An earth sheltered home is an example of sustainable living. People have been building earth-sheltered homes for as long as they have been building houses, and there are numerous examples in Iceland. In the United States, the back-to-the-land movement and the oil crisis in 1973 brought the idea of the earth-sheltered home into the mainstream. However, the idea never really materialized. Today, as people struggle with outrageous heating bills the idea of creating earth-sheltered homes is once again popular. The advent of green technology and sustainable living techniques have done a lot to foster the development of earth-sheltered homes.

Architects are always looking for new and innovative ways to create houses. Whether it is constructing a modern day tree house or designing living quarters inside a sand dune, new methods and possibilities are being explored. Sometimes, however, the best way to pave the road to the future is to look at examples from the past. The earth-sheltered house is an innovative alternative to the mainstream styles of housing. The earth-sheltered house is constructed by packing earth against the walls. The earth creates a thermal mass, and this thermal mass prevents heat loss and keeps the home at a comfortable temperature.