as it is flat in nature. The prevents the slacker’s footing from rolling. Christian Schou holds the Guinness World title for the highest slackline after crossing Norwegian fjord in Kjerag, Norway at 3, 280 feet (1000 meters) which is the equivalent of 3 Eiffel towers in height.

10) Zorbing Ball

Zorbing is one sport which has become a rage during the past few years. It originated in New Zealand. It involves throwing yourself down a slope in a giant ball and was invented in 2000. The zorbing ball is a gaint plastic ball which has two skins, one inside the other. The person performing this crazy activity is in the area between the skins which is pumped with air. The performer is then suspended on a cushion of air 700mm off the ground by the middle ball. The ball is then rolled down a hill. There are two different wars to zorb-either harnessed inside the ball, or ‘hydrozorbing’, which involves putting water in the ball, which zrbers can slide around on as it revolves

“You fish, swim, eat, laze around, and everyone’s so friendly. It’s such simple stuff, but… If I could stop the world and restart life, put the clock back, I think I’d restart it like this. For everyone.”  – Alex Garland, The Beach

Imagine a stunning beach cove, located 30 minutes away from a populated island. A cove whose crystal blue waters are almost glowing, the sand silky soft under your feet, the surrounding cliff faces beautifully dominant in a protective hug and where the surrounding choppy waters protect the enclave from human invaders.

Have you ever asked yourself the question “How did it get so late so soon?”, while you got caught up in everyday hustle and bustle you completely forgot to live. Take time to realize what you want and need. Take time to take risks. Take time to love, laugh, cry, learn, and forgive. Life is shorter than it often seems.

Here are ten things you need to know, before it’s too late: