Underground Space. Vol. 1, pp. 135- 156. ©Perga mon Press 1976. Printed in U.S.A.

The Architectural Underground

KENNETH LABS
Star Route, Mechanicsville, PA 18934

Underground space is a resource of great potential benefit which has

been exploited in different parts of the world for thousands of years.
While some cultures literally have lived an underground existence, others
have yet to realize any of the benefits of subsurface use. This article is
concerned with the use of underground space for architectural applica-
tion, i.e., designed for the purpose of human habitation or occupance
for the tasks of daily life. Historical underground applications usually
revolve around a few primary themes, which were the subject of Part I.
The major emphasis of interest in the subsurface has shifted several
times in the past few decades, during which a rich assortment of
building types and forms has emerged. Part II examines these modern
forms and functions with the intention of summarizing our current state
of practice.

PART II: FORMS AND FUNCTIONS IN
THE MODERN WORLD
Introduction
PART I of this article described the heritage of
undergound space use and identified several major
themes of subsurface development evident through-
out history in various cultures of the world. These
themes consist of climatic, ·defensive, and resource-
related responses to the local environment, and of
ceremonial or experientially-related uses of the sub -
surface derived from its symbolic and physical
attributes.
Also in Part I, a distinction was made between
types of underground development which are ex-
cavated in self -supporting media and those which
are built up through the practice known as cut-and-
cover construction. This first technique has been
described as lithotecture, which generally assumes
some method of subsurface excavation (such as
mining or tunneling) in geologic strata. The latter
process has been termed terratecture, and it applies
specifically to building construction in soil environ-
ments.*
*These descriptions follow directly from geog-
rapher Truman Stauffer's definitions of "terraspace"
and "lithospace" submitted to the symposium on
the "Development and Utilization of Underground
Space," Kansas City, 1975 (Department of Geo-
sciences, University of Missouri, Kansas City).
"Lithotecture" and "terratecture" have appeared
previously in the literature, and are used here in
agreement with both their earlier use as well as
Stauffer's.
Considering the scope of conventional profes-
sional practice, near-surface terratectural building is
likely to be the only form of subsurface construc-
tion within the capability or interest of most archi-
tectural offices. It is not surprising then that the
overwhelming majority of modern instances of
underground architectural application fall into this
category; for this reason, Part II will deal exclusive-
ly with terratectural alternatives in architectural
design.
The Relationship Between Fonn and Function
The relationship between form and function has
always been at issue in the development of a theory
or an aesthetic of modern architecture. In possibly
no other mode of architectural design is this rela-
tionship - at least regarding the typology of form
- more critical to the satisfactory performance of a
building than in subsurface applications.
Underground designs, for instance, may call into
question the utility and psychological value of
features as ordinary as windows, sunlight, on-grade
access, and visual identity of the building as an
object. These elements need not be sacrificed in
terratectural alternatives, but the implications are
clear: a fully subsurface chamber cannot have
exterior windows, nor will it have a highly visible
form. In building functions where natural light and
views are highly regarded (such as residences or
offices), or where visibility and curb appeal are
essential economic considerations (shops, restau-
rants , etc.), such a form is ill-suited to the building
program. On the other hand, many building func-

135
136 Kenneth Labs

0 10 20

FIG. 1. Although an addition to an existing surface

structure, this power monitoring station exemplifies
a security-consious "para-geotectural" function
which has been housed in an earth-covered building.
Architects for the Texas Power and Light facility
are Brown, Brown, and Associates of Dallas, Texas.

FIG. 2. Theatres, concert halls, and auditoria are buildings which by nature are antipathetic to natural
lighting. Pictured above is one of two fully subgrade grass-covered theatres at the Jefferson National
Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri, beneath the Gateway Arch. (Photo by the author)
 The Architectural Underground
tions already are well adapted to subsurface environ-
ments* , and realize little benefit from being on the
surface where they are subjected to wind, rain, sun,
and seasonal temperature fluctuations. Examples in-
clude warehouses, telephone switching facilities ,
electric substations, parking garages, and assembly
plants. If the aspect of imageability is discounted ,
this list can be greatly expanded to include uses
such as theatres and auditoria , galleries and
museums, night clubs , supermarkets, department
stores , recording studios, and a host of other both
common and esoteric applications. On the other
hand , terratectural buildings are not necessarily
formless or image!ess, as the following classification
chart illustrates.
A TAXONOMY OF TER- IAI IBI
RATECTURAL TYPES
BERM SUBGRADE
1 CHAMBER:
WINDOWLESS
2 ATRIUM OR
COURTYARD
3 ELEVATIONAL :
WALL EXPOSED
4 PENETRATIONAL:
WALL OPENINGS
FIG. 3. A classification guide to earth-covered struc-
tures. Types A3 and B3 represent the classic "dug-
out" form which has enjoyed a significant revival in
recent years. (This chart has been modified from an
earlier version which first appeared in the author's
thesis, "The Architectural Use of Underground
Space: Issues arid Applications").
This simple taxonomy suggests the diversity of
physical options available in earth-covered construc-
tion. The variety of surface-to-subsurface relation-
ships which characterize the types depicted here
suggest that caution be exercised in generalizing
about the "intrinsic" qualities of underground struc-
tures. The two abstracted types presented - berm
and subgrade - are simply points of departure for
modification, combination , and compromise to suit
individual sites and requirements. Nonetheless , some
generalizations are appropriate to these two types in
their pure forms.
Berm-type structures may be molded into the
landscape or may be used to create bold , simple
forms. They are easily shaped to facilitate on-grade
access and window exposures, particularly when
used in conjunction with retaining walls. Berms shed
*These functions are said to be para-geotectural,
or "as underground." Para-geotectural qualities us-
ually are assumed to include windowlessness, which
is not, however , a universal characteristic of earth-
covered stru ctures. Para-geotectural functions may
best be described as those "which might as well be
underground."
137
water readily , balance on-site cuts and fills , and are
well adapted for use in areas of high ground water
level. Earth berms themselves may be used as archi-
tectural elements (to shape space), as visual and
acoustical barriers , and/ or as interesting play sur-
faces.
Subgrade structures permit continuity of the
grade level, and have been popularly employed
where site and building programs demand a low-
profile or a "non-building" architectural solution.
One of the great virtues of sub-grade structures is
this invisibility and the non-disruptive integration
into existing contexts which it enables.
Atriums and courtyards are frequently incor-
porated into subgrade designs to provide access , to
create outdoor rooms, and to introduce natural light
into the building's recesses. Fully subgrade struc-
tures also offer the greatest opportunity for maxi-
mizing land use on a single site , as will be illustrated
Ia ter in this paper.
Windowlessness
Windowlessness cannot be regarded as an inherent
characteristic of the subsurface, yet it always will be
an inescapable issue in the design of terratectural
alternatives. Although fenestration is available to
many underground building forms, the area and
orientation of windows always will be somewhat
limited and a determining factor in the arrangement,
or zoning, of interior functions.
The subject of windowlessness itself has generated
a great deal of debate during the past two decades ,
but it remains clouded by much emotionalism and
little empirical or psychological study .* The usual
effect of eliminating windows is to internalize the
environment, i.e ., to focus it inward by removing
outside stimuli which are unrelated to the task at
hand. Some architects have been quick to seize the
advantage of this feature , especially in the design of
learning environments where exterior distractions
(traffic , playground activity , lawn mowing) interrupt
students' concentration while challenging teach-
ers' disciplinary authority.
The idea of windowless or underground schools
has been met with apprehension and claims of
"unnaturalness" on the part of parents. Performance
studies assessing students' achievement and behavior,
teacher attitudes, and post facto community opin-
ion in such situations , however , have shown them to
be at least as effective as neighboring control
schools; there is some additional evidence to suggest
greater satisfaction and benefit from windowless
classrooms than from ordinary, windowed , surface
school rooms.
*A survey of literature on the topic is available
from the National Bureau of Standards, #NBS
Building Sci. Series 70.
138 Kenneth Labs

DISPATCHING

0 10 20

---- - -------------- -- ------- ---- ---

: ...: . . ··...:

0 10 20 LOBBY DISPATCHING

FIG. 4. Th e St. Louis City Fire Alarm Headquarters houses racks of electronic and switching gear for
dispatching fire and police calls. Located on the edge of Forest Park , the struct u re 's roof frequently is used as a
field for baseball and football games. The facility was designed by Hellmuth , Oba ta, and Kassabaum, Inc.,
Architects. (Plan provided by the St. Louis Fire and Police Telegraph Section; photo by the author)
 The Architectural Underground
Less controversial uses of windowless environ-
ments are those in which people spend little time ,
and where windows jeopardize or conflict with the
performance of the function being housed. Exam-
ples include photographic lighting studios, dark-
rooms, museum storage, refrigerated warehouses,
planetariums, mushroom farms, and the "para-
geotectural" applications previously discussed.
For functions in which natural light and views are
highly desirable, expected, or may connote status
(as in the top floors of an office building), the
absence of windows will usually result in some form
of occupant discontent. Dissatisfaction caused by
what one may perceive as substandard conditions
ultimately will fault the overall performance of a
structure, regardless of extra-functional benefits
such as energy conservation and landscape preserva-
tion. Designers of underground environments have
compensated for this in a number of ways. One
method has been to provide generous spatial accom-
modations - high ceilings, wide corridors, and in-
ternal windows (vision panels) to visually link
offices, lobbies, and reception areas. Another
method of spatial compensation is to group small
"aedicular" spaces (e.g., offices) around a grand
central space , such as a multi-level lobby or atrium .
Lighting compensation also may be introduced with
bright, cheerful colors on the walls augmenting
carefully selected task and "complexion" lighting.
Highly uniform environments inevitably lead to
boredom and dissatisfaction, and should be avoided.
Surrogate windows and simulation devices are
cosmetic approaches to earth-integrated design. The
perceived need for them ·reveals the imposition of
underground location on a function ill-suited to the
subsurface , a poorly-conceived architectural solu-
tion , and/or deficient design of the interior. In the
final analysis , surrogates and simulation techniques
may offer psychic comfort to some, but their
ultimate success depends on one 's environmental
sensitivity and willingness to be assuaged by devisive
artificiality .
Surface-Interfacing Solutions
In a building program where windows are
germ ane to the building's activities, the concern for
occupant satisfaction may preclude a fully window-
less design. Surface-interfacing solutions are ideal for
such situations, particularly where major portions of
the building can tolerate or benefit from window-
lessness (as in the case of libraries, e.g.). With
judicious zoning of internal functions , heavily-
peopled areas may enjoy the presence of windows ,
while services, circulation , and mechanical facilities
are relegated to the windowless interior. Surface-
interfacing forms have proved to be the most popu-
lar and versatile of terratectural alternatives; their
139
variety of shapes , sizes, and applications will be
discussed in the remainder of this paper.
Forms and Functions: Modern Themes of Sub-
surface Use
As in historical cases of underground use , several
major themes underlie the development of sub-
surface alternatives in modern practice. Moreover ,
these themes reflect the bases of the troglodytic
tradition: energy-related interest in the underground
is relatively new, yet it closely parallels the climatic
benefits realized long ago by far less sophisticated
cultures. Conservation-oriented consideration of sub-
surface buildings is but a new interpretation of
environmental resource allocation; aesthetic argu-
ments for earth-covered buildings continue a formal
interest in earth-architecture as old as building itself.
Similarly, bomb-shelter solutions echo the defensive
advantages of the past , and the experiential quali-
ties of penetrating the subsurface surely are as real
today as in pre-history .
The majority of modern underground buildings
embody one or more of these themes , but the most
prevalent single determinant in decisions to go
under derive from peculiar site circumstances. This
will be illustrated in the following discussions which
relate how program , site , and taxonomic form have
come together to create successful earth-covered
structures.
Extraordinary Site Circumstances
The Lake Worth Junior High School near Fort
Worth, Texas , exemplifies an extreme, but not
uncommon , locational problem that was resolved
satisfactorily with a fully subgrade, windowless
building: Situated directly in line with the flight
path of nearby Carswell Air Force ·Base , existing
on-site classrooms experienced the incessant jet
whine of approaching B-52 bombers. Architect
Preston Geren 's response to the inhospitable acous-
tical environment was to build the entire new junior
high school underground . Two other aspects of the
design (see illustration) are noteworthy : the con-
crete slab "roof" of the main building functions as
a playground , while the school's cafeteria has been
constructed beneath Telephone Road , which serves
the school.
A further advantage of the subsurface location is
the protection it offers in the event of aircraft
accidents and the fire hazard associated with near-
airport sites. Perhaps of greates t significance is the
fact that students and faculty alike are enthusiastic
about Lake Worth Junior High School , now in its
eleventh year of operation .
An even more unique circumstance is found at
the Champaign /Urbana campus of the University of
Illinois. There , architect Ambrose Richardson was
faced with building a new undergraduate library on
140 Kenneth Labs

CAFETERIA

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ROOM

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FIG. 5. An unusual characteristic of the Lake Worth, Texas, Junior High School
is that its cafeteria is located beneath a municipal street. The energy-conserving
structure was designed subgrade for acoustical isolation by Architects Preston
Geren Associates, Ft. Worth, Texas.

a site immediately to the west of the nation's oldest
agricultural test plot. The building program pro-
hibited a structure tall enough to cast afternoon
shadows on the test field , so Richardson designed
his two-story facility to sit under - rather than on
- the site. The result is an open pedestrian plaza
where a building might have stood, with the addi-
tional benefit that the undergraduate library links
directly with the basement of the adjoining graduate
library. The building plan is a "square doughnut,"
with both levels of stacks surrounding a two-story
deep central courtyard.
Physical, Topographic Site Conditions
Often topographic and other existing site condi-
tions combine to provide both an opportunity and
sufficient reason to select a subsurface alternative. A
splendid site overlooking the Delaware River in an
historical district of Bristol , Pa., presented such an
opportunity when architects Carroll , Grisdale, and
Van Allen (now J. Ray Carroll, Jr. and Partners)
were commissioned to design the Margaret R.
Grundy Memorial Library.
The earth-covered dugout design affords views of
the river from the upper street level, while creating
 The Architectural Underground 141

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RADC L I FF E ST REE T

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0 15 30

DELA W A R E R I V E R

STREET

DELAWARE RIVER

READING STACKS

'

FIG. 6. The Margaret R. Grundy Memorial Library fits into the bank overlooking the Delaware River
in Bristol , Pa. Here the lower level is pictured, with the small street level entry pavilion visible above.
Architects are J. Ray Carroll, Jr. and Partners of Philadelphia, Pa. (Photo by the author)
142 Kenneth Labs
pleasant lawns at both upper and lower levels. The
scale and residential character of the neighborhood
is preserved by reducing the visible bulk of the
library building. Only a small entry pavilion occurs
on the surface; the openness of the remaining site
serves as an effective foil for the adjacent Grundy
House, now a local museum. The entire southern
side of the building is a fully-windowed facade,
providing direct views of the river from offices and
reading areas of the library .
The Grundy Library is an understated testimony
to sensitive site planning. It fully realizes the beauty
of a superb location and responds graciously to the
quiet historical surroundings in which it resides.
Sloping sites are ready opportunities for terra-
tectural schemes, so it is no accident that many
designers envision buildings tucked into the con-
tours of a hillside . An underlying concern of archi-
tect Don Metz was to preserve the existing character
of his house site in rural Lyme, New Hampshire. He
achieved this by recessing the structure into the
slope, covering the roof with sod, and letting nature
reclaim the site. In spite of being underground ,
Metz's Winston House enjoys a southern exposure
and 50-mile distant views. The earthen surroundings
of this modern dugout mitigate the severe cold New
Hampshire climate; its solar orientation captures the
low winter sun while an overhang ensures summer
shading. Metz has been so satisfied with this mode
of building that he has begun a second earth-
covered house on a nearby site. Dugout #2 is a
curvilinear, two-level plan that more closely resem-
bles type A4 in the foregoing taxonomy than the
single-elevation dugout form of Winston House.
Both ate superbly integrated into the natural envi-
ronment, yet capture the expected visual amenities
of more conventional surface designs.
Aesthetics and Site Planning: Non-Objective Archi-
tecture?
Of all the site-circumstantial conditions which
have led to underground building designs, probably
none is better represented than those cases in which
a building is required , but where its physical pres-
ence is undesirable. Two situations are especially
common: The first comprises additions to existing
buildings, the second involves building expansions
which encroach on valuable open space. Both in -
stances are typically urban in context, and are
frequently encountered in center -city areas and on
university campuses. Historic preservation is often a
key issue in these circumstances , but the non-
existent form of sub grade structures is an ideal
complement to contemporary urban focal points as
well.
Architect Victor Prus has described this ap-
proach as an "architecture of little presence." His
design for the Grand Theatre of Quebec complex
incorporates a bi-level subgrade conservatory that
succinctly illustrates this philosophy. The open sur-
face of the conservatory site emphasizes the volume
of the major edifice, with which it is integrated at
basement levels. Furthermore, the busy character of
the surface of the site conflicted with the quieter
demands of class and practice rooms:
"The site itself is very small and fairly noisy as one of the
bordering streets has become a major vehicular artery.
This circumstance necessitated extremely compact plan-
ning. That and the hustle and bustle of the downtown
traffic caused me to organize the conservatory on two
underground levels around a landscaped court sunken
below street level. A forest of black spruce further
protects it on three sides while on the fourth there rises
the one simple volume of precast concrete, housing on
this side entrances to conservatory, its library and dis-
cotheque, and on the other side, entrances to theatres,
lobby and foyers and, of course, the two theatres stacked
one on top of the other."*
A similar formal relationship is found between
the monumental Jefferson Memorial in St. Louis,
Missouri, and the museum addition, designed by
Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates. The Jefferson
Memorial is a regional museum and contains the
offices of the Missouri Historical Society. With the
increasing need for additional gallery space, an
architectural design was sought which would not
disrupt the memorial's classic Beaux Art facade. The
award-winning solution locates the new annex
below-grade as an extension of the existing build-
ing's basement galleries. The core of the addition is
a recessed courtyard exhibition space. It serves
multiple functions of admitting daylight, providing a
fire exit, and acting as an orien tational device for
visitors to the earth-covered galleries.
The Walnut Hill Methodist Church Youth Center
in Dallas, Texas, illustrates the "non-building" aes-
thetic applied to still another highly-visible site of
limited area. Architects Brown , Brown, and Asso-
ciates of Dallas were commissioned by the church
to design accommodations for recreation, study, and
social activities. The only available location, how-
ever, was on the property's front lawn. The archi-
tects ' analysis suggested that the structure should be
built under the grassy site where it would not
obstruct the sanctuary's street facade. Although
initially met with mixed reaction, the subgrade
scheme offered another amenity that assured its
approval: it allowed the architects to connect the
new structure to the basement recreation/kitchen
complex of the existing building, thereby averting
the anticipated need for additional major kitchen
facilities. The underground youth center is an ideal
solution to a particularly sensitive set of program-
matic issues; moreover , it is possibly the only fully
*Quoted from PLACEDART Vol. 6, No. 2,
December '7 0-January '71, p. 2i.
 The Architectural Underground 143

L MUS BR

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0 10 20

FIG. 7. Architect Don Metz 's "Winston House" captures views and yet preserves the nature of its rural New
Hampshire site. Back-to -back light scoops penetrate the surface, illuminating the dining area below. (Photo by
the architect)
144 Kenneth Labs

I l

FIG. 8. One way to restore peace and tranquility to an urban location is to recess the building and the site
into the earth. Canadian Architect Victor Prus's conservatory for the Grand Theatre of Quebec surrounds a
quiet sunken courtyard with a pool and benches two levels below the noisy surface. (Photo courtesy of the
architect)
 The Architectural Underground 145

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0 15 30

EXIST ING
BUILDING

EXIST'G
COURTYARD EXHIBITION CORRIDOR BLDG
0 10 20

FIG. 9. This unexpected courtyard serves as a su.bgrade outdoor room for the museum annex to the
Missouri Historical Society 's Jefferson Memorial. /it. Louis architects Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates,
Inc. preserved the monumental facade of the existing edifice and provide visitors with an enjoyable
series of underground galleries. (Photo courtesy of the architects)
146 Kenneth Labs

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FIG. 10. The bold spiral form on the lawn of the Walnut Hill Methodist Church in Dallas, Texas, is not only
sculpture: it houses an entry/exit to the circular youth center addition beneath. Architects for the successful
subgrade building are Brown, Brown, & Associates of Dallas.
 Jhe Architectural Underground 147

satisfactory resolution of all design issues confront-

ing the architects.
Other "invisible buildings" that respond to aes-
thetic criteria include architect Philip Jo hnson's own
well-publicized art gallery on the grounds of his
estate in New Caanan, Connecticut. Faced with the
need for space to exhibit and protect his collection,
Johnson created a landscape-conforming bermed
bunker in lieu of a building as a perceptible object.
He enjoys the gallery's psychological play on visi-
tors' anticipations:

"... going into a building that isn't there, they get that
feeling of "where are we going?" Since every room is
about 10 times bigger than they expect, there's a positive
element of surprise and romance. Caves are probably an
atavism of some kind; people enjoy being enclosed. "*8,

Still another well known - and overlooked -

FIG. 10 (continued). The bold spiral form on the
lawn of the Walnut Hill Methodist Church in Dallas,
Texas, is not only sculpture: it houses an entryjexit
to the circular youth center addition beneath. Ar-
chitects for the successful subgrade building are
Brown, Brown, & Associates of Dallas. (Photo by
the author)
underground facility is the Visitor Center at the
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis,
Missouri. Nearly 43,000 square feet of museum,
theatre, and lobby space was constructed during the
early 1960's in conjunction with Eero Saarinen's
awesome Gateway Arch along the Mississippi River-
front. Most of this area to date has been unde-
*Quoted from "The Earth: Discussing the Basic
Issues," in Progressive Architecture, April 1967, p.
181.

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FIG. 11. The vast Visitor's Center complex beneath the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri, houses two
theatres and a large museum area. See photo elsewhere in this article. (Plan courtesy of National Park Service,
Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, St. Louis, Mo.)
148 Kenneth Labs
veloped and inaccessible to the public; it will soon
be opened as part of the Bicentennial celebration,
and will house the National Park Service's Museum
of Westward Expansion.
The grass-covered Visitor Center currently pro-
vides access to the Arch's internal transportation
system, which is entered underground in the legs of
the structure. Burying all supporting facilities be-
neath the surface enabled Saarinen to spring the
mammoth stainless steel sculpture from an unclut-
tered surface - seemingly from the earth itself.
Underground Campus Planning
Underground campus facilities have become com-
mon in recent years, since most colleges have
limited physical plants and expanding spatial needs.
Locating new accommodations subgrade permits
architects to build near existing st ructures without
disrupting the spatial relationships that are a virtue
and a delight of well-planned campuses. Examples
of such facilities typically include libraries, student
centers, and book stores.
Illustrative of campus underground development
is the addition to the existing University Center of
the University of Houston, in Houston, Texas. The
plaza-rooted solution was designed by the office of
Goleman and Rolfe, Architects. Mr. Coulson Tough,
Vice-President of Facilities Planning and Operations
at the University, is to be given credit for estab-
lishing the program requirement that the new struc-
tur e be located underground.
The subsurface solution preserves open space on
campus and seizes the opportunity to extend an
existing subgrade level of the adjacent University
Center. A cluster of skylights creates a focal point
in the underground lounge , which is flanked by a
variety of offices , meeting rooms, and small audi-
toria . It may seem unusual that an underground
facility can incorporate a major pedestrian route,
but the University of Houston Student Center is
well-integrated into the campus circulation system.
It is fitting that this carefully studied , understated
design has become a major center of activity at the
University of Houston.
Developing campus underground space is a wise
endeavor in itself; the increased density resulting
from three-dimensional planning makes a university
more efficient by area, more stimulating through
activity, and more convenient in terms of pedestrian
mobility. The urban mini-system of the university
no doubt holds lessons for larger urban contexts as
well, although few cities have as practiceable an
open space policy as colleges have license to govern.
Nonetheless, campus-like subsurface development
could become an important tool for optimizing the
usefulness of an urban locale, while simultaneously
functioning as an aid for preservation of open space
and historic areas.
Not all structures that are located underground in
the name of open space planning are a product of
existing circumstances. When the Vineen t Kling
Partnership created the master plan for Monsanto
Company's world headquarters, it was determined
that the company cafeteria should be situated to
serve all office buildings of the corporate campus.
The necessary centrality of the location itself con-
flicted with the open space plan, so the cafeteria
was designed to occupy the chosen site subsurface.
Subgrade location here was not an accident of
existing circumstances, for another feature of the
master plan included a network of tunnel connec-
tions between buildings. These afford easy and
weatherproof communication pathways around the
campus, and several tunnels converge on the
mezzanine level of the spacious cafeteria building.
That the cafeteria is in fact covered by up to four
feet of earth, grass, and planting seems implausible
from within: deep , bright, light wells flank the
structure on three sides, and a bi-level skylight
illuminates both the mezzanine lobby and the serv-
ing line below. An impressive structure in every
respect, the Monsanto cafeteria is an obvious credit
to an enlightened owner and its imaginative and
facile archi teet.
Environmental Applications
The remaining major interest in underground
structures may be loosely grouped under environ-
mental concerns, and relates to both nature and
energy conservation. To have any significant impact
on a regional or national scale, earth-covered struc-
tures must enjoy widespread application and popu-
lar acceptance. Large scale use , however , is likely to
be impeded by sluggish lending and zoning policies ,
although these problems are already being
addressed.
Nonetheless, individual owners can benefit from
the environmental underground approach on their
own sites, regardless of the scale of neighboring
application. Natural returns will take the form of
increased usable land area, and energy benefits will
be realized in terms of economic savings. Some
models of small-lot underground buildings have al-
ready been well-published, including Malcolm Wells'
own architectural office in Cherry Hill, New Jersey ,
and architect John E. Barnard, Jr.'s demonstration
"Ecology House" in Marston Mills, Mass. Wells has
expressed the sentiment, "if you can't improve the
site, don't build at all." This is a radical manifesto
in the context of modern America's building prac-
tice, but one which may soon enough become
necessary. The following three buildings are very
 The Architectural Underground 149

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FLOOR PLAN

existing
exterior univers1ty
entrance center

0 25

FIG. 12 . This spacious lounge is actually part of an extensive underground student center at the University of
Houston. Architects for the award-winning plan are Goleman and Rolfe, of Houston, Texas.
150 Kenneth Labs

FIG. 12 (continued). This spacious lounge is actually part of an extensive underground student center at the
University of Houston. Architects for the award-winning plan are Goleman and Rolfe, of Houston, Texas.
(Photo courtesy of the architects)
different in their form , yet respond sympathetically
to natural ideals.
The PL Institute Kindergarten is found in a
heavily-urbanized area of Japan - one of the most
urbanized countries in the world. Architect Take-
fuma Aida sees his berm building as a device to
return architecture to the natural landscape, and at
the same time to make best use of the space
available:
"My desire, however , is for the kindergarten to disappear
within a rural setting in the middle of a weathered
city ... then we decided to make the architecture dis-
appear and to devote everything to play space."*
The geometry of Aida's design may seem any-
thing but natural to American readers , but his
response is supplemented by an historical theme as
well:
"! shall strive to reinstate the heritage of forms that
mankind has built up over the ages. In fact, it may be a
return to these forms will become a matter of paramount
significance."*
*Quoted from "When the Architecture Dis-
appears," Japan Architect, April 1974 , p. 44.
The 27° angle of the grass-covered slopes them-
selves were determined as safe after experiments
involving children's play , and were selected to pro-
vide the school children with a kind of spatial
experience which Aida considered enriching.
Near Austin, Texas, the native grass is beginning
to grow back over one of the most intriguing
structures yet to emerge from the modern under-
ground. Coffee and Crier, Architects and Planners
have designed a courtyard house reminiscent of the
Roman atrium plan (discussed in Part I of this
article) and the Pakistani houses familiar to their
client, a language professor at the University of
Texas. The semi-bermed form alone is superbly
adapted to the Texas site, where tornadoes have
twice damaged a nearby house. But it is the under-
ground design coupled with solar energy that makes
this residence especially distinctive.
A 12' x 20' solar collector assembly is located on
a mound detached from and facing the house. A
1000 gallon storage tank buried next to the en-
trance reserves a supply of space heat and pre-
heating for domestic hot water. The atrium serves as
an entry, focal point , and hallway for the dwelling.
A water fountain and pool in the court area will
cool and humidify the space. Solar cooling was
considered for the house , but the cooling demand is
 The Architectural Underground 151

---

FIG. 13. Covered with up to four feet of earth and planting, this bright and
immaculately-detailed interior is part of Monsanto Company's bi-le vel under-
ground cafeteria in St. Louis, Missouri. The Vincent Kling Partnership of
Philadelphia, Pa ., makes extensive use of light wells, skylights, and bold
engineer ing to create a dramatic dining experience for employees and clients
alike. (Reproduction of drawings by Lawrence S. Williams, Inc.)
152 Kenneth Labs

FIG. 13 (continued). Covered with up to four feet of earth and planting, this bright and immaculately-detailed
interior is part of Monsanto Company's bi-level underground cafeteria in St. Louis, Missouri. The Vincent
Kling Partnership of Philadelphia, Pa., makes extensive use of light wells, skylights, and bold engineering to
create a dramatic dining experience for employees and clients alike. (Photo by Lawrence S. Williams, Inc.)

so low that even the smallest available solar unit is
exceedingly oversized and would be inefficient for
general use. The Bordie House no doubt can have a
very beneficial influence on the use of terratectural
alternatives; its immediate benefits will be realized
most welcomely by the imaginative Bordie family.
Radically different from Coffee and Crier's inter-
pretation, but equally salubrious in persuasion is
Architect Mac Godley's two-story "Undersol" pro-
posal. Undersol is a prototypical plan designed to
fully integrate the mutual and complementary bene-
fits of subsurface construction with solar power.
The 1800 square foot project is designed to house a
family of three and is tailored for a Connecticut
climate.
Godley makes extensive use of old technologies
innovatively adapted for subsurface spaces . These
 The Architectural Underground 153

FIG. 14. Resembling the truncated pyramids of ancient cultures, arr?hi-

tect Takefuma Aida's design for the PL Institute Kindergarten admits
natural light to all major building areas. Geometrical berm-forms create
play surfaces and make the structure a new interpretation of "landscape
architecture."

include natural ventilation by exhausting hot air
through roof vents and introducing cooler air below
grade by multi-purpose "windowscopes." A light
siphon acts as a highly-sophisticated skylight to
provide daylight to the subterranean level. The solar
collector scheme is based on the modular organiza-
tion of the house, and solar storage is contained in
an accessible location on the roof.
The somewhat futuristic look of Undersol itself
suggests the richness of potential form that is
inheren t in underground alternatives. In contrast to
the frequent use of dugout and atrium types of
development, Undersol is a stimulative reminder
that we have yet barely scratched the surface of
terra tectural form.
CONCLUSION
The many examples of underground architecture
presented in these two articles clearly demonstrate a
long heritage and a successful active present of
architectural subsurface space development. A
variety of terratectural forms ranging from fully-
subgrade protective structures to a host of well-
windowed surface-interfacing types are in current
use. The broad spectrum of these types offer archi-
tectural environments fully appropriate to almost all
conceivable building programs. With the increasing
congestion of urban and formerly rural land, with
the quest to preserve environmental quality and the
need for energy conservation, and with the re-
emerging interest in architectural form, terratectural
154 Kenneth Labs

SECTION LOOKING NORTHEAST

NORTHEAST ELEVATION

FIG. 15. Architects Coffee and Crier have adapted a Mediterranean atrium house plan for their client's specific
needs and an Austin , Texas, climate. The subsurface design makes the solar energy system even more practical,
and reduces cooling loads.
 The Architectural Underground 155

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. )/• .r. .
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FIG. 16. Architect Mac Godley's "Undersol" house proposal suggests the new technologies and forms which
have yet to be explored in subsurface applications. Designed for a Connecticut climate, Godley's aim is to
minimize the structure's disruption of external natural systems.
156 Kenneth Labs

FIG. 14 (continued). Resembling the truncated pyramids of ancient

cultures, architect Takefuma Aida's design for the PL Institute Kinder-
garten admits natural light to all major building areas. Geometrical
berm-forms create play surfaces and make the structure a new inter-
pretation of "landscape architecture." (Photo by permission of Japan
Architect)
alternatives are destined to have a bright and enter - alternative in tune with the times and replete with a
prising future. richness of heritage , meaning, form, and practicality.
The most exiciting aspect of the future of under- It is time that earth-covered buildings are recognized
ground architecture is that the necessary technology as a truly 20th-Century architecture, and one of the
already exists. The subsurface offers a promise - an most vital alternatives currently available to us.

Acknowledgements - Data for all drawings and many of the photographs included in
this article were furnished by the architects responsible for those projects. The author
wishes to thank these firms for their cooperation and permission to publish their
designs. Thanks is also given to Japan Architect for supplying photographs and
drawings of the PL Institute Kindergarten.
The author acknowledges the difficulty of documenting the existence of under-
ground architecture, and invites readers familiar with any underground structure of
architectural interest to contact him at the indicated address.