[Cob] earth berms and pyramids

[MHoop]

I once visited a pyramid in hot dry arkansas. It was build on a rise and the ground floor was underground with a ramp down one side to big impressive double doors. 
The site drained well and the building was actually pyramid shape. 
In summer the first floor--one huge room--was dry and cool as the top of the pyramid was open and the various floors all surrounded an open center so the air traveled upwards in summer creating a lovely cooling system. I never was in it in the winter, but i imagine a creative person would find a way to close the air "chimney" to keep heat in. 
As I recall, it was an economical building to construct and the belowground feature helped with heatingand cooling.
 Not much for views from first floor, but from the various windows placed on each succeeding floor, it must have been a pretty view from on high.