THE HUMMER AND THE MINI, NAVIGATING THE CONTRADICTIONS OF THE NEW TREND LANDSCAPE
 by Robyn Waters
 
Homes are getting bigger and bigger, even as the American family is getting smaller. It's amazing the lengths, or I should say depths, to which some people will go to  add space to their homes. Bacchus Caves is a unique business that was launched in 1997 by David Provost and a team of experienced underground professionals. They offer homeowners the excavation and addition of a subterranean room to their homes, i.e. a fake cave.
      Why a cave? Many people think caves are seductive, others think that they're just plain cool. (Bruce Wayne certainly did.) Bacchus is building caves to be used as dining rooms, libraries, romantic retreats, driving ranges, and home theaters. According to USA Today, one creative soul even wants a "fake natural" hot spring in his cave.
      It turns out that one advantage is a substantial cost savings. For construction on land in the California area, for example, Bacchus's fees start at $150 per square foot compared to $500 per square foot. 
And it's easier to get permits to build as caves are subject to fewer technical regulations than additions or remodels.
      "Fake natural" caves aren't just updated versions of the Flinstone's cartoon cave homes. They're high-tech custom-designed rooms that just happen to be twenty-five feet below the earth's surface. They are a perfect example of the sort of counterfeit authenticity that just may push the U.S. housing market to uncharted...depths.