Build a $300 underground greenhouse

for year-round gardening (Video)

Kimberley Mok
Design / Green Architecture
February 22, 2013

Neo-farms
Growers in colder climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or to give
their crops a boost, whether it's coldframes, hoop houses or greenhouses.
Greenhouses are usually glazed structures, but are typically expensive to construct and heat
throughout the winter. A much more affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is the
walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a "place of warmth"), also known as an underground or pit
greenhouse. First developed over 20 years ago for the cold mountainous regions of South America,

this method allows growers to maintain a productive garden year-round, even in the coldest of
climates.
Here's a video tour of a walipini that even incorporates a bit of interior space for goats:

How a Walipini works and how to build one

Benson Institute
It's a pretty intriguing set-up that combines the principles of passive solar heating with earthsheltered building. But how to make one?From American sustainable agriculture non-profit Benson
Institute comes this enlightening manual on how a walipini works, and how to build it:
The Walipini utilizes natures resources to provide a warm, stable, well-lit environment for yearround vegetable production. Locating the growing area 6- 8 underground and capturing and storing
daytime solar radiation are the most important principles in building a successful Walipini.
The Walipini, in simplest terms, is a rectangular hole in the ground 6 to 8 deep covered by plastic
sheeting. The longest area of the rectangle faces the winter sun -- to the north in the Southern
Hemisphere and to the south in the Northern Hemisphere. A thick wall of rammed earth at the back
of the building and a much lower wall at the front provide the needed angle for the plastic sheet roof.

This roof seals the hole, provides an insulating airspace between the two layers of plastic (a sheet on
the top and another on the bottom of the roof/poles) and allows the sun's rays to penetrate creating a
warm, stable environment for plant growth.

SilverThunder/via
This earth-sheltered greenhouse taps into the thermal mass of the earth, so that much less energy is
needed to heat up the walipini's interior than an aboveground greenhouse. Of course, there are
precautions to take in waterproofing, drainage and ventilating the walipini, while aligning it properly
to the sun -- which the manual covers in detail.
Best of all, according to the Benson Institute, their 20-foot by 74-foot walipni field model out in La
Paz cost around $250 to $300 only, thanks to the use of free labour provided by owners and
neighbours, and the use of cheaper materials like plastic ultraviolet (UV) protective sheeting and
PVC piping.
Cheap but effective, the underground greenhouse is a great way for growers to produce food yearround in colder climates. More over at the Benson Institute and the Pure Energy Systems Wiki.
Tags: Agriculture | Do It Yourself | Food Security | Gardening | video

http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-yearround.html

How To Build An Underground

Greenhouse
Wednesday, August 7, 2013 12:37
(Before It's News)
This is amazing! Can you imagine growing food year round in a hostile climate underground?
This technique was developed in the mountainous regions of South America for cold weather
farming and has been revisited and updated for today. This how-to project can be done for
under $300. Take a look.
This article first appeared at Treehugger.com

Neo-farms
Growers in colder climates often utilize various approaches to extend the growing season or to
give their crops a boost, whether its coldframes, hoop houses or greenhouses.

Greenhouses are usually glazed structures, but are typically expensive to construct and heat
throughout the winter. A much more affordable and effective alternative to glass greenhouses is
the walipini (an Aymara Indian word for a place of warmth), also known as an underground or
pit greenhouse. First developed over 20 years ago for the cold mountainous regions of South
America, this method allows growers to maintain a productive garden year-round, even in the
coldest of climates.
Heres a video tour of a walipini that even incorporates a bit of interior space for goats:
http://beforeitsnews.com/self-sufficiency/2013/08/how-to-build-an-underground-greenhouse2461422.html

Walipini tour.mov
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qB8AE_H_YTc

Published on Mar 6, 2012

We are starting a family business designing, consulting and building

Walipinis. We've made some astronomical improvements to this one and
can't wait to share it with people. We want to really encounter with
people interested in building these in a way that will serve them for
generations to come.
If you are really considering owning one of these, our desire is to show
you how to do it, and do it right!
We are "EVERGREEN WALIPINIS". Website coming soon.
Walipini, or underground greenhouse is an incredibly effective way to
grow food year round in climates subject to below freezing temps.
The sun's light and heat comes through the plastic roof and is trapped
inside, heating up the walls and keeping it warm (above about 50 deg)
all night.
The other advantage is the protection from wind as there are no external
walls.