Photos courtesy of Dale Antiel, Marketing Specialist for Edina Realty Broker/Associate
A Spectacular Foam Home Fit for Any Hobbit!
“Everyone who calls me refers to this house as The Hobbit House! It’s much bigger on the inside than people realize. It’s still on the market and the price is negotiable. It would make a perfect Bed and Breakfast,” said Dale Antiel, Marketing Specialist for Edina Realty Broker/Associate. Dale was great guy to talk with, and he graciously agreed to send his photos of this listed home to Spray Foam Insider for this article.
Entryway (left) and kitchen area (right) featuring 5 sky domes throughout.
This bermed-Earth-shelter home was designed by Architect, Mike McGuire. The home was built in 1972 and was constructed with two culverts made of galvanized steel. A tunnel connects the two culverts. Spray foam adorns the entire interior which gives this home an artistic, other-worldly appearance.
Spray foam keeps this house warm or cool year-round. Propane tanks, located at each end of the home, provides a warm environment during the cold Minnesota winters. This unique home is 2,236 square feet with 2 bedrooms and 2 baths. This private home is tucked away on a 3.47 acre lot on the edge of River Falls. This unique design is multi-leveled with 3 wood burning fireplaces, 5 skylights and a 2-car garage. Each culvert has a propane furnace.
Bed room with bath entry
Livingroom with woodburning fireplace
Laundry facility on the left
Another room with woodburning fireplace
Mike McGuire, the original architect for this home, spoke with Spray Foam Insider. “The home was made for two university professors who were environmentally-conscious and wanted an energy efficient home. The construction was done with two culverts that were positioned parallel to the hillside and graded over to look like a hillside. A tunnel connects the two culverts. Spray foam was used in various thicknesses to achieve the sculpted look on the inside. Troweled concrete and plaster were used for the fireplace areas. The interior was coated with intumescent paint as a fire-retardant. It’s highly energy efficient, “said Mike.
Even though this home was built in 1972, it is super energy efficient and could easily be enjoyed by anyone today. Perhaps this unique design could take off again, especially for those who want to get away from it all and still be energy efficient.
For More Information about this home, contact: Dale Antiel, Edina Realty 715-222-2913.
Special thanks to Kevin McGinty for alerting us to this story.
Special Thanks to Mike McGuire for his interview.