Bunker
Bunker is usually a term used to describe a protective, reinforced or fortified building, often underground but also free standing. Such storm, military, wartime, nuclear bunkers or safe houses were often made of thick, strong, reinforced bomb blast resilient concrete, but the term could also be used to describe dug out areas of land or trenches to protect from enemy attack. The term sangar may also be used to describe such a pit or specifically rifle pit for a soldier, often built up at the edges with loose stones.
According to Subterranea Britannica there are some 275 bunkers located in the UK, many are disused, some remain useable and some have been adapted for reuse or incorporated into developments. There are also any bunkers located across Europe, with a similar story, some being converted into art galleries, others into hotels as well as homes.
Bunker can also refer to a buildings or spaces used for storage, in particular fuel. Again built with protective walls to prevent explosion or ignition of the fuel or ammunition. The fuel used in shipping may still be referred to as bunker fuel, which dates back to when the fuel used was coal and it was stored in a bunker on board the ship.
Bunker might also be used to describe an external storage area, often partly underground, which remains a constant lower temperature and is used to store food, also referred to as an earth cellar (or root cellar in the US) with a similar function to a larder, buttery or pantry.
[edit] Related articles on Designing Buildings
- Admixtures in concrete.
- Angstloch.
- Basement excavation.
- Basement Excavation (Restriction of Permitted Development) Bill.
- Basement impact assessment.
- Basement v cellar.
- Basement waterproofing.
- Basements.
- Bund.
- Cast-in-place concrete.
- Cellular concrete.
- Concrete.
- Concrete frame.
- Concrete-steel composite structures.
- Design of durable concrete structures.
- Earth bermed buildings.
- Excavation.
- Ferro-cement.
- Fly ash.
- Formwork.
- Gabion.
- Global undergrounds - exploring cities within.
- Glass reinforced concrete.
- Graphene-reinforced concrete.
- Grouting in civil engineering.
- Isokon Flats.
- Maunsell forts.
- Oubliette.
- Pantry, buttery, larder and scullery.
- Planning (Subterranean Development) Bill.
- Prestressed concrete.
- Recycled concrete aggregate RCA.
- Reinforced concrete.
- Safe houses.
- Substructure.
- Stad Ship Tunnel.
- The Lowline.
- The properties of concrete.
- Tired of the commute? It might be time to take cars underground.
- Tunnels.
- Underground.
Featured articles and news
C20 Society; Buildings at Risk List 2025
10 more buildings published with updates on the past decade of buildings featured.
Boiler Upgrade Scheme and certifications consultation
Summary of government consultation, closing 11 June 2025.
Deputy editor of AT, Tim Fraser, discusses the newly formed society with its current chair, Chris Halligan MCIAT.
Barratt Lo-E passivhaus standard homes planned enmasse
With an initial 728 Lo-E homes across two sites and many more planned for the future.
Government urged to uphold Warm Homes commitment
ECA and industry bodies write to Government concerning its 13.2 billion Warm Homes manifesto commitment.
From project managers to rising stars, sustainability pioneers and more.
Places of Worship in Britain and Ireland, 1929-1990. Book review.
The emancipation of women in art.
Call for independent National Grenfell oversight mechanism
MHCLG share findings of Building Safety Inquiry in letter to Secretary of State and Minister for Building Safety.
The Architectural Technology Awards
AT Awards now open for this the sixth decade of CIAT.
50th Golden anniversary ECA Edmundson awards
Deadline for submissions Friday 30 May 2025.
The benefits of precast, off-site foundation systems
Top ten benefits of this notable innovation.
Encouraging individuals to take action saving water at home, work, and in their communities.
Takes a community to support mental health and wellbeing
The why of becoming a Mental Health Instructor explained.
Mental health awareness week 13-18 May
The theme is communities, they can provide a sense of belonging, safety, support in hard times, and a sense purpose.
Mental health support on the rise but workers still struggling
CIOB Understanding Mental Health in the Built Environment 2025 shows.
Design and construction material libraries
Material, sample, product or detail libraries a key component of any architectural design practice.