Hot or Not: Subterranean Granny Flats?

This is an interesting idea if we've ever seen one: Nobbs Radford Architects has proposed that Sydney, Australia deal with its housing shortage by turning some of the city's 360,000 swimming pools into granny flats.

More details, and a survey after the jump.

From an article in the Sydney Morning Herald:
By 2036 more than 630,000 new homes will be needed to accommodate Sydney's population, which is expected to grow to 6 million. But instead of turning traditionally low-rise suburbs into vast stretches of apartment blocks, part of the growth could be housed within some of NSW's 360,000 swimming pools, Alison Nobbs said.

What do you think?

via BLDGBLOG

Comments (3)

Really? Let's put our elders underground? Why don't they use the footprint to build something up? Or use half the space to build and half for greenspace...
I think it's just weird, and for the seniors, they might feel like they're being put in an early grave.

posted by ange_lune on December 11th 2008 at 5:09pm
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I suppose it might work, for the granny who is guaranteed never to have trouble with stairs.

posted by KateNonymous on December 11th 2008 at 5:18pm
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Makes sense to me. Australia gets hot and earth sheltered homes make sense.

posted by williamsweyr on December 15th 2008 at 12:43pm
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