Abstract: | This paper presents the results of a study of user response to an earth-sheltered residential environment, based on interviews and a questionnaire. Data was collected in 1980 from 39 subjects living in 22 single- and multi-family earth-sheltered homes in the Minneapolis-St Paul, Minnesota (U.S.A.) area. The paper discusses results of the study in terms of the socioeconomic characteristics of the respondents and the characteristics of the earth-sheltered homes studied, as well as consumer attitudes toward and level of satisfaction with earth-sheltered living. The study found that current residents of earth-sheltered houses were very satisfied with their homes and that their attitudes toward their residential environment appeared to improved after they had lived in the homes. The paper includes a review of the literature involving studies of consumer attitudes toward earth-sheltered housing. |