ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the formation of interior spaces within natural habitats that preference the interior through subterranean excavation, additive cultivation, and subtractive material processes. The formation of interior space below the surface of the Earth by means of subtraction, or troglodytism, has a long and rich history in human occupation. Some of these interiors have been formed almost entirely by nature, while others have been carefully carved into complex living environments. The envelope of the inhabitable interior is confined to a generic box, which does not take advantage of the possibility for a subterranean interior to wander in a more labyrinthine manner, as with some of cave interiors found in Sicily, Italy, and Cappadocia in Turkey. Villa Vals is composed of two structures; in addition to the subterranean structure, an existing two-storey barn was incorporated into the plan and forms the entrance to the villa.
