earthships

[Hope]

Hi there, anyone here know what an earthship (http://earthship.net) is? Have one? Helped with one? Seen one?

love
t

[Lyrien]

I saw a show on these homes about two months ago. The walls and such are made from used tires. They look really cool.

[blithespirit]

I want one.

[PandoraHealer]

lmao--- at first i was thinking ufo
then i saw the post saying they were made from tires---

I remember seeing that show-- my husband whined the whole time.

The tires are packed tight with dirt and make like bricks--- then things like bottles filled in empty spaces...

runs on solar and/or wind power--- self sustaining garden area inside for not-so-plant friendly climates.

looks awsome to me--- seems like the way to go as far as conservation--- problem is-- you have to be a millionaire and live in arizona or wherever those were to be able to do such a thing....

but-- i have 5 tires i dont want to pay to get rid of if anyone wants to come get them to make thier own earthship... lol


ph

[Cindlady2]

It is a great idea, but yes, for many not as cheap or easy as it looks. I would still love to take a crack at it though!

[Hope]

actually i think you are thinking of new mexico not arizona (as their are communities there) and NO you can build them anywhere

in fact there are many built all over the world in many countries and climates

and the cost in fact is really about the same as building a stick house, unless you take control of alot or some of it and then your cost comes down a LOT

there are also options now of using tire "bales" instead of having to pound the tires to pack them with the dirt....

AND they also help retrofit existing homes so you can go more green :)

hmmm

so no one here has one (yet!) or knows more????

love
t

[Hope]

oh and the indoor growing space, is actually part of the water filtration and can also be used for growing food or plants your choice

love
t

[aranarose]

I want one.

Me too!

[Hope]

me too! for the first time in my life i feel like i want that!! for a home

i like things and homes fine, but this is one that makes me feel like YES

i want to learn all i can, and then oversee the building process myself, saving the money and getting to place myself and energy into the home

love
t

[Tanya]

we kinda did it ourselves..... with local recycled material, and natural/found objects

we designed it with lots of thermal mass and sustainable heat, sewage and water systems....

Our new house is made of waste sawdust... mix it with a bit of concrete and it makes these light bricks that have a high insulation rating, and you can cut with a saw. My hubby laid the last one on Friday.... about 23,000 in all...

We designed it to be passive solar... big double glazed windows on the north side of the house under deep eaves so that the winter sun can come in, but the high summer sun misses us. This will be further refined with desiduous trees and vines.... again.. shade in summer, sun in winter...

All the uprights, beams and door lintels are recycled from waste wood and and an old bridge

The floor is the next big thing... slate... and provides the thremal mass for the house... the sun will shine through the windows on to it... and we hope keep the floor warm and radiating heat all night.

hot water comes from a tank on the roof which runs through a solar panel.....

sewage is treated in a large composting unit... the water comming out is theoretically potable... it will go to the orchard in a grid of drip lines.

our water comes from the roof.... we will flush the toilet with water from our dam, so no potable water is wasted in the toilet.

once its done... we will add solar electric panels... (that's stage 2)

we calculate the house is 1/4 the price of a similar sized home here... and ours is WARM and CONNECTED to its place (not a particle board pimple in a paddock!).... its already part of the landscape... its hard to buy that.

anyone can do it with anything around... its just a matter of thinking you can.

[Hope]

bless your heart! you are a miracle in my day!

and the first person that has said you can do it lol

i think i will be posting about my journey to a self contained home, and if you do not mind, i may tap you for opinions

either way your post has made my day

love
t

[Novembers River]

Hope - Sorry I'm late on this thread.

My husband and I stayed in an earthship in Taos while we were on vacation. This was in Michael Reynolds community.

We bought the three main books on designing and building your own earthship and I truly believe it can be done. My husband and I plan on building our own home one day and the earthship is a top contender.

The home was nice and cozy and we liked it a lot. However, I wouldn't build one in a very warm or humid area.

Also while we were there we noticed water damage on the ceiling. I'm not sure if it's harder to seal these homes up or if it was just a problem this particular earthship had.

Anyway, a bit of a ramble, but I enjoyed staying in the earthshp and it confirmed that I like the way these homes are designed and the "feel" of them.

[banondraig]

I love it when old threads pop back up like this!

Thanks for sharing, November's River! :)

[Infinite Muse]

ooh i love earthships. I even designed myself one back in high school. they were totally cool. then i got into more cob-ish things ... and bale cob hybrids .... too much coolness out there. I would still love to have a cob cottage