Flat land building

Does anyone have any experience with the flat land layouts described in Mike Oehler's book? My husband and I just purchased some mostly flat land in northern Alabama to build our homestead! We really love the underground/earth bermed/wofati idea, but sadly there isn't much of a slope to the land. There are some swales throughout, but nothing I would call a hill. I know we can just do some kind of berming, but I love the underground house idea so much. Obviously drainage is our main concern here, as well as the home blending in with the surrounding land for being incognito in a shtf scenario :D Thanks!

Cristina Marie wrote:Does anyone have any experience with the flat land layouts described in Mike Oehler's book? My husband and I just purchased some mostly flat land in northern Alabama to build our homestead! We really love the underground/earth bermed/wofati idea, but sadly there isn't much of a slope to the land. There are some swales throughout, but nothing I would call a hill. I know we can just do some kind of berming, but I love the underground house idea so much. Obviously drainage is our main concern here, as well as the home blending in with the surrounding land for being incognito in a shtf scenario :D Thanks!

My understanding was, a WOFATI by design was intended to be on flattish ground.

My wife and I are planning to build one on fairly flat ground, but it is at the top of a big hill. At that location it has incredible views, but also is subjected to high winds, which is why we literally want to hunker down. I do not see any other form of housing that will survive, and allow us to survive, up there.

My understanding is that WOFATIs are designed for wooded sloped land.  Wooded for the raw materials, sloped to save digging/sourcing/moving dirt (I believe).  Maybe you could dig a big pond nearby...

Mike Jay wrote:My understanding is that WOFATIs are designed for wooded sloped land.  Wooded for the raw materials, sloped to save digging/sourcing/moving dirt (I believe).  Maybe you could dig a big pond nearby...

Or just buy it. Even gravel is cheap; $150 for 14 cubic yards, or a dump truck with 2 sets of tires in the back. If you buy "fill" or sand, the cost would be even cheaper.