Dave has spent the past decade refining ways to build affordable underground homes. We last visited him to see his Quonset hut–style earth homes, and now he’s back with a new prototype: a prefab “hobbit house” that anyone can build on a budget.

Next door to his dome home, Dave has constructed the first of what he envisions as an entire hobbit village—a series of earth-sheltered homes designed to be simple, strong, and efficient. The main structure went up in just a few days using his erector-set-style system of 21 curved steel poles and standard roofing panels. The full process—from excavation to backfilling with earth—took about 30 days, and he believes future builds could go even faster.

He estimates the total cost at around $40–45K, including hired help. His approach encourages people to act as their own contractors—hiring out the heavy work (like excavation and concrete) while taking on the parts they can learn themselves. For Dave, learning to build isn’t just about saving money—it’s about opening up your world and gaining confidence in shaping the spaces you live in.

Inside his dome home, Dave shows us several of his newest creations: a four-bed bunk built from old doors for his daughter, a custom bi-fold sliding door curved to match the dome, a Greek-inspired tunnel staircase, and a compact wet bath tucked into a space that once held a stairwell.

Out on his property, he’s also experimenting with a two-level, domed-roof tiny house on skids—another example of his constant drive to reimagine what’s possible with a bit of creativity and hands-on work.