Project of a house like a fox hole. Hobbit house. what is needed and what happens
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Construction of the "Fox Hole" Housing in the ground.
Now about the disadvantages of “fox holes”:
1. The earth, like reinforced concrete slabs, has shielding properties, that is, it is an obstacle to natural cosmic radiation. People sensitive to subtle energy feel this as internal discomfort. Therefore, it is better for such people to build wooden houses that are permeable to radiation;
2. The inability to look out the window, the desire to be on top of the earth are also serious psychological factors.
For me personally, these two shortcomings are very significant. That's why I live in a log house. For the same reasons, apparently, the inhabitants of all three inhabited burrows dream of moving to the surface in the future. While the settlers, who do not yet have any housing on the estate, dream of “fox holes”.
The oldest - Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova - was built in 2004, the other two in 2006. Backfill - from 0.5 m to 1 m. The experiment was a success: the owners are generally satisfied with their homes.
About waterproofing the Fox Nora house.
In all five cases (except for the Okulovsky summer micromink, I don’t know about it) we used roofing felt or bikrost. It was placed under the bottom trim (for almost everyone, except Volodya Simakhin, it lies on the ground, and for him - on bricks), it was also used to cover the boards of the walls with
outside. To be honest, I don’t really like this option: it interferes with the natural balance of humidity between the soil and the house (according to theory, loamy soil itself regulates humidity and maintains it at the optimal level). But I don't know any other options. Maybe plaster the walls outside
clay, dry and fill? Clay plaster protects wood from rotting.
Indoor humidity probably depends on the type of soil and the depth of groundwater. We have loam, water - at 5–7 m. Experience shows that dampness does not occur in a heated “fox hole”. Only Tanya Skomarokhova faced the problem of dampness: she has a cellar attached to her hole, and from there dampness comes through the door. She also noticed that the ceiling in the corner was getting wet and the boards were rotting: apparently, the backfill there was insufficient, and the roofing material was damaged somewhere. And perhaps condensation? It may well appear on the roofing felt from the side of the boards if the room is humid from the cellar.
Tanya was also the only one whose mink suffered from the load of the earth. After a year of use, the ridge beam showed a noticeable crack, and it was necessary to support it with a post in the center of the house. The length of the beam is 4 m, the diameter is about 16-18 cm, there is a large knot at the break point. It must be said that the logs were used from burnt wood, which also affected the strength. (Nadya Rubtsova’s ridge beam with exactly the same characteristics is working properly).
The conclusions are as follows: use a log that is thicker and has a minimum of knots. And, most importantly, rest the rafters against each other in order to redistribute the load onto the walls. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the upper wall trim. Although, according to our standard design, numerous boards of the walls (perpendicular to the ridge), as well as the soil itself, should protect the walls (parallel to the ridge) from moving away. It must be said that Tanya’s “fox hole” is generally a phenomenon. Our own settlers built there, but the work was poorly organized, there was no experience and no design. They did it, one might say, at random. Now I look and am surprised: the distance between the rafters is 133 cm, and the sheathing is made of inch wood (!). The Thumbelina bent under the weight of the earth, but it held! Of course, all subsequent ones are constructed more intelligently.
Are you asking about racks? Everything is alright with them! They're not going anywhere.
Various smart people advised doing ventilation through two vertical pipes. However, it has not been implemented anywhere, and no one has ever suffered from it. Although it is possible that it would be even better with her, including in such “clinical” cases as Tanya Skomarokhova’s. The windows in all our “holes” are from the facade, and the facade is from one of the gables.
Also, in two “holes” (Nadia Rubtsova and Nina Ivanovna) there were ceiling windows. Before installing the first one, we debated for a long time: is it worth it? They talked about fears about lakes of condensation, about rainwater flowing under the glass, under the frame, about hail breaking the glass, about how it would be swept away in winter anyway... They did it and saw: WORTH IT!!! There was no leakage of water, hail did not damage it either (the top glass is tempered), snow does not cause any inconvenience and is easy to clean. True, Nadya still had some condensation. But this did not overshadow the satisfaction from the window: a bright, but soft, pleasant diffused light from above from the side illuminates the house until sunset.
I present a standard design for the Fox Nora house, according to which three currently inhabited “holes” were built (the other 3, built under the roof, are also very similar in design). True, I only drew the initial stage. Further it will be clear from the description. Our burrow sizes range from 2.5x2.5 to 4x4.
1. The hole being dug is larger in size than the planned hole. For a 4x4 hole, we dug a 5x5 m hole. Our average depth is 1.5 m.
2. Roofing material is laid on the bottom along the perimeter of the future frame.
3. We place 4 logs of the lower trim on the roofing material, connect them into half a tree, level them (with some error possible), adjust them until the diagonals are equal and secure them with staples. As an option, you can place the bottom trim on bricks. In our area, the main soil is loam, so it can be considered reliable and the pillars should not be buried deep.
4. We install 4 pillars (length -180–200 cm) at the corners of the lower frame: for a good fit, we trim either the frame logs or the posts. Of course, we check it plumb. We fix it with temporary cuts, from a slab, for example (not shown in the figure).
5. We install central pillars (length 250–300 cm) in the middle of sides A and C. We fasten them with a slab with corner posts.
6. Install the ridge and beams. It is recommended to take longer than sides B and D according to the project in order to provide a canopy on the facade side.
7. Install the rafters. In our projects they rest on the ridge, but it’s probably better to rest them against each other. The distance between the rafters is 80 - 100 cm. When using a canopy from the facade, it is necessary that one pair of rafters be just above the logs and posts of side A.
8. Intermediate pillars are cut into each side. In the 4x4 project we had 2 of them on each side.
9. The walls of the resulting frame are sheathed on the outside with boards (25 mm) and roofing felt. The facade wall needs to be additionally insulated.
10. Lathing is placed on the rafters and roofing felt is placed. Our lathing is 25–30 mm, but it’s better to make it thicker or make the rafters more frequent.
11. Next are windows, doors and all that. Then the interior finishing.
It’s not difficult to build the Fox Nora house with your own hands, you just need to do everything “wisely”!
Yes, if you build a small garden house. Garden houses are small-sized houses that are built quickly and at the same time with high quality.
If you are planning to build a country house inexpensively, spending a minimum of time, then read this article. In it we will tell you about a very interesting version of garden houses, about houses built on the principle of a fox hole.
What is a fox hole garden house? Most of you have probably watched the film “The Lord of the Rings”, so, remember the homes of the magical hobbits. They just lived in the “fox hole” houses. The fox hole house is very similar in principle to ordinary dugouts. It is worth noting that dugouts are a very good shelter from any bad weather, be it wind, heavy rain or cold. And if you are thinking about how to build a house cheaply, then the fox hole house option is just for you.
Fox hole house - all the pros and cons...
What advantages do garden houses based on the fox hole principle have?
Advantages:
*construction speed. You can build a fox hole garden house yourself with full finishing in 2 weeks
*if you want to build a country house inexpensively, then this option of a garden house is for you.
*Fox Hole garden houses require minimal repairs, since the entire roof is covered with earth, *the façade of the house is reduced to a minimum
*favorable climate inside the garden house. In summer it remains pleasantly cool, and in winter *the houses keep warm for a long time
*saving electricity when heating the room. Garden houses based on the fox hole principle for a long time *retain heat; they can be heated even at -30 only once a day
Inexpensive garden houses are real, but in addition to advantages, any construction has its disadvantages.
The disadvantages of such inexpensive garden houses include only psychological factors. The desire to feel sunlight in the daytime, the desire to hit from above, on the ground, and not underground, desires can be listed more and more, each person can experience his own special needs. Therefore, before construction, weigh all the pros and cons and only after that make a decision.
Waterproofing in garden houses
The humidity inside the garden house will depend on the depth of the groundwater and the quality of the soil. For waterproofing, bikrost or roofing material is placed under the bottom trim. Over time, waterproofing may be damaged in areas where roofing material is damaged. Also, poor waterproofing is often found in houses that have a cellar attached.
When building a garden house, it is very important to use as thick, even logs as possible with a minimum number of knots. Because over time, logs can break under load. Most often, logs break in places where there are knots.
How to build a house cheaply
Let us describe the construction of the fox hole house step by step:
1. a hole is dug around the perimeter 1 meter larger than the planned garden house
2. roofing felt is placed on the bottom
3. Four logs are placed on top, leveling. These logs will serve as the lowest frame for the house. You can place the logs of the bottom trim on bricks
4. Logs are placed at the corners of the lower trim
5. Place pillars in the middle of sides A and C, securing them with corner brackets
6. attach beams and ridge
7. install rafters
8. Intermediate pillars are cut into each side
9. The resulting walls of the garden house are sheathed with roofing felt or 25 mm boards
10. additionally insulate the facade walls of the garden house
11. lathing is nailed to the rafters and the roof is covered with roofing felt.
12. windows can be made if desired
13. Next they are working on the interior decoration of the garden house
14. Finally, you can begin decorative exterior decoration of the garden house
Garden houses can be built using different construction technologies. In this article we told you how to build a house cheaply. Good luck with your construction!
The design and construction of in-ground dwellings is currently developing at a rapid pace, as it is one of the ways to reduce the dependence of residential buildings on a continuous supply of fuel. Previously, it was believed that mention of the possibility of building underground or buried dwellings could, due to a negative psychological reaction, cause a negative attitude towards any other similar ideas.
In fact, man has always turned to the earth to protect himself from the effects of unfavorable and extreme climatic conditions. Only the historically short era of accessible and cheap fuel allowed us to build climate-independent homes and supply those homes with the energy we need to create comfortable conditions. Now that the availability of fossil fuels is declining and their prices are rising rapidly, it is time to reconsider the opportunities that the earth offers us.
We collect information on the site about the construction of fox holes and dugouts.
Basements and cellars: how to build
Outside the city you can’t do without a cellar and basement. Especially if you have your own vegetable garden (and you almost always have one on the site). I would like to preserve vegetables, pickles, and apples for the winter... A good basement (cellar) is very important, and therefore you need to approach its construction wisely.
Everyone who is faced with the problem of long-term storage of large quantities of fresh fruits and vegetables needs to build a cellar.
Methods for storing fruits and vegetables outside the home: in earthen pits, piles, ice storage, in various types of cellars, etc.
Bounded house
The exceptionally hot summer of 2010 caused a lot of trouble for Russians. There was simply nowhere to escape from the heat. Personally, I took refuge in the basement of my own house, where the temperature was quite comfortable, which allowed me to sleep normally in a pleasant coolness. True, you won’t live in a semi-basement. Thoughts involuntarily came to mind - how to combine this comfortable temperature regime of the semi-basement, which is cool in summer and warm in winter, with the usual convenience of natural light in an ordinary house. Here, by the way, I remembered the project of the bunded house Fox Hole by B. Novoselov (House No. 10, 1999). The most significant disadvantages of this project are the lack of natural light and the need to ensure high-quality waterproofing of the house. Both are quite difficult to do using the proposed methods. By slightly changing the specified design and using modern materials, we were able to solve these problems.
I note that this is just a project, but I also used my personal experience when choosing some design solutions.
Comments: 3
Photo of the house and interior of the fox hole
Photo sent by Dmitry Dorogov.
Comments: 1, Catalog: 9
Two solutions to the fox hole
We will illustrate the design solutions for bunded buildings with two examples. These buildings are simple and economical. They can be compared to well-made, carefully insulated conventional buildings, although they cannot be considered perfect. The examples of solutions provided should not be considered optimal. Attention is drawn to the main features of the projects, which consider: firstly, architectural and planning solutions; secondly, issues of energy conservation; thirdly, economic characteristics according to local designers. Capital and operating cost issues are of paramount importance for the construction of in-ground dwellings.
Garden houses "fox hole" see also
Is it possible to build a house inexpensively? Yes, if you build a small garden house. Garden houses They are small houses that are built quickly and at the same time with high quality. If you are planning to build a country house inexpensively, spending a minimum of time, then read this article. In it we will tell you about a very interesting version of garden houses, about houses built on the principle of a fox hole. After reading the article, you will learn what kind of houses these are and how to properly build a “fox hole” garden house. What is a fox hole garden house? Most of you have probably watched the film “The Lord of the Rings”, so, remember the homes of the magical hobbits. They just lived in the “fox hole” houses. The fox hole house is very similar in principle to ordinary dugouts. It is worth noting that dugouts are a very good shelter from any bad weather, be it wind, heavy rain or cold. And if you are thinking about how to build a house cheaply, then the fox hole house option is just for you.
Fox hole house - all the pros and cons.
What advantages do they have?garden houseslike a fox hole? Advantages:- speed of construction. You can build a fox hole garden house yourself with full finishing in 2 weeks
- If you want to build a country house inexpensively, then this option of a garden house is for you.
- “Fox Hole” garden houses require minimal repairs, since the entire roof is covered with earth, the facade of the house is reduced to a minimum
- favorable climate inside the garden house. In summer it remains pleasantly cool, and in winter the houses keep warm for a long time
- saving energy when heating a room. Garden houses based on the fox hole principle retain heat for a long time; even at -30, they can be heated only once a day
Inexpensive garden houses- this is real, but in addition to its advantages, any construction has its disadvantages. The disadvantages of such inexpensive garden houses include only psychological factors. The desire to feel sunlight in the daytime, the desire to hit from above, on the ground, and not underground, desires can be listed more and more, each person can experience his own special needs. Therefore, before construction, weigh all the pros and cons and only after that make a decision.Waterproofing in garden houses
The humidity inside the garden house will depend on the depth of the groundwater and the quality of the soil. For waterproofing, bikrost or roofing material is placed under the bottom trim. Over time, waterproofing may be damaged in areas where roofing material is damaged. Also, poor waterproofing is often found in houses that have a cellar attached. When building a garden house, it is very important to use as thick, even logs as possible with a minimum number of knots. Because over time, logs can break under load. Most often, logs break in places where there are knots.
How to build a house cheaply
Let us describe the construction of the fox hole house step by step: 
1. a hole is dug around the perimeter 1 meter larger than the planned garden house 2. roofing material is laid on the bottom 3. four logs are laid on top, leveling. These logs will serve as the lowest frame for the house. You can place the logs of the bottom frame on bricks 4. Place the logs in the corners of the bottom frame 5. Place the pillars in the middle of sides A and C, securing them with corner brackets 6. Attach the beams and ridge 7. Install the rafters 
8. Intermediate pillars are cut into each side 9. The resulting walls of the garden house are sheathed with roofing felt or 25 mm boards 10. The front walls of the garden house are additionally insulated 11. Sheathing is nailed to the rafters and the roof is covered with roofing felt 12. Windows are made if desired 13. Then they work on the interior finishing the garden house 14. Finally, you can begin decorative exterior finishing of the garden house Garden houses can be built using different construction technologies. In this article we told you how to build a house cheaply. Good luck with your construction!
In the section: Cottage | and in subsections: do it yourself. | Author-compiler of the article: Lev Aleksandrovich Debarkader
Somehow, while surfing the Internet, I came across practical experience in building a dugout for living as an alternative inexpensive cottage. and even with your own hands. The main thing I didn’t like (against the background of excellent speed, cheapness, comfort and other bonuses) is that in the spring the dugout was flooded. Agree, it’s not very pleasant to wake up one day and put your feet in a cold puddle.
Therefore, it becomes clear that new, fashionable dugouts (covered in the articles Dugouts past and present and Dugouts from Peter Vetsch - trump dugouts) are by no means a cheap pleasure, at least because it is necessary to carry out a lot of work to drain soil water in order not to end up in a puddle #128578;
But, after analyzing the articles on our website Interestko.info. I realized that the problem of the dugout being flooded could be solved. Moreover, in inexpensive, simple, fast and pleasant ways, entirely with your own hands. But it will be dugout that is not a dugout. How so? you ask. These are opposites! To which I will answer: The sign of a good invention is the combination of opposites into one whole. How? Well, that’s what article #128578; is about.
Let's look into the reasons for flooding of an ordinary dugout. To do this, let’s remember the article Groundwater, think a little and voila:
That is, there is a waterproof layer close to the surface; in the spring there is a lot of flood water, there is nowhere for it to go (because the waterproof layer has a very small slope; there is nowhere for the water to flow), so the inhabitants of the dugout float. Consequently, any dugout dug in such conditions is doomed to flood.
Of course, the solution would be to build a dugout where the waterproof layer
It would be ideal to dig into the slope, create something like a Fox Hole (an interesting type of house).
However, such conditions are encountered very rarely. So the fox hole is for the chosen few. We need to adapt the dugout.
The key to solving the problem (how to build a flood-proof dugout) was the article House in stone in the Art Nouveau style. Let us briefly recall what was discussed.
Using removable formwork No. 1 (hay) and removable formwork No. 2 (surrounding soil), a dome-shaped space was created for pouring concrete. When the concrete had set, the earth outside was removed, and the hay from inside was fed to the calf. The result was a concrete dome at a minimum cost (in general, only for the delivery of concrete and the concrete itself). And then the finishing.
What's the key? The fact is that the dugout can be built on the ground, and not underground. There is no need to dig a hole and cover it with a roof. You can, roughly speaking, fill a hill and cover it with a roof. Thus we get simultaneously:
- The dugout, since it is made in the earth, is surrounded by earth
- Not a dugout, because, unlike traditional ones, it is not buried.
This approach retains all the advantages of a dugout:
And it eliminates the disadvantage: flooding of a dugout is impossible simply because it is located above the ground.
And now a little more details.
How to make a dugout that is not a dugout.
The sequence is very simple. Let's start with the foundation. Here, just on the surface of the earth, the foundation is made. Solid concrete is best, but depending on your preference. For reference, the article Gravel Foundation may be useful. We remember that the house must include communications: water, sewerage, electricity, Internet, etc.
The next step: using straw briquettes (or some other lightweight filler, even from old bags or mattresses) the lower tier of the future interior space of the house is made. From a source of earth (future pond, well, septic tank, ditch with a palisade, etc.), the earth is laid in a heap along the straw and compacted.
As a result, we get very thick adobe walls without any kind of complex formwork. Accordingly, we save effort, time, money. By the way, these walls are guaranteed not to fall during any earthquake #128578; They will only get compacted even more.
Now it's the turn of the roof. Now we have a hill with the height that you wanted for housing + some reserve. Inside the hill, the future space of the house is filled with straw. Now it’s elementary: cover the entire structure with polyethylene and pour concrete on top. It is bounded on the sides by a rampart made of earth, and below by earthen walls and straw. Remember that you need windows and other openings; It is not necessary to fill them with concrete.
A number of technical details remain, such as:
- Waterproofing. But this needs to be looked at in each specific case separately, while the house is a project, and there are no recipes for all occasions yet.
- Increasing roof strength. This question can become an issue if you want for yourself not a house with a diameter of 5-6 meters, but a cottage with an area of 200 m2. Then everything is very simple: the concrete for the roof is reinforced with reinforcement. Plus, perhaps, a couple of columns. They can be raised at the same time as the walls grow, simply by leaving a space in the hay and pouring concrete there. It's like a monolithic construction.
- The same approach will apply if you decide to do several walls the concrete is simply poured into the spaces between the straw.
- Further, earth for compaction. Ideally, the ground should come right from under your feet. But if it is sand/chernozem, that is, you cannot cook porridge from it, you will need to mix clay. So in the absence of a cheap source of clay, this type of house will increase in price.
In general, that's all. The rest is up to your taste, for which, as they say, there is no friend.
- You can make a house alone, with your own hands.
- This is the most economical house; Moreover, the concrete on the foundation and roof can be replaced with other materials from the book A House Made of Adobe. Philosophy and practice.
- The house is warm, almost energy-passive.
- Such a house is not at risk of flooding. Unless there is a flood, and even then the house will struggle.
So, a dugout that is not a dugout is a great option!
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Do-it-yourself eco-house. Photo article
It’s no secret that leading a healthy lifestyle while living in a large city and following the established rules of city life is quite difficult. This is why most people who choose a healthy lifestyle sooner or later think about moving out of town. Most often here we are talking about our own land. Now there are many visions (essentially, ideologies) of life outside the city. But in my article today I will not dwell on this. What will I tell you about?
Just today I returned from a short trip to the Urals, where I was invited to one of the eco-villages. I spent the whole day there talking with residents about green building, and learned a lot of interesting information about it. For reference, green construction, otherwise, the construction of eco-houses is the construction of buildings from natural materials that do not have a negative impact on the environment. Most often, sane and sober-minded people pay attention to such buildings. An important factor here is also the availability and low cost of materials. The construction of the eco-houses described below cost the owners from thirty to one hundred thousand rubles (not taking into account the costs of providing water and electricity). Now let's talk about everything in order.
The eco-village, which I was lucky enough to visit, is located among the most beautiful forests and meadows.
On its territory (total area of about 200 hectares) a river flows and there are several lakes.
And here is the first eco-house I came across. It's called a fox hole. Since ancient times, it has also been known as a dugout. There is not much space inside, but in winter it is warm and you can heat it once every two days.
The second type is represented by clay pot. The most rapidly erected and least expensive. Essentially, it is firewood and clay. Often a small depression is made in the ground. And it looks very good! In the photo, however, it is under construction.
The third type of eco-houses is an upgrade of clay pots in appearance, but uses the principle of adobe construction (adobe a mixture of clay, straw and sand). In the photo, the house is being built from firewood and heavy adobe around a former bathhouse (also partially built from adobe).
As you can see, do it yourself eco house Anyone can build it if they have the desire (and a little skill).
Construction of the "Fox Hole" Housing in the ground. Our settlement is truly famous for its “fox holes”. And even in addition to the “official” name Rodniki, options were proposed: Lisienorsk and Norouralsk. But we can boast more about the quantity of such housing than about the creative originality of the projects (although in the future, convinced “mineral diggers” - I am sure - will show the wonders of architecture. Projects for 8-sided and round “fox holes” are already being hatched). It so happened historically that three inhabited “minks” were built with the goal of getting a finished home as soon as possible, spending little money. In addition to them (Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova, Nadya Rubtsova, Tanya Skomarokhova), there are two already filled in, but without interior decoration and without a stove (Volodya Simakhin and Andrei Beloborodov) and another small one (2.5x2.5 m), adapted for summer house (Okulovskikh). In the next two to three years, at least 4 more families promise to build “fox holes” for themselves. 1. Construction speed. One (Nadia Rubtsova) was brought from scratch (a hole dug by an excavator) to a habitable state (with a stove and interior decoration) in two weeks, of which it took 3 days to erect the frame, sheathing and backfilling. Of course, with the help of neighbors; Now about the disadvantages of “fox holes”: About waterproofing the Fox Nora house. Indoor humidity probably depends on the type of soil and the depth of groundwater. We have loam, water - at 5–7 m. Experience shows that dampness does not occur in a heated “fox hole”. Only Tanya Skomarokhova faced the problem of dampness: she has a cellar attached to her hole, and from there dampness comes through the door. She also noticed that the ceiling in the corner was getting wet and the boards were rotting: apparently, the backfill there was insufficient, and the roofing material was damaged somewhere. And perhaps condensation? It may well appear on the roofing felt from the side of the boards if the room is humid from the cellar. Tanya was also the only one whose mink suffered from the load of the earth. After a year of use, the ridge beam showed a noticeable crack, and it was necessary to support it with a post in the center of the house. The length of the beam is 4 m, the diameter is about 16-18 cm, there is a large knot at the break point. It must be said that the logs were used from burnt wood, which also affected the strength. (Nadya Rubtsova’s ridge beam with exactly the same characteristics is working properly). The conclusions are as follows: use a log that is thicker and has a minimum of knots. And, most importantly, rest the rafters against each other in order to redistribute the load onto the walls. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the quality of the upper wall trim. Although, according to our standard design, numerous boards of the walls (perpendicular to the ridge), as well as the soil itself, should protect the walls (parallel to the ridge) from moving away. It must be said that Tanya’s “fox hole” is generally a phenomenon. Our own settlers built there, but the work was poorly organized, there was no experience and no design. They did it, one might say, at random. Now I look and am surprised: the distance between the rafters is 133 cm, and the sheathing is made of inch wood (!). The Thumbelina bent under the weight of the earth, but it held! Of course, all subsequent ones are constructed more intelligently. Are you asking about racks? Everything is alright with them! They're not going anywhere. I present a standard design for the Fox Nora house, according to which three currently inhabited “holes” were built (the other 3, built under the roof, are also very similar in design). True, I only drew the initial stage. Further it will be clear from the description. Our burrow sizes range from 2.5x2.5 to 4x4. It’s not difficult to build the Fox Nora house with your own hands, you just need to do everything “wisely”! Attached images |
I’m guilty of copy-paste, I really liked the article.
Our settlement is truly famous for its fox holes. And even in addition to the “official” name Rodniki, the options Lisenorsk and Norouralsk were proposed. But we can boast more about the number of holes than about the creative originality of the projects (although in the future, convinced burrowers - I am sure - will show the wonders of architecture. Projects for 8-sided and round fox holes are already being hatched). It so happened historically that the three currently inhabited holes were built in order to get a finished home as soon as possible, spending little money.
In addition to these 3 inhabited heated holes (Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova, Nadya Rubtsova, Tanya Skomarokhova) there are 2 already filled in, but without interior decoration and without a stove, and (Volodya Simakhin and Andrei Beloborodov) another 1 small (2.5x2.5 m) adapted under a summer house (Okulovskikh). In the next couple of years, at least 4 more families promise to build fox holes for themselves. 
Such popularity is associated with the advantages of such a home:
1. Construction speed. One of the holes (Nadia Rubtsova) was brought to a habitable state (with a stove and interior decoration) in 2 weeks from scratch (a hole dug by an excavator), of which it took 3 days to erect the frame, lining and backfill. Of course, with the help of neighbors.
2. Cheap. In almost all our projects, the main materials are round timber and unedged boards.
3. Low repair costs. Since the facade is reduced to a minimum and the roof is covered with earth, they do not need to be repaired.
4. Internal climate. In winter, newborns spend REALLY LESS firewood (at -30 they heat it once a day) than their neighbors in log houses. They can leave for a few days and not heat without the risk of freezing their home (although in practice we still heat each other’s stoves in the absence of the owners). In summer the house is pleasantly cool.
5. No official building permit is needed (an advantage for those who are afraid of guests from the land committee). Although Ukraine probably has its own specifics.
Disadvantages of fox holes:
1. The earth, like reinforced concrete slabs, has shielding properties, that is, it is an obstacle to natural cosmic radiation. People sensitive to subtle energy feel this as internal discomfort. Therefore, it is better for such people to build wooden houses that are permeable to radiation.
2. The inability to look out the window, the desire to be on top of the earth are also serious psychological factors.
For me personally, these 2 disadvantages are very significant. That's why I live in a log house. For the same reasons, apparently, the inhabitants of all three inhabited burrows dream of moving to the surface in the future. While the settlers, who do not yet have any housing on the estate, dream of fox holes. 
The oldest hole (house of Nina Ivanovna Fetkulova) was built in 2004, the other two in 2006. Backfill - from 0.5 m to 1 m. The experiment was a success: the owners are generally satisfied with their homes. 
About waterproofing. In all 5 cases (except for the Okulovsky summer micromink, I don’t know about it), roofing material or bicrost was used. It was placed under the bottom trim (for almost everyone, except Volodya Simakhin, it lies on the ground, and for him - on bricks), it was also used to cover the boards of the walls from the outside. To be honest, I don’t really like this option: it interferes with the natural balance of humidity between the soil and the house (according to theory, loamy soil itself regulates humidity and maintains it at the optimal level). But I don't know any other options. Maybe I should plaster the outside walls with clay, dry it and fill it up? Clay plaster protects wood from rotting.
The humidity in the room probably depends on the type of soil and the depth of groundwater. We have loam, water at 5..7 m. Experience shows that dampness does not occur in a heated fox hole. Only Tanya Skomarokhova faced the problem of dampness: she has a cellar attached to her hole, and from there dampness comes through the door. She also noticed that the ceiling in the corner was getting wet and the boards were rotting: there was probably insufficient backfill and the roofing material was damaged somewhere. Or maybe condensation? It may well appear on the roofing felt from the side of the boards if the room is humid from the cellar.
Tanya was also the only one whose hole suffered from the load of the earth. After a year of use, the ridge beam showed a noticeable crack, and it was necessary to support it with a post in the center of the house. The length of the beam is 4 m, the diameter is about 16-18 cm, there is a large knot at the break point. It must be said that the logs were used from firewood, which also affected the strength. (Nadya Rubtsova’s ridge beam with exactly the same characteristics is working properly). The conclusions are as follows: use a log that is thicker and has a minimum of knots. And, most importantly, rest the rafters against each other in order to redistribute the load onto the walls. In this case, it is worth paying attention to the quality of the upper wall trim. Although, according to our standard design, numerous wall boards (perpendicular to the ridge), as well as the soil itself, should protect the walls (parallel to the ridge) from moving away.
It must be said that Tanya’s hole is a total phenomenon. Our settlers built there, but the work was poorly organized, no one knew the project. They did it, one might say, at random. Now I look and am surprised: the distance between the rafters is 133 cm and the sheathing is made of inch (!). The Thumbelina bent under the weight of the earth, but it held! Of course, all other holes are built more intelligently.
You're asking about racks. Everything is alright with them! They're not going anywhere.
Various smart people advised doing ventilation through two vertical pipes. However, it has not been implemented anywhere, and no one has ever suffered from it. Although it is possible that it would be even better with her, including in such “clinical” cases as Tanya Skomarokhova’s.
The windows in all our holes are from the facade, and the facade is from one of the gables.
In two more holes (Nadia Rubtsova and Nina Ivanovna) ceiling windows were made. Before installing the first one, we debated for a long time: is it worth it? They talked about fears about lakes of condensation, about rainwater flowing under the glass, under the frame, about hail breaking the glass, about how it would be swept away in winter anyway... They did it and saw: WORTH IT!!! There was no leakage of water, hail did not damage it either (the top glass is tempered), snow does not cause any inconvenience and is easy to clean. True, Nadya still had some condensation. But this did not overshadow the satisfaction from the window: a bright, but soft, pleasant diffused light from above and from the side illuminates the house until sunset.
No condensation was noticed on the second window (at Nina Ivanovna’s).
I present a standard design according to which the three mentioned currently inhabited burrows were built (the other 3, placed under a roof, are also very similar in design). True, I only drew the initial stage. Further it will be clear from the description. Our burrow sizes range from 2.5x2.5 to 4x4. 
1. The hole being dug is larger in size than the planned hole. For a 4x4 hole, we dug a 5x5 m hole. Our average depth is 1.5 m.
2. Roofing material is laid on the bottom along the perimeter of the future frame.
3. We place 4 logs of the lower trim on the roofing material, connect them into half a tree, level them (with some error possible), adjust them until the diagonals are equal and secure them with brackets. As an option, you can place the bottom trim on bricks. In our area, the main soil is loam, so it can be considered reliable, and the pillars should not be buried deep.
4. We install 4 pillars (length = 180..200 cm) on the corners of the lower frame: for a good fit, we trim either the frame logs or the posts. Of course, we check it plumb. We fix it with temporary cuts, from a slab, for example (not shown in the figure).
5. We install central pillars (length 250..300 cm) in the middle of sides A and C. We fasten them with a slab with corner posts.
6. Install the ridge and beams. It is recommended to take it longer than sides B and D according to the project in order to provide a canopy on the facade side.
7. Install the rafters. In our projects they rest on the ridge, but it’s probably better to rest them against each other. The distance between the rafters is 80..100 cm. When using a canopy from the facade, it is necessary that one pair of rafters be just above the logs and posts of side A.
8. Intermediate pillars are cut into each side. In the 4x4 project we had 2 of them on each side.
9. The walls of the resulting frame are sheathed on the outside with boards (25 mm) and roofing felt. The facade wall needs to be additionally insulated.
10. Lathing is placed on the rafters and roofing felt is placed. Our lathing is 25..30 mm, but it’s better to make it thicker, or make the rafters more frequent.
11. Well, there are windows, doors and all that. Then the interior finishing. 
That's all.