Earthships

I just recently learned about them although they have been around for 40 years, if you were aware before me show hands other wise watch

, this is how I learned of them, since I have been wrapping my head around everything I can find on the matter and I am looking into building my own.
At the same time I am trying to spread the word, people need to know about this I urge every member to watch the movie and a moderator to sticky the post, unfortunately this concept is not as known as it should be and most people are not as open minded, I believe the prius chat community is one of the most environmental conscious.
watch the movie and post your comments

My lots are in Exeter Township, while inquiring at the city hall, much to my suprise this beeing a small farmers comunity where most township empoyees are part time, first clerk I spoke to althou not a building department clerk, not only she was verry familiar with unconventional buildings, but she knew more about it than I did, further more she pointed out this has been done more than 20 years ago in the nearby town of Milan, MI by a friend of hers, whom used to organise tours at the time and showcase these princyples to people in an effort to get the word out.
I looked him up his name is Charles Tellas, property is located at 3121 Judd RdMilan, MI 48160-9537, look it up on google satelite wiew, it may not be a Mike reynolds Earthship per say, not sure, either way if anything it was more than 20 years ago it was completed but it is built in the same principle, it does not resemble the global model obviously that desingn did not exist at the time, it does have a dome type structure at one end of the house, apears to have the roof burried as well as an attached garage, check out the size of the solar pool heaters clearly seen from satelite

lots of views yet no replyes, has anyone actually watched the movie? I'd love to get a conversation going, I am fixing to build one of those as son as I can, I have been poking arround with the officials, there is no reason why I shouldnt be able to, DEQ is all for it there main concern is people stockpiling tire casings, they are all for repurposing them, heck they offer grants in that aspect, the planning department asured me there is no reason why i shouldnt as long as I ca prove it meers code. I am debatin now which lot to build on and waiting for spring

 

I see the big picture is too large for most to comprehend.

short version
it's about self sustainable housing, off grid, solar/ wind for electricity, rain watter collection, geothermal+solar gain for heat, all in all they are 70 f stable throughout the year, -35 winters, 70 inside, 110f summer, 70 inside,no additional heatin or cooling, no fuel at all, tested over the last 40 years in the NM desert, got your attention yet?
I was wondering why this concept is not as well known as it should, now I know.
take the time folks, this is important, thought prius owners were enviromental consciuous, or at least savings motivated, if you all don't get it lord help our children.

 

most new designs have a standard roof, metal good for 100 years and perfect for watter collection it gets deeper than that you really have to look into it there are several systems employed a little gain here and there till it does the trick completely, I want one bad, I am an avid DIY er always have been, and questions like whom do I call, really get to me, up untill 100 years ago everyone built a house in a life time, you could not ask questions like that in public without beeing laughed at, remember back to the future?
this is what we have been reduced to, you depend on someone for housing, other for food, snow removal you name it if it all fails most would not know what to do with themselves, at this rate in another 100 years A$$ wiping contractors will be a normal thing no offence,
bottom line if one can not see the big picture everyone is about savings these days and utilities are a large portion.
I have done some poking around as to how to go about it and most people I come in contact don't understand why bother, I got what I need. couple years ago I thought so too.

 

you know I don't want to make it sound like that but it does have some of that flavor, it also has a bit of hippy in the mix too with all that save the planet and recycle, I'm more into it for the efficiency that it can offer, kind of like owning a prius, it comes with a premium like 8k over a comparable sedan, and if you figure it out it takes about 200k miles to break even, but sure beats filling up for $100 every week, I parked mine at the moment using my winter car and gosh I thought that was economical, I went from $20 every other week to $40 every week, I am not complaining I am not having a hard time affording it but it is one of those things with a prius takes a minute to warm up to it and the eggshape, hippy fler, but once you had it for a while makes you wonder how did you got around until than.

Same with these houses, when I got the land, a neighbor gave me a book about pole buildings very interesting open floor plan possibilities, got turned on to timber framing and masonry heaters, got lots of trees/wood, as I was looking into saw mills, being a DIYer came across this and just like with a prius it dawned on me what was I thinking until now, there is no better way to build, if I don't have to stress my gas bill at all or very minimal if anything, renewabl electricity always wanted to do something about that, water that no one should have to pay for, or get a second job to pay the loan you took to drill the well, Christ I can get past the tires/ bottles, not sure how I feel about the gray watter planters, but you get the idea take what you are comfortable.

bottom line I have been working for a living all my life and it ends up consuming most of my time/efforts just to be around, I have been minimizing my overhead for a long time a year ago I thought I have it good now I know it can be better, and I have been kicking myself for not knowing this sooner just like I did not consider a prius till couple years ago,

but yeah some of it does sound like prepping, hippy bitching, tree hugging, I am pretty confident doomsday wont happen in my lifetime, it will get worse but politics will figure a way to milk it a while longer and people still don't get it or they go to the extreme of prepping, some becomes a joke ( actually most of it ), my boy may have to deal with it, grandchildren are surely fudged, but it's human nature, you are fed today we'll worry about tomorrow when it gets here.

the whole concept about these buildings is to be sustainable an not so needy, so kids don't have to travel half way across the world on a suicidal mission in the name of modern economics. I don't want my boy to deal with this or die defending a sick mentality, that's why I am into it, why do you think most vets go a wall at the end of the day, did you see that new show mick dodge?

 

they actually have a community in taos, nm where it all started, they have several houses they rent nightly for people to experience it, I thought about it but I am sold already no sense wasting time and money trying it out, check you tube there are tons of videos such tourists posted you just got to know what to look for, corner cottage is a famous one, some of these concepts are pretty far out there, I am not sure myself how I feel about it, and they are not that rare, check out the earthship.com they built a 10 000 sqft for Denis Weaver in the 70's never burned a drop of fuel since, there is a video about the build on youtube, and a more modern update "earthship mansion" and that was and older design.

And yes I got the LED lights, the prius, 90 % furnace, I thought about solar before but my roofs are pointing the wrong way, and suburb regulations make it imposible for a windmill, it gets so much easier in the country with a blank sheet, my house was built in the 60's photocopied ranch I got new windows but still it does not hold heat, and don't even get me started on AC it's pointless, the more I think about it its madness living like this, you almoast need one income just to feed the beast.

 

these aren't really underground, that is a misconception, they are more like a walk out basement, bermed from 3 sides ground level on the south, no house on top of it just a traditional roof with 3 feet of solid insulation, they aare surprisingly well lit with all that glass.
not trying to talk you into it just saying you got the wrong idea, check those you tube tourists posts

 

there was this cartoon film I got for my boy recently, " escape from planet Earth " it describes this ball of dirt as the only planet known where evolution happens in reverse kindof funny in a sarcastic way, I grew up between both worlds when the industrial era came about my grandpa pushed his sons to get an education it was the newest thing to do, poor bastard could barely spell his name let alone see 100 years ahead.
I agree education has it purpose to a degree but like all good things don't overthink it before you know it you have more suits than workers, I grew up in a family of suits on city stone, and was bread to be one, something always felt wrong about that, weekends we would spend with the grandparents looking back not sure who had it figured out better.
it is wonderfull to exchange ideas with a felow from china another from australia and another from england, at the same time there is a real world beyond this screen, that is what I like about these houses, they combine the best of both worlds, down to earth living, latest renewable teck.
problem is there are not many people between the 2 worlds any more and most cant look that far bach or ahead for that matter too bussy to get through today.

 

I've been bussy, gave up on the tires and the bottles, never been a big fan just liked the concept, so I came up with a hybrid structure good old polebarn framework holding up the roof, Rammed earth walls and floor, done a lot of reading on both and radiant heat floors, watterproofing and insolation for basements and slabs, and so far this is what I got


side view N->S



floor plan east side



floor plan west side



front view unfinished