Hi
Thank you for your input!
No we do not have vernacular style here. Pretty much all is concrete and adobe, although some light steel construction is available. Thats about it. There are no earth sheltered (underground) homes in Cyprus.
I have found these, not quite what I had in mind. Pretty cool none the less
http://blog.opensourceecology.org/2009/07/ceb-vault-construction/
http://www.gernotminke.de/galerie/galerie.html
I think I will go for good old concrete. The reason I want to build underground is to get away from the heat. It is simply getting too hot to live. And air conditioning bills are through the roof.
The only obstacle I can see is waterproofing and the high humidity where I live. I am thinking of underground piping and solar powered exhaust fans for ventilation. Do you how I can calculate approximate needed airflow do control humidity. Also, what is available and most efficient for ventilation?
Thanks