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
Future Homes Standard Essentials launched
Future Homes Hub launches new campaign to help the homebuilding sector prepare for the implementation of new building standards.
Building Safety recap February, 2026
Our regular run-down of key building safety related events of the month.
Planning reform: draft NPPF and industry responses.
Last chance to comment on proposed changes to the NPPF.
A Regency palace of colour and sensation. Book review.
Delayed, derailed and devalued
How the UK’s planning crisis is undermining British manufacturing.
How much does it cost to build a house?
A brief run down of key considerations from a London based practice.
The need for a National construction careers campaign
Highlighted by CIOB to cut unemployment, reduce skills gap and deliver on housing and infrastructure ambitions.
AI-Driven automation; reducing time, enhancing compliance
Sustainability; not just compliance but rethinking design, material selection, and the supply chains to support them.
Climate Resilience and Adaptation In the Built Environment
New CIOB Technical Information Sheet by Colin Booth, Professor of Smart and Sustainable Infrastructure.
Turning Enquiries into Profitable Construction Projects
Founder of Develop Coaching and author of Building Your Future; Greg Wilkes shares his insights.
IHBC Signpost: Poetry from concrete
Scotland’s fascinating historic concrete and brutalist architecture with the Engine Shed.
Demonstrating that apprenticeships work for business, people and Scotland’s economy.
Scottish parents prioritise construction and apprenticeships
CIOB data released for Scottish Apprenticeship Week shows construction as top potential career path.
From a Green to a White Paper and the proposal of a General Safety Requirement for construction products.
Creativity, conservation and craft at Barley Studio. Book review.
The challenge as PFI agreements come to an end
How construction deals with inherited assets built under long-term contracts.
Skills plan for engineering and building services
Comprehensive industry report highlights persistent skills challenges across the sector.
Choosing the right design team for a D&B Contract
An architect explains the nature and needs of working within this common procurement route.
Statement from the Interim Chief Construction Advisor
Thouria Istephan; Architect and inquiry panel member outlines ongoing work, priorities and next steps.