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Architecture

Underground bunker would let you ride out the apocalypse in luxury

By Adam Williams
July 06, 2020
Underground bunker would let you ride out the apocalypse in luxury
Plan B would be topped by a helipad and would resemble concrete infrastructure or perhaps a military installation
Plan B would be topped by a helipad and would resemble concrete infrastructure or perhaps a military installation
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Plan B would be topped by a helipad and would resemble concrete infrastructure or perhaps a military installation
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Plan B would be topped by a helipad and would resemble concrete infrastructure or perhaps a military installation
Plan B would include an entrance with an integrated disinfection facility
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Plan B would include an entrance with an integrated disinfection facility
Plan B's living area would include an enclosed tree
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Plan B's living area would include an enclosed tree
Plan B's dining room would include a screen showing greenery to enliven the concrete decor
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Plan B's dining room would include a screen showing greenery to enliven the concrete decor
Plan B would include two master bedrooms
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Plan B would include two master bedrooms
Plan B's bedrooms would feature some greenery on the walls to break up the concrete decor
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Plan B's bedrooms would feature some greenery on the walls to break up the concrete decor
Plan B's two master bedroom would each include their own bathroom
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Plan B's two master bedroom would each include their own bathroom
One of Plan B's bedrooms would feature a large screen showing different vistas
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One of Plan B's bedrooms would feature a large screen showing different vistas
Plan B's interior would measure 2,280 sq m (around 24,500 sq ft)
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Plan B's interior would measure 2,280 sq m (around 24,500 sq ft)
Plan B would feature its own cinema
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Plan B would feature its own cinema
Plan B's gym would have its own swimming pool
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Plan B's gym would have its own swimming pool
Plan B's gym would include a wide selection of workout gear
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Plan B's gym would include a wide selection of workout gear
Plan B would include a professional-style kitchen
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Plan B would include a professional-style kitchen
Plan B would include a meditation room with an artificial sky on its ceiling
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Plan B would include a meditation room with an artificial sky on its ceiling
Plan B would even include a room for walking dogs
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Plan B would even include a room for walking dogs
Plan B would feature an indoor greenhouse for growing food
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Plan B would feature an indoor greenhouse for growing food
View gallery - 16 images

Survival bunkers are big business nowadays, with some people prepared to splash serious cash to try and ensure their safety, come what may. The Plan B underground bunker is purely conceptual at the moment, but looks like it could cater to well-heeled types and offer a pretty comfortable place to hunker down.

Plan B would be made from reinforced concrete and would have a total floorspace of 2,280 sq m (around 24,500 sq ft), with three spiral staircase entrances. Designer Sergey Makhno Architects envisions it being placed near a larger home or in an out of the way location.

"The project proposal provides comfortable living for two or three families with children and staff with their families," explains the firm. "If necessary, the project can be redesigned for a much larger number of people, but at this stage, we are interested in experimenting with the underground space in such a way as to create the illusion of being above the surface – as if you could look out the window and see the blue sky."

Its two master bedrooms would consist of a sleeping area, storage space, and a bathroom each. One of the bedrooms would feature a stone garden and a high quality wall-mounted screen displaying different vistas, while the other would have an LED lighting system designed to create the illusion that natural light was seeping through from above.

Plan B's living area would include an enclosed tree
Plan B's living area would include an enclosed tree

Elsewhere would be more bedrooms, a library, a cinema, a large professional-style kitchen, and a living room with a central enclosed tree. There would also be workout areas, including a swimming pool and gym equipment, and a meditation area with an artificial sky on its ceiling. A water treatment system and a generator would be installed, and there would be a well to keep the water flowing.

Becoming trapped underground in a fire is the stuff of nightmares, so Plan B would, in addition to its three exits, have a "fire-resistant evacuation ring" allowing for escape. Additionally, the water supply, sewerage, ventilation systems, etc would all be autonomous and food would be grown with an indoor greenhouse.

Plan B would feature its own cinema
Plan B would feature its own cinema

Though there are no immediate plans to build Plan B, Sergey Makhno Architects says that it would work out the finer details of how all the autonomous and life-support technology would function with the help of specialists if commissioned.

Source: Sergey Makhno Architects

View gallery - 16 images

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11 comments
Adam Williams
Adam Williams
Adam scours the globe from his home in Spain in order to bring the best of innovative architecture and sustainable design to the pages of New Atlas. Most of his spare time is spent dabbling in music, tinkering with old Macintosh computers and trying to keep his even older VW bus on the road.

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11 comments
guzmanchinky
Well, I still think that the requirement of one of these would negate wanting to live on the planet that needed it...
Douglas Bennett Rogers
Your utilities are prepaid. Not "free" because this costs a ton of money. You don't have to get up for a tornado!
paul314
This might be the epitaph of so many architects with brilliant concepts and questionable execution: "it would work out the finer details of how all the autonomous and life-support technology would function with the help of specialists if commissioned." True for so many conventional buildings as well: renderings first, usability real soon now.
James
Really interesting thought exercise, but not sure i'd want to be stuck in a bunker that is so beige and monochrome, I think the interior design would have a detrimental effect on the family's mental health. Bright airy colours with plenty of artificial and natural light would definitely be high on my wish list.
Jamurray
This is a concept for living as old as mankind itself. "Earth Shelters" were the first form of human habitation.

The modern movement for self sufficient underground living gained a wider acceptance and following in the 1970's.

You can still find many imaginative designs featured in old copies of Earth Shelter Digest, New Shelter and Mother Earth News magazines.

Just dust off an old idea and give it a new name for a new audience.
DaveWesely
Just what would these inhabitants be trying to escape from? Political instability? Not. Nuclear war? Might get you through it. Climate Change? Not.
The big catch is how long your food will last. Most food has a shelf life of one to five years. You really want to overcome these obstacles? Fix the world before it gets to that point.
ArdisLille
Let's hear more about those architects who are truly looking out for humanity in general and less for the champions of the rich and clueless.
Worzel
During my time in the military, I had nuclear attack/survival training, and it was demonstrated that reinforced concrete was not good at withstanding blasts. Sandbags were infinitely better, and far cheaper.
Also, in the event of a nuclear attack, a highly sophisticated, filtered, ventilation system is an absolute requirement, to prevent radioactive particles entering the dwelling. Otherwise one might just as well stand outside, and take deep breaths.
As for an indoor greenhouse; Its been shown that about 1/4 acre is the minimum to grow enough food for a family, (A lot of Victorian properties in the UK had 1/4 acre plots for that purpose, in the days before supermarkets.) It also requires intensive 7 day a week trained attention, plus farm animals to provide non vegetable nutrition, and fertiliser for the land. For, ''two or three families'' the area required would need to be proportionately larger, and even with multilayer, vertical cultivation, would still need a considerable area, and the power generation to provide strong artificial sunlight for maximum growth.
In addition, prevention of break-ins by starving, armed, gangs would be essential. Non is mentioned.
Conclusion, this bunker is just another ''Architects armchair fantasy''!
Wolf0579
I'll be one of surviors, waiting for the people responsible for the catastrophe to emerge from their expensive, luxury hidey-holes to mete out some serious revenge.
BobMunck
"two or three families with children and staff with their families,"

I've never been clear on what's going to maintain that social hierarchy. How long until the staff is sleeping in the luxurious master bedrooms and relaxing in the media room, and the two or three families are cleaning toilets, cooking, harvesting plants, etc? Feudalism can't survive living in such close quarters.
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