“Doomsday preppers,” ”manchildren with more money than sense”—whatever you want to call them, we’ve all fantasized about being one at least once. That’s right—we’re talking about owning a secret underground bunker.
Unfortunately, however, not everyone has access to the space, funds, or know-how to make it a reality. Thankfully, this inventor has all three and decided to show the world his incredible subterranean designs. Check it out!
The Eccentric Man Behind (Or On Top Of) The Bunker
Colin Furze doesn’t look like your typical end-times builder. He sports a shirt and tie and prides himself on having a nerdy outlook on life. Nonetheless, it’s always been his dream to create an underground safe house in case the worst comes to pass—or just to have a fun place to hang out.
Colin decided to make a bunker and document the whole process on the back of a challenge—more about that later. But Colin isn’t new to shooting videos. He was already a popular YouTuber before sharing his creation.
The Master Blueprints
Any designer or builder worth their salt will tell you that the planning stages are just as important—if not more—than any project’s execution. That’s why Colin set out to depict his vision as accurately as his abilities allowed. This image was the final result.
Well, it won’t win any awards in any category, but we can see what Colin had in mind. You can see a tunnel leading to a safe place underground. There he is, presumably stroking his pet can and waiting for the end of the world to—well—end.
Building Close To Home
Most doomsday bunker preppers tend to report from the United States, but that isn’t to say that you get some springing up in other countries in the world. Colin himself comes from England in the United Kingdom. It’s as good a place as any to start, after all.
He decided it would be best to put one down as close to home as possible so that in the event of an emergency, he could just grab his family and run outside in his slippers and bathrobe to safety.
The Pristine Landscape, Before It Got Torn Up
And here’s the view from the back. It’s a yard perfect for pets, little kids to run around and play in, and an enormous underground bunker built by an inventor with heaps of optimism and ideas. What a beautiful view of the hills and woods!
Unfortunately, since Colin would need to dig deep to put the structure down, this lovely view would only last a while longer. We wonder what his family thought of his ideas before he went through with bringing in the diggers!
Blowing Off The Roof
Off comes the roof. Colin probably looked at his shed one day and thought to himself, “would this protect me in case of a biblical-sized emergency?” Upon realizing that it probably wouldn’t, he got to work.
This old shed was likely his invention cupboard. Most people refer to places like this as “the man cave,” which isn’t exactly accurate because most sheds aren’t underground. But Colin aimed to build a spot for himself underground—for real. But to do so, he would need to get it out of the way.
Shedding The Shed—Down Come The Walls!
Here, Colin and a friend are taking down a structure that most people would be proud of having in their backyard. But it’s all in the service of a more extraordinary project. Still, they look like they’re having fun pulling the whole thing down.
Knocking down four wooden walls would be the easiest part of the project. No heavy machinery required here—just a good kick, and the whole thing falls down! What’s next to clear before the dig can begin? Maybe the dinosaur that’s looming in the background?—Wait, what?
Relocating The Dinosaur Deterrent
The dinosaur in Colin’s backyard sums up everything you’d want to know about the man. He kept a T-rex in his garden as a way to deter intruders. He’s clearly got privacy and the safety of his children in mind. Unfortunately, they would need to move it to make way for the trucks.
Colin decided to simply move it to a safer location while the construction took place—on top of his kids’ play set. That way, the dino can still scare any would-be invaders. It’s perfect for protecting the bunker!
Drawing A Line In The Ground
With the dinosaur gone and the fence flat-packed, it was time to get digging into the garden! Colin drew out the lines where he would need to clear out the earth. Here’s his master floor plan again for comparison. Building these kinds of projects seems more “art” than science.
It may seem difficult to parse to the untrained eye, but Colin knew what he was doing. At least, we assume he did. Either way, he looks excited to be there! Time to break new ground!
Bringing In The Big Machinery
Step one: fantasize about a secret underground lair. Step two: every big kid likes to think about trucks—so bring in the diggers! Colin wasn’t about to waste any time with a shovel and wheelbarrow. He got some industrial machinery to help clear away any debris and to break the earth.
There was plenty to clear up—trees, roots, rocks, and other bits and pieces of trash still littered the garden. Step three would be to dig a little deeper. What secrets might lie underneath the surface?
A Wider View
What’s a secret underground bunker without a little depth? The plan was to pull out about 12 feet of earth. It would take at least that much to be able to lay the floor foundations. Colin didn’t just have one monster—he had a few on the go to help clear the way.
From this view, you can probably imagine how insane his neighbors thought Colin really was. And they were probably wondering if this would damage the price of their homes. Still, it would all be done in 34 days.
Cutting The Crust
You might be able to tell by now how deep they were going. The smooth, soft earth was getting more coarse the deeper they dug. You can see the tractor getting all the way in by the way it’s tiling forward into the hole. The truck behind took away all the dirt left behind.
It’s a good thing that Colin happened to have a team of workers by his side to make the 34-day transformation possible, right? Well, Colin didn’t just happen to be well-connected to a team of diggers.
Sky’s The Limit!
While Colin was clearly doing this for fun, he was also doing it as part of a challenge for a UK-based cable TV channel called Sky 1. In fact, they funded the whole thing. No wonder he looks so excited throughout the build! Imagine if some TV company offered to pay to make your wildest dreams a reality!
With money not being an issue, Colin let his imagination take him away. The project was humming along—until all of a sudden, they hit a wall—or rather, a stone floor.
Smashing Through The Rocks
But a hard bedrock wasn’t too much of a problem for Colin and the team to handle. When the tractor gave up going any deeper, they took out their jackhammers and broke hard stones. Soon the hard surface under their boots crumbled, and they were able to clear away the pebbles.
A little chiseling and rubble extraction later made the hole look mighty deep and mighty wide. Nothing could get in their way now! Soon it would be time to make this hole into a home.
Laying The Strongest Possible Foundations
This wasn’t just any old house they were building—it was supposed to be a structure that could withstand the end of the world, in whatever shape that would take. Naturally, Colin wanted it to be strong. Nothing but the most durable material would do.
He chose steel as its framework—and not just a single layer, ensuring that the bunker would last a long time. Or at least as long as it needed to—at least until the giant, radioactive squirrels stop their relentless siege on whatever is left of humanity.
Zipping It All Together
With the floor smoothed down, they laid down some small footings and started placing down the steel sheets one by one. Each sheet they put down had to be welded to the next to it by hand. Every. Single. Sheet. The sheets had to make a kind of air-tight blanket for the bunker to protect its occupant successfully.
It was slow and steady progress. But they were on the clock. This exhausting activity took hours to complete. Pretty soon, though, it looked like it was shaping up nicely.
Colin Was Just Floored!
Just feast your eyes on this incredible work! It looks almost as good as Colin’s inspirational drawing/floor plan. The last sheet was set down and welded into place. It doesn’t exactly look like the kind of floor you’d want to take your socks on after a long day being chased by mindless super mutants, but it would last almost forever.
It’s just a good thing it didn’t rain! The whole project was hardly finished yet. They had a long way to go before they could put their feet up.
Wall To Wall Protection
Naturally, with the floor done, the next step was to erect the walls around it. Again, Colin opted for thick steel. Check out that thickness! Just like the floor, each panel of walling needed to be hand-welded into place against the rocks.
Some of the walls were uneven and would need to be cut away for the walls to fit. One thing’s for sure—those hyper-intelligent mole people won’t be getting into Colin’s secret stash of cat food tins after whatever event knocks the earth off its axis happens!
A Big Ol’ Hole
With the floor and walls firmly (and we mean firmly) in place, the hardest part of the job was finished. Colin could take a breather and take it all in—but unfortunately, the workers had to get back to it to make sure the bunker had some kind of roof.
He could almost imagine where he would put all his stuff—his crate of canned beans and soup, his apocalypse bedsheets, and his rad meter. There was still a lot more work to be done, but it was starting to shape up.
Laying The Roof
Here’s a reverse view of the entrance. These guys are hard at work in the blistering sun, raising one of the arches that would go on to form the bunker’s ceiling and roof. They couldn’t just weld another set of steel sheets to the top and call it a day. The weight of the top had to be distributed evenly.
Otherwise, one day, after it all ends, while supping on his moss and earwax broth, Colin might suddenly find himself squashed by a block of concrete.
Filling In The Cracks
The folded sheets were installed over the arches and welded together. Then the whole structure, from beneath the steel to behind the walls, got filled in by a special, fiberglass-reinforced concrete. They poured it at different thicknesses at different angles for maximum sturdiness.
Colin stood there and watched them pour all that liquid stone into his bunker. When the filling was finished, it would be time to furnish his new extra-safe man cave! But first, they needed to un-dig the hole around it.
More Steel, More Concrete!
As if all that wasn’t enough, the builders lay down crisscrossing steel beams to support the weight of the concrete they would then put on top of the roof. The beams would once again distribute the massive weight on top, preventing a collapse—besides that of civilization.
Tons of concrete would be resting above Colin’s head. It would have been reassuring to know that someone with a little more physics knowledge was taking care of the more complicated stuff. Next came the final touches and the fitting of the trap door.
Getting Support From High And Low
Since the project was on a strict timeline, Colin had to pull all the stops to get the work done. Here’s his son helping out by smoothing the concrete by the trap door. He looks a little too young to perform manual labor, doesn’t he? Just kidding—he just wanted to help out for fun.
Nonetheless, his efforts helped move the building project along. The concrete near the trap door would serve as the new shed’s base, so it had to be evened out and flattened. Good job, kid!
Getting A Little Air
The project was sealed up, but it wasn’t literally air-tight. This is one of the ventilation pipes. It would allow used air to escape out of the bunker and would feed fresh air back in, presumably through a series of HEPA filters. Without them, Colin would find it pretty hard to breathe a sigh of relief in his impenetrable safety room.
The pipes ran from one side of the structure to the other, presumably so the air didn’t get confused as to where it would need to go.
Covering Up The Big Secret
And with that, the main body of work was complete! Colin now had a large, invulnerable square box in which to cower should the worst happen hidden deep under his lawn. Speaking of the law, the builders helpfully covered it back over with all the dirt they had removed earlier.
They also lay down some sod to help it blend back in with the rest of the backyard. In no time, grass would blend in, and it would look like any old regular garden—besides the dinosaur and pirate flag.
Nailing The Finishing Touches
Anyone wondering if they could pull off their own underground bunker in 34 days may (or may not) be wondering if Colin needed planning permission for his four-foot long, 16-foot wide safety center. It turns out that he did, but he actually got it retroactively since the clock was ticking.
Risky, but totally in character for this maverick inventor. But back to the build—the team had successfully removed all the heavy machinery and replaced the fence panels. They slid it in and sealed the deal with some fresh nails.
Squaring The Secret Away
Here’s Colin inspecting a corner of his backyard after the grass got laid down—but not just any corner—it’s the spot that hides the secret entrance to the base! The sides of the concrete pipe have been concealed with a nice bit of brickwork. It all looks neat and tidy.
Of course, there was still plenty of work to do. Colin went up and down to make sure everything was well-hidden before working on the interior. But there was one more thing left to work on from the outside.
Down The Hatch…
With the bunker covered in a foot of concrete three feet below the earth, the entrance would also need to be just as shielded. The area around the trap door was good, but the hatch itself would need a little reinforcement. Colin originally put down a wooden flap to cover the hole.
But this would be nowhere near sturdy enough! To match the rest of the structure, Colin cut out another square of steel and welded in some metal hinges. Of course, this would need to be hidden as well!
Building The Shed With A Mysterious Basement
And what better way to hide it than by simply replacing the old shed with a new one? It’s astounding that Colin managed to put this thing up in the time that he had, but it just goes to show that Colin is no ordinary inventor.
Colin would later go on to win “Shed Of The Year” for it! The judges were probably won over by the fact that the shed contained the entrance to a secret underground lair filled with cool gadgets—but more on that soon.
Heading Down Into The Bunker
It’s finally time to see what Colin made of the bunker! Here’s an interior shot of the inside of Colin’s new shed. It all looks very nice and rustic, as tool sheds go. There are some real tools on the wall and a bunch of clutter that he couldn’t keep in the house. But where’s the hatch?
Well, here’s Colin to show us his tricks. We’re looking at a nice grill—good for barbeques in summer. Dragging it off the rug reveals a secret.
Like A Magic Carpet Ride
Surprise! It’s a rug! Well, that’s not the real secret. But those with their eyes peeled might notice a handle camouflaged on the top of the carpet. This handle comes with a padlock. Colin snaps the key in and gives the handle a pull…
The hatch goes up—and the ladder to the downstairs is revealed. There’s even a little light switch to help on the descent. How cool is that? But what does it look like down there? Let’s take a look!
Down The Secret Passageway
At the bottom of the ladder, visitors will be treated to this exciting view. Isn’t this cool? Colin has said that he will never sell his house now that there’s a bunker at the bottom—but if he ever did, he would have to sell it as a bunker with a house attached, as opposed to a house with a bunker.
The lights will help anyone down here navigate, but there’s only one way to go. What’s behind the curtain at the end? You might be surprised by what you see…
The Big Reveal
Were you expecting an empty room? This is absolutely mindblowing! Being an inventor, Colin had plenty of gadgets and machines to move down into his new fortress. A few nice touches, like the black and yellow tape, helped to give the bunker its authentic, post-apocalyptic sheen.
Standing triumphant, Colin looks ecstatic about the end result of his hard work and good fortune. He’s also here to show off all the bunker’s cool features—big and small. Let’s take a look around, shall we?
What’s On The Menu?
What’s a survival bunker without the means to sustain yourself? The place is fully kitted out with a kitchen and a whole bunch of canned produce and water. There are enough non-perishable goods to take care of a small family for at least a couple of months.
It’s also fully stocked with cutlery, gas, appliances, condiments, and paper towels. It’s a home away from home! There will be no need to go hunting for giant, radioactive monster chickens for this fully-prepped inventor!
The Springy Bed
Although it’s made out of steel and concrete, there’s also a place to relax and catch some Zs after a long day at the world’s end. This single bed looks cozy enough, but of course, being the inverter he is, Colin added a, shall we say, “interesting” twist to the bed’s design.
That’s right—it’s an ejector bed! …for some reason. Maybe the thought of ending the world is enough to make a person want to sleep forever. The ejector might be a helpful motivator to get up in the morning.
More Power To You
The bunker is hooked up to the electricity grid, just like any other building in the neighborhood. But just in case those go down or wear away, Colin has some fuel stored so he won’t have to go on living in the dark for very long.
All his favorite activities, like cooking, gaming, and watching the endless static on TV, are now no problem, whether civilization still exists out there or not! The fumes from the fuel won’t be a problem either—Colin thought of that long in advance.
Keeping The Place Fresh
Here’s where those pipes you saw on the surface go to. The bunker handles all the oxygen—incoming and outgoing—which keeps the place fresh and prevents humidity, rust, or panicked breathing. There’s a fan, but Colin says he rarely needs to use it as the vents take care of things automatically.
When there were more than five people at a time (like during Colin’s band practice with the boys), it got a little humid—but he has since fixed that with four extra vents in the entranceway.
All The (Deadly) Homemade Tools
Colin doesn’t just build structures for a living—he also makes experimental gadgets, including weaponry! In the event of a cataclysm or zombie outbreak, they would probably come in pretty handy. Here he is showing off his homemade flamethrower and rocket launcher.
But just in case he runs out of ammo, Colin also has behind him a wearable pair of “Wolverine claws” and a “hidden blade.” There’s one more deadly deterrent to stop intruders at the entrance, but this one is remote-controlled.
Entrance Defence Measures
That’s right—the business end of a gun is aimed right at the hatch for anyone who thinks about taking the bunker for themselves! The barrel is usually hidden away behind a sheet, but with the press of a button, it snaps down at the infiltrator’s head.
We’re not sure if it’s real or not (this is the UK we’re talking about, after all). Whether it’s a toy or the real deal, seeing something like this would make anyone think twice about touching that handle.
Not Completely Private
The small size of the bunker means there wasn’t room for a bathroom, but any occupants of the end of the world will still need a place to relieve themselves. Fortunately, Colin did the plumbing and installed a toilet. Unfortunately, it’s right across from the sofa—meaning it’s not totally private.
Still, it’s better than nothing. It’s strange that Colin never thought to provide a curtain rail around the area, but oh well. Maybe his next invention will take care of the problem without the need for a toilet at all!
Best Of All…
Colin built the bunker to survive impending doom, but he wanted to survive in style. So here’s his full kit on display. With a drum kit, books, workbench videogames, and a sweet widescreen TV, it would be hard for him to get bored down here.
All in all—what an incredible build! Colin is obviously filled with pride from his project, especially since it’s as sturdy and fresh looking as the day it was built. “It looks remarkably like the plan I drew all those months ago,” he said.
