So, I'm lucky enough to have built a house, and earthworks are expensive. A hobbit hole would cost as much as the house we live in, without the actual building, just the hole.
I live in a garden level apartment (I think, it’s mostly underground with one exterior wall above ground for windows, set into a hill) and it’s extremely energy efficient. We do have to use dehydrators, but that can be done in very energy-efficient ways.
The apartments above us are significantly less energy efficient, so the big drawback I see is around housing density, which is probably a bigger issue than heating/cooling energy, but I don’t actually know.
Is there an awning form factor that doesn't block a significant part of the view? Seems like most the examples in the video blocked a lot of the window when looking straight out.
he mentioned that there are ones you can easily put down when you don't need them and said that if awnings were to become a thing he's sure they'd become smartified with some iot bullshit.
At my parents old home, I helped install a retractable one that covered the patio.
Certainly more expensive than a basic awning, but excellent utility. And handy for the times a storm/high winds are going to be coming through.
Some years later, the switch wasn't working properly, so while fixing it I use the guts of a garage door opener (another replacement, broken motor) to use the wireless remote as a second relay control for the awning. This was about 15-20 years ago, I'd bet there are more options today. Even just ones with a dry contact you can more easily wire into a system.
In the parts that are actually hot, the new builds are generally off-white brick or double-brick buildings with white Colorbond roofs (an Aus brand of corrugated steel)
You do get the odd house with a dark roof, and when you go past them everyone points and laughs at how silly and uncomfortable they must be.
What about some rollo blinds? We have them shut during daytime in summer in the rooms we don't use all the time. They also help sleep in the dark if that's your thing. The drawback is that they often create a weak spot wrt. Insulation.
Interior blinds are mentioned in the video: basically since they’re behind the glass the energy is still getting in and green-housing a bit. Blinds heating up is heat inside the room. Also block the view out, which awnings don’t.