Building an Earthship is a sustainable and environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional building methods. Earthships are passive solar homes, built with south-facing walls made almost entirely of glass and often incorporating a greenhouse. The construction of an Earthship depends on the design, layout, and functions of the house, as well as the materials available. The concept of Earthships is simple enough that anyone can build it themselves, even if they lack basic construction skills.
To build an earth-sheltered greenhouse using passive solar gain, follow these step-by-step instructions. After building the walls, trusses are spanned and a greenhouse is added to the front of the building. The roof is insulated to R70 and the interior glass wall should not reduce the solar gain.
An Earthship is a long, skinny bungalow with an earth berm enveloping the back and sides and a greenhouse on the front. The greenhouse was designed in 2022 for an intentional living community, Awakening Mountain, by Brenden McBrier, 33. Earthships are homes built from readily available recycled materials and incorporate alternative energy systems and water catchment. The main features of this design include a double layer of glass between the inner living spaces and the outside, and the use of an earth berm.
📹 New Earthships capture more energy, water & food at lower cost
With walls made from old tires packed with earth, as well as upcycled glass bottles and cans, Earthships have always been built …
What are the walls for underground greenhouse?
An underground greenhouse can be constructed using materials that absorb heat well, such as stone or mud bricks. The roof captures radiant solar heat gain. The emissivity of a material determines how much light it absorbs. Blacker materials absorb more light and heat. Reflecting light with white or shiny surfaces can increase brightness and spread productive growing light. Materials like stone and metals transfer heat effectively to cool areas, while insulators can slow heat transfer to cold areas. Convection occurs when hot air rises and leaves cool areas near the ground.
Does ground need to be level for greenhouse?
The soil in your greenhouse base should be carefully considered. If the soil is sandy, concrete slabs may be the most economical option. If the soil is firm and compacted, only concrete in the four posts of the greenhouse frame may be the most economical option. However, if your greenhouse is larger than 8ft x 10ft, heavier greenhouses may cause the base to warp and the glass to break. To ensure a level area, build it up with more soil in the necessary areas and use a tamper, roller, or vibrating plate to flatten and compact the soil.
Building a greenhouse on a soil base offers benefits such as direct planting, no drainage concerns, and the option to plant in pots and growbags. However, it also poses risks such as muddy floors, pests, and a sinking greenhouse.
For large greenhouses or those concerned about subsiding, building a perimeter out of concrete or paving blocks is an inexpensive option. Mark the exact dimensions of the greenhouse with spray paint and use strong rawlplugs or screws to attach the base to the perimeter.
What is the easiest base for a greenhouse?
The Integral Base is a popular metal base option for greenhouses, as it is the most straightforward to install and does not necessitate any additional construction. It constitutes an integral component of the frame and can be secured to a level surface. This base provides structural integrity to the greenhouse and, although less common, can serve as a reliable indicator of quality and strength.
What is the temperature 20 feet underground?
GHPs use the thermal energy stored in the Earth’s upper crust to heat or cool buildings, replacing conventional boilers and air-conditioning systems. The Earth’s temperature down 20 or 30 feet is a relatively constant number year-round, between 50 and 60 degrees F. A geothermal heat pump moves heat to and from the Earth by circulating water through a well. For example, in Kansas City, the underground temperature is 55 degrees, while in summer it’s 100 degrees.
In summer, it reverses that process, moving the heat in a building down into the Earth. These systems incorporate a piping loop buried in the ground through which water is circulated, and the heat pump removes the temperature from the water and distributes it through the building, much like central air conditioning works. Alternatively, groundwater is directly circulated through a series of wells.
What is the most efficient type of greenhouse?
Twin-wall polycarbonate covers are more resistant to temperature variability and last more than double as long as poly film. However, greenhouses lose a lot of heat during winter months, especially at night. To improve heat retention, use winter-ready poly film glazing, which is heavier and more opaque, which attracts heat during the day and reflects it back into the greenhouse at night. Another option is installing a water wall for passive solar heat, which uses polyethylene bags filled with water to absorb solar energy during the day and radiate it into the greenhouse at night.
Is underground hotter than above ground?
At a small depth below the Earth’s surface, the temperature remains constant throughout the year, with the soil temperature differing little from the mean annual temperature of the air. Caves were the first habitations of men and cellars are still used for protection of food supplies from rapid changes in temperature. The fact that the temperature of the earth increases with increasing depth below the surface was first clearly enunciated in 1665 by Kircher, who had obtained his data from Hungarian mining engineers. The first measurements of this increase of temperature were made by Friesleben, Humboldt, Saussure, and others at the beginning of the nineteenth century.
There are now many good measurements made in various countries, but the results are so discordant that it is difficult to deduce a general law of the increase of temperature. Some of these results are shown in the following table, which gives the geothermic interval, or the increase in depth which corresponds to a rise of temperature of one degree, and the geothermic gradient, or the fraction of a degree by which the temperature rises per unit of depth. The geothermic gradient is the reciprocal of the geothermic interval.
The abnormal temperature gradients have been deduced mathematically from the known laws of the conduction of heat, taking into account the modifications the configuration of the Earth’s surface and the proximity of veins of ore, seams of coal, and volcanic magmas into the simple conditions presented by the sedimentary and unchangeable rocks that underlie the great, low-lying plain of North Germany.
Most of the gradients are abnormal because most of the observations were made in tunnels under mountains or in mines of coal or metal, which are in the vicinity of substances that produce heat due to the oxidizing action of the air, either in gaseous form or dissolved in water.
The differences between the values in this table are very great, and it is unclear whether these differences are due to errors in measurement or to unsuspected peculiarities of the various rocks. Many geologists attribute the great variation in the temperature gradient to complex irregularities in the structure of the earth’s crust.
The Earth’s interior is believed to be hot, with observed temperature gradients attributed to various factors such as the cooling of molten interiors, mechanical action, chemical and radioactive processes, and the arrangement of strata. However, Dr. Thoma and the writer have attempted to prove that these temperatures are not due to the cooling of a molten interior, mechanical action, chemical and radioactive processes, or all of these combined.
The authors have calculated gradients and temperatures under mountains and valleys, using the mean of results obtained in a region remote from mountains and large bodies of water as the normal value. They have found that the agreement is so close that it is evidently possible to calculate the temperatures encountered in tunneling with quite sufficient accuracy for practical purposes.
The thermal conductivity of various wet rocks has been ascribed to the dip and order of strata, but experiments on the thermal conductivity of various wet rocks show that this effect is very small. The cooling or heating effect of streams of water depends on the extent of surface they wash, and the springs of St. Gotthard are too small and compact to have an appreciable effect except in their immediate vicinity.
Near large masses of water, the geothermic interval is greatly increased and the gradient correspondingly diminished by the conductivity of the water. A lake covering 400 square miles to a depth of 600 feet can diminish by one-half the gradient at a depth of 1. 600 feet and a distance of six miles from the lake. The best examples of this influence of water are offered by the mines of Lake Superior.
The authors have devised an apparatus costing from $75 to $150 to register changes in the mass of lava by means of the variation of the geothermic interval and thus, perhaps, predict volcanic eruptions. Over veins of coal and some other minerals, the temperature gradient is high, while below them it soon attains the normal value.
The mathematical theory applied to deposits of spherical or ellipsoidal form shows that no very great production of heat is required to cause a considerable change in the observed temperature. Therefore, it is theoretically possible to cool mines by refrigerating chambers suitably distributed beneath and beside the galleries, if the chambers are sufficiently large and numerous and well insulated.
In conclusion, abnormal temperature gradients can be explained very simply and without the introduction of new hypotheses, by the varying production of heat in coal seams, the proximity of volcanic masses, and the cooling effect of large bodies of water.
What is the temperature in an underground greenhouse?
Soil temperature below ground level typically remains consistent at 50-60 F (10-16 C) year-round. This is due to radiation and emissivity, where sunlight radiates through air and glazing, directly heating materials. The emissivity of a material determines how much light it absorbs. Reflecting light with white or shiny surfaces can increase brightness, spreading productive growing light. Materials like stone and metals transfer heat effectively to cool areas, while insulators can slow heat transfer to cold areas. Convection occurs when hot air rises and leaves cool areas near the ground.
Why are greenhouses built underground?
The walipini, or underground or pit greenhouse, is a more affordable and effective year-round option than traditional glass greenhouses. Originally developed for cold mountainous regions of South America, it allows growers to maintain a productive garden 365 days a year, even in the coldest climates. The Benson Institute provides a manual on how to build an underground greenhouse, explaining how it works and how to build it.
The earth-sheltered greenhouse uses less energy to heat the interior than an aboveground greenhouse, but precautions such as waterproofing, drainage, and ventilation must be taken to ensure proper alignment with the sun.
Can you put a greenhouse directly on the ground?
Installing a greenhouse on soil or turf is not recommended due to potential subsidence, warping, glass breakage, weed growth, and water logging. A base is essential for many greenhouse models and can be purchased pre-fabricated or built from bricks or railway sleepers. Newer models often have a built-in base and often have a low or zero door threshold. Building a suitable base can provide additional benefits such as increased efficiency, reduced maintenance, and reduced water usage. It is essential to consider the advantages of having a greenhouse base when choosing a greenhouse model.
Do sunken greenhouses work?
Walipini greenhouses are effective in equatorial regions with high sun exposure and 12 hours of light per year. They have a low-profile roof to protect plants and the structure from strong winds and minimize flooding. However, these traditional designs require adjustments for regions with short winter days and low sun exposure.
Chinese Style Greenhouses, popularized by Chinese gardeners, have built 2 million acres of passive solar greenhouses. These greenhouses typically have three brick or clay walls enclosing the growing area, with a transparent plastic film covering the southern exposure. The bricks absorb and store sun heat during the day, while releasing warmth at night and protecting plants from north winds. At sunset, growers can spread an additional insulating sheet of straw or woven grasses to slow heat loss, allowing the interior temperature to be maintained up to 45 degrees warmer than outside.
How deep are sunken greenhouses?
A pit style greenhouse is a type of greenhouse that is sunken deeper into the earth, typically six to eight feet deep, with a roof that is translucent. It receives maximum sunlight during winter and allows for water runoff. However, it is not suitable for northern or southern latitudes, as it is best for locations between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn. The extreme angle of sunlight in winter prevents the light from reaching the lower part of the pit.
📹 Earthship Inspired Homestead with Straw bale and Underground Greenhouse
This is the sixth video in a playlist documenting the Off Grid Owner Builders of Crestone Colorado. In this Nikki and Zuki give us a …
One thing I’ve been thinking about is how the ancient Egyptians used mirrors to reflect light deep into structures. With the right emplacements, it could be directed anywhere indoors. Also you could use a gravity as a battery, with sunlight pumping water to the roof during day, and flowing down at night through a turbine. Or even pressure storage. And magnifying lenses could concentrate sunlight for cooking, or heat retention in rocks.
I love that she says you need everyone, strong, skilled, not strong, ….everyone building a community. I fell in love with earthships in the 80s. I don’t have one but built a passive solar home in Malaysia with no Aircon, water tank, compost bins, and garden. We need to be self-sustaining and minimalistic because everything we buy uses fossil fuel. Once we get off of fossil fuels we can try to re-create commerce and trade. In my dream world…😊❤
As someone who is experienced with technology and knows a lot about earthships I can comfortably say that the low tech approach is the only sane choice, ANY critical function that uses technology to operate them has a manual back up because the electronics can and do fail. Much more sensible to have the manual low tech version as primary and the high tech as secondary where it makes sense. About the only major draw back to Earthships is they can only be built in remote locations which isn’t for everyone and that they need land which gets you on the hook for the cost and regulation that comes with all houses. Which is why I built a tiny house truck instead 🙂
Great presentation, really like these earthships and all of the simple, sustainable ideas incorporated into the design like the air conditioning tube BUT the pricing is not cheap at all. Although I would choose this over a mansion of the same price, anyday… the materials to build these earthships are NOT 200k. It could be done for muuuuch cheaper. I understand she has a business but if you want to develop a model to actually make the world a better place you need to prove to people that this can actually be affordable so that healthy and sustainable living can be for everyone.
I love how you’ve adapted the earth ship over time and put all the years of experience into different environments. I’m curious if you think an earth ship would ‘sail’ in a temperate rainforest? I’m in the Smoky Mtns and looking to get undeveloped property for something similar, in terms of build concept
Nice editing. People will appreciate how you mixed in positive experiences with grey and black water. I also like your skill as an interviewer. Others would be temped to interrupt or not even ask questions that the interviewer knows the answer to. As far as swinging a sledge hammer to compact dirt in tires, I would forgive anyone who used a bit of gas to run a plate tamper.
I really like the concepts and principles employed in these houses. Makes a lot of sense. I don’t like the cave like light inside the house and some of the found object aesthetic details. I am grateful that Earthship is testing this out on a large scale, and hopefully making these simple concepts more mainstream (minus some of the aesthetic decisions)
I like how they have upgraded their designs over the years, I’m still wondering why they are still pounding tires, it takes months to pound tires with a large amount of people, essentially they are just burying them, no difference in tires at the landfill. They have to transport tires and go to all that effort for so little payback. They could pour concrete walls and be done with it in a week, rather than months. It’s of course not that sustainable, but it’s 100 times more practical. They also have to fill the gaps between the tires, then doing plastering layers, that’s an insane amount of labor. I would love to see a lower man hour/low cost versions of the earthship in climates other than the desert. I think earthships do best in very arid environments, especially because of the earth tubes. You can’t do earth tubes like that in humid environments, you would be breathing mold/musty air.
Thank you for this article. Absolutely amazing. I was in Taos last year and went to see a “neighborhood” of earthships (it looked like the one on Lone Tree lane in the article). We got a “tour” and explanation of how the house was built, but this article gave me a much more detailed view of how they’re built and how they work.
6:43 you see they have propane (LNG) delivered which I guess is for cooking (?) but with that much roof space you could make enough solar to cook with electricity. 8:45/17:45 this is one of my problems with the earthship model is the use of large amounts of unpaid, manual labor which takes a lot of time and understates the cost of building. In the USA and other developed places if you had to pay for the labor you would choose instead to use more mechanization such as soil compactors. I’m still shocked that a 2BR/1 bath fairly compact house made of a lot of natural local materials cost $219k. So at this scale I wonder if they’re still doing it with free labor. I certainly don’t have 20 friends that would give up several weeks to help me put up the basic structure. I would like to see a case made for professionally built earthship developments and what the business case looks like. 14:44 I would like to see a profile on a tropical earthship because most of them I’ve seen are in arid landscapes.
My concern with these earthships are more about humidity. Seems nice in a desert but the rest of the world only gets more humid. I think the layout should work, but with more modern building materials. Also wonder why nobody has any wind turbines. Open areas like these would seem like good places for small scale turbines. I’m no expert, just questions.
There is just one thing that worries me and that is the use of old tires. Old tires tend to aout gas and and out secrete a lot of carcinogenic compounds like mercury, lead, benzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and arsenic, among several other chemicals, heavy metals etc. IS there an alternative to using old tires for earthships?
Seems to me that just digging a hole and putting a dome type structure in the hole, covering it with dirt leaving the glassed front uncovered would be more efficient and a whole lot cheaper. Lighting could be done with Solatubes. Beneath ground level would make the temperature easy to control and cheap. It also would make it storm proof. The drawback is that you would have to mow your roof.
I’ve been perusal Mike for 20+ years now. I love what he does and once this is up to code, it will be great! It’s not that hard to make these homes to code and use all or most of the principle design elements that Mike and many others have thought up. I love the idea of catching my own water vrs having a well. I love the idea of air being cooled by the earth prior to going into the house. An indoor green house who doesn’t love that?! Get rid of the ugly designs, bottles, and cans and you have yourself a beautiful home that isn’t an eye sore.
I appreciate the design and execution of these buildings, very cool. Living in that particular community would probably not be for me because it seems like there aren’t many options for getting to Taos aside from driving. I mean I get it, I grew up in a remote place that was a car trip to go anywhere, but if you want to be self sufficient and truly low carbon you’re going to need to address that elephant in the room.
I would like to see more articles about homes made out of SIP panels 🙂 they may be pretty common in USA, but here in Europe the SIP`S are only starting to emerge. The price point is really appealing, the construction time too. They sound too good to be true at the moment, and it would be really cool too see some examples in USA and how they sustain over the longer period of time.
Her pricing is nonsense. I have followed the earthships since the start. They try to price such for walk ins in the right areas for that much. But it is the same area they have been contained to in that placement for a long while now. I live in another of one of the few areas states that allow such, and they are not priced that ridiculous. Furthermore, those are all the grunge hippy styled, and genuinely not the best the concept is capable of. I get tired of seeing that same area being looked at, but it has become like their “central” area, and it always leaves a “grateful dead” troupe feeling to what are very good design concepts overall. You can do them modernly, to the point that you dont even realize it IS a “Earthship”.
How well would their ideas adapt to other places with different sunshine and rain and temperatures? Can they adapt something like the Tesla Powerwall battery system to improve what they have? Can the outer appearance be made more appealing to people who have a desire for more than functionality? Could their materials go into pre-fab walls or other components to speed on-site construction? What costs so much? Can that be reduced to make it realistic for moderate-income people?
I have always liked the concept on how they work and what they do but I really don’t like the way they look plus they are unbelievably expensive, especially since so much of it is free materials,and if a person lives in town they are probably not going to be able to build a berm around what they build, these city governments and planning commissions have to go. .
Wow – she took a long time to explain the concept of thermal offset. Is she the elderly man’s grand daughter? And I love how she says “ANYONE CAN DO THIS.” Wake up. For millions of the disenfranchised, this is simply not an option. Come down from your high horse and join us regular folks. It might feel good.
“this is such an extreme enviroment, so if it works here it should work everywhere else in the world” Yeah, sure, but when you go else where in the world the temp will be lower and sometimes often close to 0 degrees and dark alot of the time, so the greenhouse with graywater couldent work half or more of the year. so no, this design cant work everywhere in the world.
Around $210,000 is not a bad price for such a wonderful home! I wonder how far from shopping etc they would be? I live like 30 miles from a Walmart now. When I moved to the rural area I thought I’d hate it but I love it here in eastern Colorado now. I wouldn’t move into Co. Springs for any amount of money now! We do have a small wonderful grocery store in our 750 pop. town and 2 restaurants. I live in town and I have deer wandering through my yard. None of our businesses closed down for the virus and we had very small cases out here even though we all went to Co. Springs for business after the first month or so of 2020. If I was younger (I’m 68 now) I’d love to be able to build one of these.
Thank you for the article. I plan to build a small 50-60m house using some principles from both earthship and solar house designs. I would surround the house with earth to serve as thermal mass. Can you suggest any replacements for tires, please? The main reason is that I do not have the time or manpower available.
This is fascinating, but I have so many questions. What if you don’t get enough rainfall; do you store some emergency water? What if you get really heavy rain; wouldn’t that wear down/wash away some of your structure? What if there is a heavy dust storm; how would you clean the roof, aqueducts, and the water itself? Can you store enough energy to get you through weeks of overcast weather? What if you use soap for body, dishes, and laundry; doesn’t that hurt the plants? What if people take medications; does that go into the plants which are consumed? The amount of plants aren’t enough to enable someone to be self-sufficient; wouldn’t it be better to build where more plants could be grown outside the structure? Why are they built in the middle of nowhere? I understand they wouldn’t conform to code; but can’t they be built outside city limits yet still closer than they are to some amenities? What if your vehicle doesn’t start? What about garbage disposal? Can you get internet and phone reception way out there? I’m genuinely interested.
Do y’all think this’d work well in the midwest? Y’all’re building it in the desert, but I wanna know if it’s something you can do pretty much anywhere or what changes would be necessary beyond needing to put screens on the transom so bugs don’t get in, and needing to make certain you’re building above the flood-line?
This should be done in Africa and southern Europe. Dad made one of those bottle-walls when he dug out the basement under his logcabin in the 50’s to put in oil-furnace and central-heating. The concept is not new, but sad that so few have heard about it. Beautiful with all the blue bottles, dad’s wall is all green beer-bottles.
People up North will go down south and flush the toilet until the motel shuts off the system trying to figure out how buttons work. It is really just a little water though and you have done so well to understand its value. The evening must be very tranquil in the desert with the dry aromatics of the ecology and breeze from down currents at sun set.
I love that it is composed inside dirt so to speak, I wonder about long term exposure of whatever wall there is to the ground/dirt while it gets wet etc. if it would work in more rainy climate at all. Love the ground heat exchanged, probably 100x cheaper than what I did, though you get no air polution there… Cost wise I am not so convinced having seen so many people working on it – however I am sure you can do it cheaper with other materials and some mechanical equipment.
Few questions Do earthships have termite problems if so how do they deal with it? Coz termite infestation is a major problem here in India. Also does the water filter system lead to over irrigation of plants? And what abt soap water does it negatively impact the plants? Does the water filter and collection system impact the structural integrity of the house? What about power during winters and monsoon season where there isn’t enough sunlight? How does the structural strength and integrity fare during storms with excessive rain and strong wind? These are some of the questions I have. I am not disparaging this concept in any way I fact I would love to build such a house when I have some financial leeway that’s why I’m asking these questions.
I wish these would work in humid eastern climates from Kentucky to southern Louisiana, and Florida. The humidity going through the ground tubes would be so uncomfortable here in the south. I suppose if you could have a solar run fan to have it hit some insulated steal plates to draw off the humidity it might work. The average ground temperature here is around 75 degrees. Thanks for sharing these home. I guess that’s why I want to move to Arizona to build one of these. My wife and I are tired of humidity, bugs and running from hurricanes. Best Wishes and Blessings. Keith Noneya
GREAT! Fantastic concept! consider yourself proud and happy to live in the USA, here in Germany something like this is unfortunately never ever possible! However, I am very impressed and inspired! Basically, it’s about a return to the individualization of society … and how could that be better tested with a house that you build yourself?
For those wanting to see them in detail or (better yet) try them out, several are available as Airbnb/VRBO rentals. My wife and I stayed in a relatively new one for a weekend and very very much enjoyed the experience. HOWEVER, we also had friends staying in another one about a mile away and their experience was not as pleasant as ours. For one thing, there was an unpleasant smell throughout… which I surmised to be an issue with the water reclamation/filtration system. Theirs was also unpleasantly warm, which I guessed attributable to the improper usage of the geothermal system (a lot of thermal mass that became very heated due to the place being locked up for many days, therefore needing many days to offload all that heat).
The community built buildings are cool. But its not available to everyone. A lot of ppl are needing to get their home built before the get connections made. My question is, could you fill the tires with cob, so its faster and lower labor? And if you can’t even do tires, could you do that whole wall in cob?
I love the ingenuity & intention in these living spaces. 🏡Kristen… My first introduction to inventive building was back in 1968. Along the CA coast a man…”crazy Art Beal” built a house with glass bottle ends creating a see thru wall with other unusual found objects. Supporting this home, drift wood from the beach🐳built unconventional walls. Rooms with round corners hallway leading into a daylight dugout home in the side of a hill. Built in town of Cambria or Cayucos CA. or between the two towns….I don’t remember the exact spot. (Worth looking into)🏡
I wonder if an enterprising guy could combine the passive cooling/heating technique of the geothermal tubes but use earthbag construction for as much as you could. I will never understand the use of the old tires. Is that cheaper that other options? Is it more stable than other options? I dont know the answers, but never liked the idea of them unless i can be shown the benefits.
Adore your website Kirsten! 😀 I’m surprised (so far) no one has mentioned Mike Reynolds who began this wonderful, incredible journey, especially in the Taos area. I sure hope the Mendocino redwoods guy didn’t lose his home and gorgeous trees to that horrific fire storm up there! Have you checked in with him since? As with any über remote place, I was thinking to myself, I wonder how many residents in similar situations utilise an ultralight? Obviously you couldn’t load up at Home Depot and head home, but a quick toilet paper/mulberry leaves trip, or maybe a new circuit breaker or a Doctor’s appointment, how fun would it be to coast in some where and step out? 😀 Not very feasible, I know, but neat idea. Thanks again, Kirsten Nanette
Great work, I lived in NM for a long time and visited the earth ships. The next level is not using fossil fuels at all. I see a lot of propane tanks and ICE cars here which drive climate change. If you had more solar with and EV with V2H you could drive on clean energy but also use the benefit of the EV battery to power the house.
I REALLY want to see more of these in use across the country, but it’s gonna be a fight to get a lot of planning and zoning laws changed and building codes changed for “alternative housing”. Hmmm…. I wonder what mine are locally? Perhaps I can take a look and perhaps start a discussion and pre-pave the way a bit. Couldn’t hurt to do a little research and ask a few questions. Right?
I am building a home on a small island in the Philippines, I found this article during my search for cooling solutions, i’m looking into some Low Tech Geothermal cooling. I have a deep well, about 20 feet down to the water table, through limestone… I was thinking about running a cooling tube about 4 feet about the water level, but was concerned about the humidity, so now I am thinking about a closed loop pump with large car radiators, 1 or 2 in the water & another larger one in the house with a fan blowing through it. Or maybe even using the radiators in the well with some piping running under the tile floor or something like that. Have you guys ever done anything like that? Would it work very well, lol, pun intended Do you think there would be much of an issue if I just used the cooling tube idea? I don’t have much of a budget & being on a small island, its not easy to get parts…
Kirsten theres a kid here on youtube that you might enjoy interviewing. his website is Traplines And Inlines. hes a rural Canadian kid that made his own off grid simple tiny cabin mainly so he could stay in it for trapping season but its just fascinating to see his life and how he does things on that off grid sight and his trapping that he can make a living off of but he talks about the methods he uses how its sustainable and humane as possible for trapping and even tho fur is hugely controversial for many people i just thought his perspective is interesting.
i understand the idea and admire the labour you put in, but I’m in the powertool hire trade. 1x Wacker neuson rammer could save you days in compacting the sand into those tyres. also, why dont you wet the sand when compacting, that makes for much better compaction of the sand. i know water could be a factor, but if you CAN, wet the sand.
At 2:23, it seems to say that toilet flushes drain into the indoor planter and produces food–yeecchh, but at 3:15 he says that the toilet water goes out to a septic tank. This mistake will confuse people. It needs to be made clear that only the gray water (sinks and shower) drain into the indoor food planter bed.
this is truly magnificent and im amazed at the renewability/sustainability of it all, i think it’s the best part. a focus on limiting waste and reusing resources as much as possible in as many ways as possible is amazing. i do wonder though, how implementabe earthships are in scale. most real world applications ive seen are in rural areas, just like this one. kinda worrying
I remain sceptical as to how this would work above the Arctic Circle, where I’m from. But there are houses with “winter gardens” that are quite pleasant to live in. Older houses usually use wood to keep warm in the winter. And if you go to Siberia, you will find the best and most economical solutions for wood-firing, with big brick stacks built in the middle of the house, with many small wood-fired ovens, that’ll keep the house warm and toasty for much longer and for a lot less wood then a regular stove through out that -50 degree Celsius winter night.
I would love to live in one of these, but with even more greenhouse space. It would be tempting to see what could grow outside–like maybe date palms. The issue would be making sure any trees didn’t block the solar panels, or send roots into the structure. I’m also wondering if there would be a way to fill a swimming pool-maybe if it was enclosed?
Just curious if you could set this up to work with an aquaponic system? That way you could raise your own fish and vegetables. I do know that from trial and a lot of errors that some foods are not good aquaponic candidates but most of your leafy greens are and some fruits are. Just curious if that’s a viable option for one of those homes. They are truly an awesome option for those willing to do the work. Thanks for the awesome article!!
One thought I have is one the most technological modern machines: the Tesla Model Y. It has the Octovalve which is just a heat exchanger – it’s doing what the earthships do – just moves the heat around from where there’s too much to where it can do some good. There is nothing ‘antiquated’ about any technology, that no matter how simple, still works well. The transom window above the door. Just about every transom window in North America is 80 to 150 years old (I don’t know for certain), and 99.9% of them are painted shut – or they’ve been carved out and an air conditioning unit installed. In the 1990s I cut through decades of paint on one in Echo Park (Los Angeles) and made it operational again. It’s amazing how well they circulate the air even in an enclosed space (It was a tiny art gallery). (If you put a candle at the bottom of a bottle it quickly snuffs out. If you put a piece of cardboard or paper to divide the opening (any proportion at all) the candle will continue to burn. In the very modern RFK Ambassador school I taught at the very modern AC would often fail. I’d stick a piece of foam core at the top of the open door – same effect. In the gymnasium of this ‘very modern’ building, 5000 students. There are corner windows high up. They do not open. When that space is full of students, even with the AC running – it’s hot and stuffy. The entrance opposite those windows, is a long dim corridor that is always very cool. The solution is obvious. (I used to sit in there looking at those windows wondering – how the f- did they miss it?
I like your idea hun but if you could collect water even when it is not raining then you’re on the right path and how you do this hun is through your solar panels and through your AC condenser line or condensating line your condensate line alone when ran during a humid day 5 to 15 gallons of water even when there is no humidity in the atmosphere there is a certain solar panel that produces condensation
Where can I get the plans for the septic to plants system. One of the problems from the start is talking to carpenters, house builders and housing developers think your crazy if you don’t use traditional material or you say earth ships. I’m also running into earth ship people who don’t really want to share info. I just want to build. So any source of info would be great. Thanks!
I want to do this so much for low environmental footprint I’m just stuck in this feeling of feeling I wouldn’t ever have to time or the money to do it. I know it’s a lot cheaper if you build yourself but I almost feel like I’d need someone to build it for me which could make these builds over $1M because of labor costs, plumbing, electrical with solar power. I wish this was more normalized and I didn’t feel stuck. It could be so cheap if I could do it myself but I just know I couldn’t put in the amount of time and physical labor. I’d want one pre built and they’re so rare that they’re priced very highly. It’s an investment tho for saving money
For some years now, I have been exploring similar concepts for Martian habitat design. I would be even less high-tech than this example. For example, use a water battery instead of a chemical battery. Put your water tank up high and, as it flows down, capture the energy with a small turbine. Use a windmill at the far end of the water cycle to move it back up. Also, put in a water treatment system. You only need two tanks. The first breaks down and cleans using algae (such as spirolina) and the second tanks captures water through an upward tilted pipe between the two tanks to avoid solids passing through. From here, you only need to sanitize the water. You can use chlorine but I suggest distillation for drinking water. So yes, there would be two water cycles–one for drinking water and one for aquaponics and flushing toilets. I suggest an extra fresh water line to the toilets to supply a bidet, as well. This way, you don’t need toilet paper (and actually get a better clean). The key to success would be that the windmill is sufficient to keep the tanks sufficiently filled at all times. The wind can slow or stop and power and water flows will continue at a steady rate, regardless.
The look and feel is very Spain to me. Indoor patio with plants. These would be great in southern Spain or anywhere arid climate with little rainfall. They even call the ceiling beams, vigas. Spanish. The concept is for anywhere, just started in desert areas in the US. Catalan modernists early 20th century style of architect Gaudi, but using bottles of glass. Stained glass windows. Originally from the northeast part of Spain near the sea. Barcelona, or Reus, Tarragona. Gaudi was from Reus Tarragona or spent a lot of time there, and there’s a few masterpieces of that style there, including a few homes in the city of Reus itself. The furniture of that period would look great on the inside. It’s not a very popular style of furniture in Spain, but it’s beautiful if put in such an otherwise austere rustic inner environment of home. It’s elaborate that’s why. Smooth carved figures and flowers, and use of stained glass too, usually light golden redish mahogany wood or similar. I wouldn’t put too much of it, but a few pieces would look good. A standing cabinet or maybe a bedroom set if can find a whole set, but I’ve seen them before at antique fairs in Spain. It’s just an eclectic as is, to add a little more to, where would all nicely flow together. Add some more US southwest style decor touches too. I love all that recycle and use in the constructions, especially old tires for insulation, plus the adobe mud straw walls.
Question number one; with the air conditioning tube wouldn’t you get snakes and scorpions and other critters crawling into your house? Question number two; after all the hundreds of articles of this particular subject why doesn’t anyone grow fruits and vegetables that people are familiar with? I have yet to see an orange, lemon, cherry, plum, apple, or apricot tree. I have seen no strawberry patches or blueberries, it is all fruits and vegetables that grocery stores are barely familiar with. Question number 3; my land is in California in the high desert up at 2550 ft… California says I can build up to 120 square feet without any permits. My plan is to have a sleeping shed, a feeding shed, a cooking shed, a bathing shed, and entertainment shed, etc. How many different shades at 120 sq ft maximum should I build in order to catch enough rain?
It’s really basic and is common sense living. I live in North Carolina where we have so many plants and enough water. I just see desert. Seems like it’s not an ideal place to live. I’m not critical I just dont understand desert living. It seems so hot and such a barren landscape. I love your home so much. Wish I had one too!!!!
Cool! Thank you for sharing. I built a berm home in Mississippi 10 years ago. I used conventional construction – cement back and side walls and stick for the rest… but this is very appealing and better in so many ways. I had to leave that home and I now live in Texas in San Antonio – I am working on getting some land in the hill country and would love to build something like this there. Love the water catchment and use – cycling… very nice and makes so much sense. Only one problem with that I can see (as a prepper) – and that would be in the event that there is nuclear fall-out to deal with… God help us to not go there…
When the mentioned Star Wars, if you aren’t aware lookup Pablo Soleris constructions. He had two villages in Arizona, Cosanti and arcosanti. George Lucas came to cosanti and they could night strike a deal (money stuff) but Lucas learned the method and went to Africa to build Luke sky walkers home planet construction. It is exactly the same as what Pablo did, really cool visit. Those communities make copper and bronze bells also, pretty stuff. Earth ships are cool, I hope it becomes normalized to be self sufficient.
I love the idea of high-tech convenience, with low-tech redundancy. Basically, if something happens to your high tech automation, you can still do things manually till you can fix it. Along those lines, I also think some people who want to embrace renewable systems within municipalities have the wrong concept in mind. They want to go completely off-grid. I guess that’s OK but those municipal sanitation was a huge evolution for all humankind and really, they should reconsider their hostility towards paying into public water and electrical systems if required. Pay your minimums and use them as the “backup”! Some areas you can even get money for contributing power to the grid. This thought is also mutually beneficial for cities because there is less total draw on the city if more citizens embrace a similar philosophy. Just my 50cents. I really enjoyed your article! I’m a retired Veteran, married to a Canadian. We’ve been looking at New Mexico potentially, but we have several homes already. I’m curious what your thoughts might be for a far north version of an earthship. Like if we wanted to build one way up north in Canada later. I’m guessing a huge greenhouse with a lot more subterranean living space? So many questions! Bit by the bug. LOL
If I was to do it I would prefer a more underground approach while also reusing and recycling as much as possible, like Tesla battery’s, low power LED lighting…And My hobby is automotive related so I’d also want a similar 2 car garage underground…I also like high tech stuff, but a combination of both passive “low” tech and high tech would be a must for the future. We can live low power consumption and have modern 2020+ features at the same time.. I think these folks are on the right path.
I think they are using the incorrect words & terms to describe these kinds of homes with their technologies. They are absolutely not “low tech.” They are just simplified “natural tech” that seems to be to be more practical, efficient, much more healthier & very cost effective. That’s what my interpretation is of these technologies are. I’m very impressed & would love to live in a home like this.
Lastly, just wanted to add instead of pounding tires which is super labor intensive and lots of time and manpower is needed to make one simple wall which takes weeks to get up, why not instead opt to use straw bale? I mean with strawbale has the same if not better insulation property than dirt being pounded into tires. Also, they go up like legos and only requires 1/3 of the time and manpower than that of the dirt pounding into tires does. For me it’s a no brainer but, I guess to each his own. I look at being efficient both in materials being used cost and time along with manpower and skill level needed to build an eco friendly home. It’s also worth mentioning as the natural decay process occurs of the buried tires they start to offgas those toxins through even the dirt at small amounts but, at a constant flow. Not to smart if you ask me to be even using tires in the first place. Also, calling it an earth ship is a bit misleading as it uses tires and concrete flooring more than in uses natural earth so, at that point instead it should perhaps be called the recycling off gassing ship perhaps? I know it doesn’t have the same ring to it as calling it eartship but, non the less describes it more accurately. 😄
I don’t know if you’ll see this, but so happy to see your success as a content creator Eric!! When I went off social media in 2019, I thought I wouldn’t see or hear from most people again. But here I am daydreaming about the 4 season greenhouses I want to build once we get our land in the inland NW and came upon your articles! Very inspirational and hope life’s been going good for you 🙌
Started experimenting with solar about 2 years ago. While the upfront cost for lithium batteries is fairly high, personally I believe its worth it. Much more consistent power curve, they are more forgiving if capacity is dropped to near zero, and they do not need to be vented. They are however a bit more touchy if left in extreme cold or heat