Photo by Meg MacDonald
Introduction
Earthships are a fairly unique building style that uses passive-solar techniques to create self-sufficient homes. They were invented by architect Michael Reynolds in the 1970s and have been around for over 30 years now, so they’ve had time to mature and develop into serious long-term dwellings. The name “Earthship” comes from the fact that these houses are built with natural materials like earth, stone, wood, and glass—each one is thought up specifically to fit its environment as well as its owner’s needs/wants. In this guide, we’ll explore what makes Earthships different than other kinds of buildings out there today, how you can build one yourself (or what steps you should take), and how much it costs!
“Our rules and regulations are about things that aren’t pertinent anymore – stick frame houses that you pump heat into, endless amounts of energy and water – wasteful methods of living. Those days are over due to climate change, population explosion, and dwindling resources. If you project them into the future we’ve got a problem.” Michael Reynolds
Insulation
It’s important to know that Earthships are super insulated. They’re made from recycled materials and have a pretty high R-value for their size. Most Earthship homes are built using adobe bricks, which can be used in conjunction with some of the other materials we’ll talk about below. Insulation is an essential part of any Earthship design because it keeps the temperature consistent inside; so you don’t have to worry about constantly changing your thermostat settings!
Earthship insulation is made from recycled materials like tires and bottles, as well as things like hemp fiber and hay bales (which are usually just thrown away). These kinds of items can be found at most recycling centers near you—you just need to keep an eye out as you go through your day!
Another important part of the Earthship design is the use of curved walls. Earthships are designed in a way that allows them to withstand natural disasters like hurricanes and tornadoes; because they’re built with curves instead of straight lines, they don’t shatter or break during these events. This also helps keep heat inside the house so you don’t have to worry about it escaping through cracks or holes in the structure!
Electricity and Renewable Energy
The Earthship uses solar energy to power the home. This can be done through photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight directly into electricity, or passive solar heating systems that use the sun’s rays to heat water or other materials. Wind energy is also used, either directly by installing a wind turbine on your property or indirectly by using a windmill for pumping water. The Earthship has its own greywater system that collects rainwater from roofs and drains it back into the earth where it is filtered and reused for watering plants in gardens or even flushing toilets!
The Earthship philosophy of sustainability extends beyond the structure itself: They include features such as composting toilets, water collection systems, and greywater recycling which help make them self-sufficient off-grid homes.
Earthships are built to be as energy efficient as possible. The walls of the structure are made from recycled materials such as tires, cans, and bottles that insulate a home so it stays warm in winter and cools in summer. These homes also have passive solar heating systems that allow them to regulate their own temperature without using any electricity or fossil fuels.
Water Systems
Water systems are a large part of the Earthship design. The water is collected from rain and snow and stored in cisterns. Water is used for drinking, bathing, flushing toilets, and watering plants. There are many different ways this can be handled depending on the climate where you live.
In some areas of Earthships, you have to have a pump system that brings water up from below ground level into your cisterns. In other areas, you can collect all your rainwater off the roof or just use it as it falls in catchment tanks on top of your house or building so that it runs down through gutters into these underground tanks where they’re located at ground level inside your home or building so people don’t notice them unless they’re really curious about what’s going on behind there but then again if someone sees them they’ll know right away that this isn’t an ordinary house because its got something really unique about their lives right now and that’s what makes it so amazing about earthships is that they’re not only green and sustainable but also affordable for everyone to live in.
Food
Earthships are amazing at growing food. Earthships use aquaponics to grow crops, which is a method of farming that combines aquaculture (raising aquatic animals such as fish) with hydroponics (growing plants without soil). Hydroponically grown crops can be planted in gravel or sand, where they receive all their nutrients through water.
Aquaponics is one of the most efficient ways to grow food because it makes use of waste products from animals and fish—usually either their feces or uneaten food—to fertilize plants. This means you can grow more plants using less water than traditional farming methods!
Because earthships have greenhouses and large windows, they get plenty of sunlight year-round regardless of climate conditions outside the structure (like rain or snow). This makes Earthship gardens very productive compared to traditional farms located further inland where it may be hard for farmers to grow produce successfully during summer months when temperatures rise above 90 degrees Fahrenheit.”
The greenhouses at earthships also provide protection from the elements, which means that if you live in an area where it rains a lot, your crops will be safe. And because the greenhouses are made of glass and polycarbonate instead of plastic, they won’t trap heat inside like traditional greenhouses do (which can cause vegetables to overheat).
Climate Control
Earthships are designed to be very energy efficient. The walls of an Earthship are made from rammed earth, which is a mixture of sand, clay, and horse manure. The walls are filled with straw bales, creating a very thick wall that can store heat in the winter and cool in the summer. The high roof pitch means that more sunlight is trapped inside the Earthship during cold months while keeping it cool during hot months by providing shade from direct sunlight on the south side of each room.
The thermal mass properties of an Earthship help regulate the temperature throughout every season by storing heat or cooling when temperatures rise beyond what these passive systems can provide on their own.
The wind-catchers are interesting in that they provide a cool breeze inside during the summer and they also reduce heating costs by allowing cold outside air to enter through passive ventilation.
Exterior Materials
The exterior of an Earthship is primarily made of earth and tires. Tires are used because they’re durable, economical, and provide a great insulating barrier against the heat of summers and cold winters. The earth provides thermal mass, which means that it absorbs heat during the day and gives off heat at night. It also keeps moisture in, which helps to keep you cool on hot days.
The second most common material used for the exteriors of Earthships is glass bottles filled with dirt (called bottle walls). These walls are very strong and provide excellent insulation due to their high thermal mass—they also contain no toxic chemicals!
The third most common material used for the exterior of Earthships is recycled aluminum cans. These are usually used to create an outer layer around windows and doors, which allows them to be opened during hot summer days without letting in too much heat.
The interior walls of an Earthship are typically made of adobe bricks. These are made from dirt and water, which makes them durable, easy to work with, and fire-resistant. They also provide excellent insulation due to their high thermal mass.
Architecture Style
Earthship architecture is an offshoot of the eco-building movement that began in the 1970’s. The Earthship style is defined by its use of recycled materials, its low-impact and sustainable design and construction methods, and its self-sufficiency with water, food, and energy.
The most distinctive feature of earthships is their use of natural elements such as sun, wind, and rain to provide heating or cooling for the home. Solar panels provide electricity while rainwater collected on rooftops is stored in tanks for drinking purposes or irrigation inside the house. Also, a defining feature is how these homes are designed at least partially underground so that they can be built on top of sloped landscapes where land would otherwise not be usable by people looking to build homes elsewhere (such as deserts). This helps make them more affordable since digging into hillsides means cutting down fewer trees than if building on the flat ground nearby; however, it also means using less concrete when building because this technique requires less structure below ground level where foundations would normally lay than would otherwise need to hold up buildings constructed above ground level without any support underneath them other than what’s provided by nature herself (i..e earth).
The earthships are designed to be completely self-sufficient in terms of living conditions, which means they can be built anywhere and don’t require any outside power or water sources. This makes them ideal for those who want to live off the grid or simply reduce their carbon footprint by being more environmentally conscious.
Earthships are a great way to live sustainably.
You don’t need to be a full-time environmentalist to see the benefits of Earthships. If you enjoy living in an eco-friendly way, Earthships can help you achieve that goal.
Earthships are built from recycled materials, and they use sustainable energy sources such as solar power and wind turbines. They’re also self-sustaining, which means they don’t rely on external resources for water or electricity. This makes them environmentally friendly.
As far as affordability goes, Earthships are affordable compared to other homes out there today (and if you’re interested in building one yourself, even more so). In fact, many people think of them as affordable because they cut down costs by using natural elements like sun and rainwater instead of manmade energy sources like fossil fuels or nuclear power plants.
If you’re interested in living in an Earthship, there are plenty of options out there. The website Earthship Biotecture has a list of certified Earthship builders all over the world who can help you build your own home.
Conclusion
Earthships are the perfect way to live sustainably. They use natural resources, are built with recycled materials, and can produce their own power. The most exciting part about Earthships is that they’re still being improved upon as we speak! There’s so much potential for these sustainable living spaces if more people start adopting them as their own homes or businesses.
Author: Bliss
Dedicated to making a positive difference for people, animals, and this beautiful planet!
