Untitled (from "Nowhere to Go but Down," Progressive Architecture, February 1965) (Section of an underground house)

Malcolm Wells

1964

An ink-and-watercolor sectional rendering on vellum by Malcolm Wells proposing an earth‑sheltered house that tucks living spaces beneath a planted mound to minimize visual impact and fuse architecture with the forest.

On warm-toned vellum a dramatic cutaway pierces the earth—bold, umbrella-like rooflines and dark cross-sections expose living rooms, baths and circulation, while loose ink trees and a grassy mound at right underscore how the home disappears into the landscape.

This 1964 drawing is an early, influential statement of earth‑sheltered and ecological architecture, anticipating later sustainable design by arguing that buildings should be integrated with—and hidden within—the natural terrain.

Palette

Art Terms

Architecture Architectural drawing Section drawing Ink Watercolor Built environment Landscape

Exhibitions

Visionary Architecture

1960

Modern Architecture for the Modern School

1942

Contemporary Architecture in California

1935

Integrated Building: Kitchen, Bathroom, and Storage

1945