13 Most Impressively Safeguarded Homes on Earth (2024)

FAQs

What is the most guarded house in the world? ›

An Earth Sheltered home keeps your family safe from hail, tornadoes, hurricanes, etc. With our unique waterproofing system, your Earth Sheltered home can have a written warranty against leakage. Solid concrete homes don't burn, and tornadoes go right over them, so insurance costs are less than for “stick homes”.

Their unique structure helps preserve the surrounding landscape and protect against inclement weather. The earth's insulation helps maintain consistent indoor temperatures, provides soundproofing, and reduces energy consumption — offering long-term savings. Want to learn more?

Advantages & Disadvantages

On the plus side, an earth-sheltered home is less susceptible to the impact of extreme outdoor air temperatures than a conventional house. Earth-sheltered houses also require less outside maintenance, and the earth surrounding the house provides soundproofing.

What is this? The Safe House is located in Warsaw, Poland and was built by KWK Promes – Robert Konieczny.

From books, history classes, and TV shows, most Americans know Fort Knox was built to store massive deposits of gold. It is the most heavily guarded military base and one of the most secure places in the world. Aside from what we know of its gold reserves, Fort Knox is a mystery that few have ever seen.

Poured concrete is the strongest type of foundation for a house. Concrete is incredibly strong and durable, and it can be poured into any shape. This makes it ideal for supporting the weight of a house. Block foundations are also very strong, but they are not as flexible as poured concrete.

There are a few reasons why US homes are made of wood and bricks instead of concrete. The first reason is availability. The USA has vast forests to supply building materials. Second, history plays a large role in how people build their homes, as does American culture and style.

The density of soil makes it difficult to breathe, and less air is found below ground, which explains why you suffocate shortly after being buried alive. This little problem and the need for sunlight are addressed through the atrium or courtyard design of earth-sheltered homes.

Generally speaking, if you want your earthen house to last a very long time, anywhere between 100 and 1000 years, the most important thing to consider in your building process is a solid foundation and a good roof.

Is it cheaper to build an earth home? ›

Rammed earth houses can be costlier than other types of buildings. You can quickly get a cheaper alternative for half the price of an earth-rammed home. Still, it may not match the durability, aesthetic and sustainable properties of a rammed earth house.

Common materials used to waterproof underground homes include liquid polyurethanes, plastic and vulcanized sheets, rubberized asphalt and bentonite. Climate or weather conditions may also affect the type of waterproofing method used. For example, liquid polyurethanes require dry, relatively warm conditions.

Earth-sheltered design employs the earth as a major component of a building's thermal control system. A house that is surrounded (completely or partially) by earth that stays at a steady 55-60° temperature year round requires less heating in the winter and less cooling in the summer.

The foundation is typically the strongest part of a building as it holds up the weight of the structure. Foundations are usually made from a stone or concrete component which is high strength.

Earth-sheltered construction also saves energy by reducing conduction heat losses through the walls and roof. The temperature difference between the building and the adjacent ground is typically much less than between an above grade structure and the outside air.

Clandestine cave home, Arkansas, USA

The perfect luxury hideaway for an apocalypse or invasion, the pad is entirely hidden from the outside and sits so high up that no zombie would know you were there.

Standing as the iconic symbol of the U.S. defense program in Washington, DC, the Pentagon is one of the nation's most highly guarded structures. Defended by the Pentagon Force Protection Agency (PFPA), top measures are in place to guard against chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear attacks.

He traveled there in 1943 to personally inspect the gold reserves. Roosevelt's visit was the one and only time Fort Knox's vault was opened for inspection for anyone other than authorized personnel. Another rare official trip to the gold depository was made by Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin in 2017.

Who is allowed inside Fort Knox? ›

The United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Kentucky is not a production facility – it stores precious metal bullion reserves for the United States. No visitors are permitted in the facility.

Concrete. Concrete is the combination of cement, aggregates like sand or stone, and water. This mixture is poured into forms, which then dries and hardens, forming anything from walls to supporting beams to sidewalks. Concrete is both durable and strong, making it a great option for your structure's foundations.

While it's not always the first choice, a pier foundation is one of the sturdiest and longest-lasting solutions. It provides excellent support and doesn't come with some of the potential negatives that are associated with basem*nts and crawl spaces.

The shift away from structural brick began after World War II. Mid-century consumers wanted suburban homes that looked distinct from their urban counterparts and newer building codes no longer required brick. That, meant less demand for both the material and the masons needed to install it.

The average life span of a house in the United States is about 50-70 years. Houses can last for decades if they are well-maintained and have been constructed with quality materials. A poorly built home may not last more than 20 years.

However, there is no evidence of impacts such as carcinogenicity, mutagenicity or toxicity. It is safe. In fact, concrete has been shown to be a safer material than many others, and polished concrete surfaces have replaced others made from materials that cause diseases such as hookworm.

Underground homes get much of their heat from naturally occurring underground temperatures. With proper insulation, an underground home can reduce heating and cooling costs from 50 to 70%!

Deepest Building Foundation

One of the deepest building foundations in the world is below the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco, CA. Completed in 2017, the 1,070-foot skyscraper with 61 stories is supported by a foundation that extends 310 feet below ground.

People throughout history have temporarily lived below the surface for various reasons. If there were no materials to build houses with, they dug subterranean homes, Hunt told Live Science. In places with extreme climates, people went beneath the earth in the summer to stay cool and in the winter to stay warm.

Why do old houses last so long? ›

There are several factors that have allowed these old homes to last for centuries; superior raw materials, unimpeded energy flow, and air flow. The materials these homes were built with had a higher potential to store water without failing, and could dry out easily due to the lack of insulation and air flow.

Without special care and regular maintenance, their lifespan can reach about 200 years. But even though the materials used in many old houses are designed to last this long, there is still a chance that you will find problems in the structure or foundation.

Water destroys materials that are prone to rot — increased moisture content allows bacteria, fungi, and insects to survive and to use that wood as a food source. In old houses, they used materials that were more naturally rot resistant, such as old growth pine that are full of resins and natural chemicals.

Framing. Perhaps the most expensive part when it comes to building a home is the framing, which consists of wooden beams that make up the home's skeleton. Forbes states that high-quality lumber averages about $33,000 for a home in the United States. Metal stud framing systems begin around $20,000.

The cheapest way to build a home is to design a simple box. Sticking to a square or rectangular floor plan makes the building and design simple. Generally speaking, building up is cheaper than building a sprawling one-story home, so you may want to consider planning for a multiple-story home if you need more space.

In addition to needing to be professional constructed there are some other disadvantages, to name a few, they need roof overhangs to protect them from the rain and erosion, they're terrible insulators in colder climates, depending on the circ*mstances and the need for experienced labourers it isn't exactly cheap .

A: (Kelly) The best materials to use for building underground are those that are naturally resistant to decay under those conditions, so masonry materials like stone, brick, concrete work well. Another possibility is earthbags which can be filled with the local soil (see www.earthbagbuilding.com for possibilities).

The deepest auditorium is 55 meters underground. The deepest particle accelerator is 175 meters below ground. The deepest artificial point is 12,262 meters below ground! The Kola Superdeep Borehole was an attempt to drill as deep as possible into the earth's crust.

In short, bricks and mortar aren't 100% waterproof. Even modern homes that are built with cavity walls and largely impermeable materials can still be affected by penetrating damp (water coming in from outside). Damp and excess moisture within brick and stonework can lead to internal damage and the dreaded black mould.

Best temperature to set your thermostat in summer

It's best to not set your thermostat lower than 70 to 72 degrees. Most units are not designed to cool a house below that point, and you risk the system freezing up. I recommend trying to keep your house below 80 degrees at all times during the summer.

What temperature is unlivable? ›

Some areas have already experienced conditions at or near humans' survivability limit of 35°C (95°F). Credit: Map by NOAA Climate.gov, based on data from Radley Horton. The results have important implications. The hotter it is, the more strain our bodies feel, and the more we need to sweat to cool down.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends setting your thermostat no lower than 64 degrees (F) in the Winter months while people are in the home. If there are infants or elderly individuals, they recommend keeping the temperature at 70 degrees at a minimum.

The triangle is the strongest to as it holds it shape and has a base which is very strong a also has a strong support. The triangle is common in all sorts of building supports and trusses.

As the sun rises in the east, positivity and energy enter the house from this direction. The main entrance in the east is considered the best Vastu direction for home.

Being under the surface of Earth, these homes are easy to heat as well as cool and in case of an emergency or natural disaster, an underground house will prove to be a safe place.

When it comes to the most efficient building shape, uncomplicated dome and cube structures retain the most heat. This is because the air can circulate more efficiently around a dome whilst a cube has the smallest surface area to floor area ratio, so it loses minimal amounts of heat.

Buckingham Palace: Home to the British Royal Family

The rooms of the palace are all fitted with 18-inch steel walls and strict guard watch at every corner of the palace.

The World's Most Secure Buildings: The White House, Washington, D.C.

What is the number 1 safest place to live? ›

Frisco, Texas

Frisco, Texas, part of the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex has been ranked the number 1 safest city to live in the U.S. It boasts the fourth-lowest violent crime rate and the sixth-lowest property crime rate.

The Safest Place to Own a Home Hasn't Changed in Five Years

Nashua, New Hampshire and Laredo, Texas came close behind Columbia as the safest cities in the U.S.

What is the safest place to live in the world? The safest place in the world is Iceland, which ranks number one on the 2022 Global Peace Index.

Famous and Famously Expensive

The Chartwell Estate, located in Beverly Hills, California, is owned by the late head of Univision, Jerry Perenchi. Built in 1933, the French neoclassical home encompasses 25,000 square feet of land. It is situated on a 10-acre expanse of manicured lawns and gardens.

Homeowner rates by race and ethnicity

Homeownership statistics by race show that the highest rates of homeownership are held by White households. Although homeownership rates for both Asian and Hispanic homeowners are above or around 50%, respectively, the rate for Black homeownership remains lower at just above 43%.

Virtual Tour: Biltmore House—America's Largest Home.

The world's most expensive private residence in the world, Antilia is owned by Mukesh Ambani, the richest person in India, and is named after a mythical island in the Atlantic.

Antilia, located in Mumbai, India is the second most expensive house in the world and at the top of the world's luxurious house lists. It was constructed for Mukesh Ambani, India's richest person. Mukesh Ambani is the Chairman & Managing Director of Reliance Industries Limited, a Fortune Global 500 company.

Conclusion: The Catholic Church owns the most land, far more than McDonald's and billionaire Bill Gates.