True Digging

Daniel Holler 2022

Summer in 3 years. Heatwaves have become incessant in Europe. Day by day forest fires come closer to the cities, engulfing urban areas in thick smog. People escape to the mountains or up north during summer, leaving gardens and other spaces empty. How do you survive these waves of extreme weather? You dig a hole. Take cover inside, and hope for the heat wave to pass quickly. While digging, take care of the soil and document what you find buried. Inside the hole, you get comfy. It’s cozy and cool. Keep an eye on the data from your sensors to know when you can safely reemerge. Monitor toxic CO2 levels and check the temperature and humidity both inside and outside of the hole. You also measure the temperature of the soil far below ground, so you know exactly where to dig for geothermal power and in turn keep warm, giving yourself a head start for winter.

True Digging is an exploration of digging holes as both research and practice, leading to a speculative approach for building refuges to stay safe during extreme weather.