THE trials and tribulations of building an underground utopia buried deep in the Eden Valley have been captured on film for a Channel 4 series.
The creation of the county’s first subterranean shack, which nestles at a former quarry site near Ormside, Appleby, was filmed for the ambitious architecture series Grand Designs.
The brainchild of Phil Reddy, he decided to take his family to ground in a house that was energy efficient and environmentally friendly “We needed somewhere to live and really wanted something that was as eco-friendly as possible. We decided it was much better to start from scratch and build an eco house.
“Going underground seemed very attractive. A big issue was to reduce our energy usage and by living underground we could do this,” said Mr Reddy.
The three-bedroom house, which took seven months to build, is now home to Mr Reddy, tourism project manager for the North West Development Agency, his wife Helen, an Appleby vet, and his one-year-old son Tom.
Designed by Penrith architect John Bodger, a separate subterranean building houses a farm veterinary office and garage.
Far from being dark and dank, Mr Reddy explained the glass-fronted two-storey property is south-facing – making the most of the daylight – while light pipes and glass walls also help to illuminate the house.
“There is no need for artificial light in many of the rooms. Underground living is very, very peaceful. That is the big thing you notice, how quiet it is,” he said.
In his quest for green living and sustainability, the house has no heating system and yet is a balmy 70 degrees upstairs due to careful insulation.
Photovoltaic tiles generate about 10 per cent of the household’s energy needs and the underground dwellers have plans for a windmill that would allow the family to generate all its own electricity.
