Lowtech Graph lists low-tech options for every need of a home. Here you can compare them, find tutorials to build them, and link them together into a circular system. Why low-tech?
Earth-sheltered / semi-buried form (storm resistance)
Passive · New build only
One of 3 ways to meet this need. Cost, carbon, footprint and rankings are relative to other solutions for the same need, not absolute.
What your site needs
Sloped site strongly preferred (cost-prohibitive to excavate a basin on flat ground); good drainage or a design that assumes eventual damp
A house set partly into the ground, with earth against some of its walls and sometimes over its roof. The earth takes the force of the wind off those walls and shelters the house in a storm. The same earth keeps the indoor temperature steady all year. It is much easier to build on a slope.
Build it
This is contracted work rather than a self-build.
Cost
High
Upkeep
Occasional
Skill to build
Intermediate
Lifespan
Matches structure lifespan (earth-sheltering is a form choice, not a separately wearing component); waterproofing membrane itself typically needs renewal every 20-30 years
Embodied carbon
Medium
Space / material use
High
Output timing
None
Skill to repair
Intermediate
Regulation (FR example)
Part of the structure or footprint: covered by the building permit (permis de construire) for a new dwelling. Rural sites are additionally constrained by the commune's PLU zoning, outside a constructible zone, a new dwelling is generally refused.
Levels are relative to the other options for this need, not absolute. Fewer dots is lighter.
Earth-sheltered / semi-buried form (storm resistance) (This page) Can I use it? Not in a flat · New build only What does it cost me? Upfront cost: High · Skill to build: Intermediate · Upkeep: Light · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you are building new on an exposed site and also want indoor temperatures that stay steady all year.
Reinforced roof-to-wall strapping (hurricane ties) Can I use it? Works in a flat · No rebuilding needed What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: Basic · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you want cheap, quick protection for an existing roof against being lifted in a storm.
Low-profile hip roof form Can I use it? Not in a flat · New build only What does it cost me? Upfront cost: Low · Skill to build: None · Upkeep: None · Change to daily life: None · Works without the grid: Yes Choose it if you are designing a new roof and want the house to stand up better to wind at no extra cost.
Sources
No sources recorded yet.
Limitations of this page
We don’t list sizing or quantities, as the yield of each technique depends on the quality of its build. The catalogue compares options but doesn’t dimension them. Regulatory notes are indicative, with a French example, and need to be confirmed locally.