Cool idea, the lack of discussion of longevity seems pretty glaring. While we would all love to not cause any stress on the environment, we also have to live though heavy rains, snow, and wind. Maybe this structure is designed for dry environment and can with stand a couple of rains a year. >>The architect studied how a building’s shape could impact its efficiency, in relation to its climate and latitude. hopefully someone also studied materials the house is made of, because that seems pretty important. Dirt is a very good insulator of both heat and sound, so maybe they could build something like this a put some sort of shell around it, like siding on current houses, to protect it from weather.