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About this Book
• Features over 125 photographs and
architectural drawings
Unusual as they seem,
underground buildings are surprisingly common.
Every day, tens of thousands in North America work, shop, dine, study, and
play in the more than three hundred public and commercial structures and
five thousand private homes nestled in the earth.
Underground buildings are safe, attractive, useful, and comfortable
places to frequent and live. Unlike a common misconception, most are dry and
warm, and they are often sun-filled.
More than one hundred underground buildings are included in this fascinating
subterranean tour. These buildings range from the famous to the unnoticed.
Some were built for pragmatic reasons, others for aesthetic considerations,
still others, for a combination of both.
There are impressive success stories and discouraging tales of
failure. Some underground buildings are incredibly energy-efficient, for
example, while others leaked so badly they were abandoned.
A vast spectrum of structures is presented, ranging from stunning
examples of hidden opulence to humble subterranean cubbyholes where
unassuming people immerse themselves in nature’s simplicity.
About the Author
Loretta
Hall holds a degree in mathematics from the University of Washington and is
a member of Phi Beta Kappa. Formerly a high school teacher, she is now a
freelance writer and technical writing instructor. Partly a generalist, she
has written two books and numerous magazine articles on topics including
history, multiculturalism, and tourism. Also a specialist, she has written
articles for magazines and reference books about the mid-tech topics of
engineering, construction, and manufacturing. Six books to which Hall
contributed chapters have been named “outstanding reference sources” by the
New York Public Library and/or the Reference and User Services Association
(a division of the American Library Association).
Hall is a member of the Construction Writers
Association and SouthWest Writers. She lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
with her husband, Jerome Hall.
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