Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the process for getting Earthship plans?
A: The Earthship Eco Homes process for developing your set of plans is in five stages:
Q: What is an Earthship?
A: it’s a self sufficient building with no power, water or sewage bills, that is made with lots of recycled materials, especially old car tyres which are used to make the external load bearing, walls. Minimal energy is needed for heating and cooling because the house naturally achieves a comfortable temperature due to appropriate location of thermal mass (walls and floors) and insulation (roof and walls). Solar panels make electricity which is stored in batteries. The roof catches water and stores it in rainwater tanks. Water is then filtered and pumped to the bathroom and kitchen. Wastewater is used for irrigating plants. You can grow your own food in wastewater! Earthships are also very DIY, enabling people who have no building experience to quickly gain confidence with the Earthship construction techniques.
Earthships were invented by American architect Michael Reynolds decades ago (in the 1970s) and there are thousands of them around the world, especially in North America. In Taos, New Mexico, USA there is an Earthship community called The Greater World with over 100 people living totally off the grid. Earthship Eco Homes can design you an Earthship.
Read more about it on the official Earthship website.
Q: What is an Earthship Inspired home?
A: it’s like an Earthship only slightly different; instead of tyre walls it may have strawbale walls, hempcrete walls or... the aim is for a super energy and water efficient home. It should embody all the Earthship design principles and philosophy and achieve the same end goal: self sufficiency with minimal environmental impact.
Q: Why should I want an Earthship?
A: there are many reasons to want an Earthship.
Q: How do I get an Earthship?
A: you need money, land and permission/approval.
GETTING PERMISSION
Q: Is it possible to get permission ("approval") to build an Earthship?
A: Yes, it is possible. Many people IMAGINE that they can’t get approval. Earthship Ironbank, was the first Earthship to gain council approval in Australia. It is approved as a "class 1b" development which means it is approved as a bed and breakfast tourist accommodation which is even more stringent than a normal home (class 1a). For example, it was necessary to install exit lights and have the doors open outwards to facilite emergency egress.
Subsequently other "Earthship" and "Earthship Inspired" projects have also been given approval in Kinglake VIC, Marulan NSW, Brooks Bay TAS, Jurien Bay WA, Narara NSW, East Augusta WA, Inman Valley SA, Goolwa SA.
Because Australia has a National Construction Code it means that the Earthship construction methods are applicable right across Australia. The only major compliance issue with Earthship Ironbank was with the indoor greywater system (greywater garden and toilet flushing), however there are legitimate ways to deal with that which enable you to reuse/recycle your greywater productively.
Q: How do I get approval for an Earthship?
A: just follow the standard procedure...
Step 1 Planning Approval (also known as Planning Consent)
First you need to get Planning Approval from your council/shire - this relates to the size, shape, colour of your home, distances from your home to your boundaries, overlooking neighbours, shading neighbours, and the function of the building (note: it does NOT relate to structural design and structural materials).
Basically you need a site plan, floor plan and elevations - this is included in all Earthship Eco Homes plan sets.
Step 2 Building Approval (also known as Building Rules Consent)
Second you need Building Approval and you get this from council/shire or from a private certifier/surveyor*. This relates to compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC).
You will need the services of a structural engineer, a wastewater engineer, energy assessor, building designer/architect/draughtsperson and finally a private certifier/surveyor*.
The Building Approval documentation is then submitted to Council/Shire to apply for Development Approval. When you have Planning Approval and Building Approval you have satisfied all the requirements and Development Approval will be issued by Council/Shire. Generally Council/Shire will "rubber stamp" (approve without hesitation) the documentation and issue Development Approval without any further discussion/deliberation etc. This is because all your ducks are in a row; all the liability for each part of the project have been "owned" by the various professionals, the private certifier/surveyor* ultimately signing-off that everything is above board and compliant with all the relevant codes.
Note that the terms "Planning Approval", "Building Approval" and "Development Approval" change in the various, States, Councils, Shires but essentially this staged approval system is the standard throughout Australia.
* use a private certifier/surveyor for Building Approval rather than Council because, in general, private certifiers are more willing and able to conduct the research required to assess the rather unusual Earthship design and construction methods for compliance with the National Construction Code and other relevant Australian Standards. They are also much quicker than Council typically only taking a couple of weeks; councils can take months. Costs are similar.
Q: Why should I bother with approval? Other Earthship projects haven’t!
A: apart from the need to comply with the laws of the land, it is essential to get approval if you want to insure or sell your Earthship. And if you get approval you can be more confident that it won’t blow away or fall down and kill someone.... and if something does go horribly wrong you are not to blame. If you get caught without approval you have to pay fines and then they (council) will make you get retrospective approval, or demand that you demolish the house! So you might as well get approval before you get too far in.
Q: How much do plans cost and where do I get them?
A: Earthship Eco Homes can develop a set of plans, from scratch, for your particular requirements, or, develop a design from an existing set of plans - which will cost less than starting from scratch.
You can get inspired and download plans via Earthship Biotecture's Simple Survial Model Earthship App on the App Store; however, understand that these plans will need some work before they can be submitted to council for approval. Earthship Biotecture also has plan sets for sale on their website but these will also need amendments before they can be submitted for approval. Australian building codes must be addressed.
Q: Is it possible for an Earthship to pass the minimum energy efficiency requirements?
A: Yes it is possible... you need to have a knowledgeable energy assessor who understands the nuances of the energy assessment rules known as the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS). Unfortunately Earthships are unfairly disadvantaged because the software used to do the NatHERS energy assessments is not designed to deal with tyre walls, greenhouses, earthtubes (cooling tubes), and earth berms. Furthermore the greenhouse, which is not intended as an air-conditioned living space, may have to be counted as a space that is heated and cooled. However, with a knowledgeable, experienced, energy assessor and private certifier you can meet the minimum energy requirements. In reality you can rest assured that your Earthship will be very energy efficient, exceeding the PREDICTION made by the FLAWED SOFTWARE.
LAND
Q: How much land do I need? And what type of land?
A: there are lots of issues to consider:
SIZE
Keep in mind that Earthships are long and skinny to ensure good natural lighting, passive solar heating and ventilation. So, for a typical 3 bedroom Earthship a minimum block size would be approximately 45m in the east west direction and 20m in the north south direction for the building alone. For a small 1 bedroom Earthship 20m east/west by 15m north/south may be possible.
SEWAGE
If you are NOT connecting to a municipal sewage system you may need a large area set aside for wastewater disposal - approximately the size of a tennis court - 200m2. This is known as the "land application area" (that’s a technical term meaning your leach field, where the wastewater can safely soak into the earth) and it will probably need to be 50m from existing dams, bores, creeks, rivers, and other water sources. This is where the wastewater engineer gets involved.
SUN "SOLAR ACCESS"
Also keep in mind that you want a nice sunny spot throughout the whole day with very little shading from trees, houses, mountains etc. You need to face your Earthship roughly north (or south if you are in the northern hemisphere) - approximately 20 degrees either side of north is ok: it is not always possible to face due north and it really doesn't matter if you are facing slightly to the east or west. Face east = extra morning sun. Facing west = extra afternoon sun.
SLOPE
A gentle slope that faces north is ideal because it helps with solar access and reduces earthworks. Steep, north facing slopes can be ok due to the Earthship's design which includes a retaining wall that can be "cut into" the side of the hill/slope. Steep slopes in other directions can be problematic requiring more retaining walls and earthworks (expensive!). Flat sites are fine for Earthships; many of the Earthships in America are on flat sites.
BUSHFIRE ZONES
As Earthships are inherently bushfire resistant, they are ideal for bushfire prone areas, but it is still helpful if large trees are far away or to the south, east and west of the building. The "Bushfire Attack Level" (BAL) will need to be determined if it has not already (ask Council). Click here to see the bushfire resistant "Fireship".
RAINFALL
It's a good idea to check the rainfall and then think about how climate change may effect future rainfall. In Taos, New Mexico, the home of Earthships, they have only about 250mm of rainfall per year. If the rain doesn't fall at the right time they can run low on water an need to call in a truck for a refill. To solve this problem you can add more rainwater tanks but only if your roof is large enough to catch the rain - add a shed/garage. First you have to catch it, then you have to store it.
SOIL TYPE
A bit of clay in your soil is a good thing for making earth renders. Sandy soil is fine. Highly reactive clay soil might mean more expensive engineering measures such as heavy duty concrete footings. You can do some quick tests to determine clay content to establish if you can make earth renders, but determining the exact soil type (which is important info needed for structural engineering) is best left to an expert. You will need some "soil bore logs" (at least three) where you intend to build your Earthship for structural engineering purposes and you will need another soil bore log where you intend to locate your land application area (wastewater soakage area).
SUBURBAN PROJECTS
In the suburbs a genuine “Earthship” may be impossible if the size and orientation of the block of land is unsuitable. If the size and orientation is ok, that is, you can can face the Earthship roughly north, the next hurdle would be compliance with the Council’s planning rules in terms of what the building looks like - it needs to harmonise with the street scape. Talk to the Planning Officer in your council/shire about the planning rules and what the building needs to look like. Ideally the glazed northern side of the Earthship needs to face the street; facing the earth berm to the street may be considered "ugly".
As mentioned previously, land without power, water and sewage connections is ideal for an Earthship and is likely to cost less than a block of land that already has all these connections to the grid. Beware of the grid! On that note, you may like to check your options for connecting to the internet and the mobile phone network.
Checklist for ideal site:
DESIGN, BUILDING & MATERIALS
Q: Do Earthships work well in all Australian climates?
A: Yes in most climates. Earthships, if designed correctly, can be expected to work well especially in the cold and temperate climates. Where there are overcast winters a small amount of backup heating will be needed. In the sub tropics and tropics it may be sensible to start modifying the design, but many of the Earthship design principles (passive heating and cooling) and goals (self sufficiency) remain valid.
Q: Do tyre walls need reinforced concrete footings?
A: No. Earthship Ironbank proves this once and for all... although if you have highly reactive clay soil your engineer might insist on footings (Earthship Ironbank is built on moderately reactive soil). You should shop around for a structural engineer who understands the Earthship concept and this will help minimise or eradicate the need for footings and other expensive structural engineering elements.
Q: Are termites and issue for Earthships?
A: Yes and no. They become an issue if the design doesn't address this potentially disastrous problem. The National Construction Code (NCC) describes various approved methods to deal with termites (white ants) which eat timber and can cause structural damage to your home. These methods include barriers (e.g. stainless steel mesh), chemicals, and granular material (e.g. crushed granite). I don't believe it is realistic to expect a barrier system to be 100% reliable for an earth-sheltered home like an Earthship; because when you pile heaps of earth around your home it provides a lot more opportunities for termites to gain entry and start causing serious damage.
However, the NCC also mentions that if the construction materials are not susceptible to termite attack you don't need to provide a termite management system. My design approach is to ensure that all structural materials are not susceptible to termite attack i.e. termite treated softwoods, termite resistant hardwoods, masonry, concrete, steel and, of course, tyres. As a precaution, a "baiting" system can also be used to detect termite activity around the home, followed by chemical treatment (termite poison) if they are detected and seem to be a threat.
Q: How do I build an Earthship?
A: you can use a combination of these methods...
1. Use a licensed builder who is willing to try something new. Earthship Eco Homes can support your builder one on one to read the plans and understand any unusual construction details, e.g. tyre walls and bottle walls. With the exception of the tyre and bottle walls the construction techniques are conventional and will be familiar to your builder. I recommend Enduro Builders who are the builders of Earthship East Augusta.
2. Owner Building is another option. Usually all it takes is a short course (or simply some fees) to become an owner-builder. It is up to you how hands-on you want to be: you can do lots of building yourself or you can contract out the jobs you are not confident with and, of course, there are some things that MUST be done by professionals e.g. plumbing and electrical. Part of the beauty of the Earthship is the simplicity of the construction methods: tyre pounding, bottle and can walls, rendering. Attending a workshop is another option for learning the Earthship construction methods which by their nature are easy to learn (Earthships were designed to be easy to build).
3. Run your own "workshop" - invite friends, family and everyone(!) to come help build your ship - that's how Earthship Ironbank was built! Earthship Eco Homes runs workshops, so please check the workshops webpage.
Earthship networks such as Earthship Australia and various social media groups can help attract people to your project. Earthship projects can be wonderful ways to meet like-minded people and learn new skills that may inspire and empower others to go forth and build sustainable homes, for themselves and helping others!
Q: How long does it take to build an Earthship?
A: the time taken is determined mainly by you and your builder depending on how much time, energy and money can you throw at the project. With many volunteers helping to build the tyre wall it can be done in two weeks, then the roof, floors and windows may take another four to eight weeks depending on the size of the Earthship.
Q: What type of floor can I have in an Earthship?
A: Usually you have a "thermal mass" floor such as concrete, earth or mud floor, pavers etc as opposed to carpeted or timber floors. Thermal mass floors help maintain stable indoor temperatures in cold and temperate and even sub-tropical climates. Personally I love earth floors. However, they are susceptible to damage e.g. to people wearing high heel shoes! But they can be repaired relatively easily. A more durable option is a concrete slab floor which must be sealed with a concrete sealer (preferably non toxic water based). You can grind and polish a concrete slab to make it look a bit more interesting or another method is to acid etch it or stain it with chemicals.
Q: What type of roof can I have on an Earthship?
A: Michael Reynolds has experimented a lot with roofs and seems to have settled on three designs:
- a skillion roof which slopes down to a gutter at the rear (he calls this the Encounter Roof),
- an earth-covered, vaulted roof made with ferro-cement (e.g. the original Simple Survival Earthship).
- a gable roof with north facing roof for solar panels (e.g. the Global Model Earthship) and south facing roof to a rear gutter.
The most important thing is that the roof is water-proof and well insulated (and fire-proof in bushfire zones).
MONEY AND INSURANCE
Q: How do I finance an Earthship?
A: if you need to borrow money from a bank you will need to sign a contract with a licensed builder to build your Earthship because most banks won’t loan money to an owner-builder. Some of the more progressive banks e.g. Bendigo Bank might loan to an owner-builder.
Q: Can Earthships be insured?
A: Yes. Earthship Ironbank is. The insurance company will probably list your wall construction as "other" as they will not have the correct category for "tyre walls" on their system. The important thing to the insurance company is that the building complies with all the relevant Codes and Standards.
Q: How much do Earthships cost to build?
A: they cost approximately 5-10% more than a home of the equivalent size and quality. This is because Earthships have solar panels, batteries, rainwater tanks, and other off-grid systems which, of course, adds costs.
A useful rule of thumb is about $1500-$2500 per square metre of "gross floor area" (this is the "footprint" of the house - you can think of it as the size of the floor slab). If you are a very energetic and resourceful owner builder you might achieve $1500/m2. If you want a more complex design with lots of "bells and whistles" then the price might go up to $3000 per square metre. Hence a three bedroom home with a footprint of 150m2 will cost $225-$375K. If you have a limited budget, the best way to save money is to make your home small and efficient... you can always make it bigger later, if you really need to; Earthships can be designed to be easily extendable. Although the construction cost of an Earthship may be similar or slightly more than a similar size home, the ongoing running costs will be much less.
If you have a block of land that slopes in an undesirable direction you may need to do a lot of earthworks which increases the cost.
The size of your off-grid systems is also a factor: the more you "size up" your systems (more solar panels, more batteries, more rainwater tanks) the more expensive it becomes. Thankfully the Earthship is inherently very energy and water efficient so your systems can be relatively small.
To really know the costs you need to hire a Quantity Surveyor to study the plans in detail and make a highly accurate cost estimate. Otherwise work on $2500 per square metre as a rough average, realistic cost. See the "residential" section of this website for typical construction costs in Australia: www.bmtqs.com.au/construction-cost-table 4br Full brick home, level block, single level, unique design is a good example comparable to Earthship. Here is some research including infographics of housing costs in Australia.
A fun way to build the tyre wall is to run a workshop - people are generally happy to pay a fee if you make it fun, educational and feed them well. You will need to hire some experienced Earthship builders and workshop coordinators but in return you get a lot of free labour and an enjoyable experience. You will also need to hire caterers if you can't do the catering yourself.
Q: What are the running costs of an Earthship?
A: very little. This is one of the great advantages of Earthships. If you are fully off-grid with power, water and sewage treatment you don’t have utility bills to pay anymore! But you will need to spend approx $100-$200 per year on water filters, have a savings plan for new batteries every 10 or more years (e.g. $500 per year) and eventually you may need new solar panels and water tanks. I try to save about $1000 a year to cover all these eventual expenses. It's a lot less than paying for energy and water from "the grid"!
TYRES
Q: Where do I get tyres from?
A: you can generally get tyres for free from your local tyre retailer. They are usually very happy to give them away because they have to pay to get rid of them. It helps if explain that you are “building retaining walls” and also you should mention you have council approval, especially if they seem reluctant to give you tyres. This usually satisfies them that you are not going to dump them in the environment. The EPA holds them accountable so sometimes they are quite cautious and curious about people who ask for old tyres. You may even be able to negotiate a fee for taking the tyres off their hands! $2 per tyre would not be unreasonable; however, you may have to get special permission from the EPA for the privelige of "disposing" of waste tyres in a council approved project.
Another great place to get them is from your city’s tyre recycling facility. They are also usually happy for you to help them “recycle” the mountains of tyres they are dealing with especially when you tell them you have a council approved Earthship. 55 million waste tyres per year in Australia... enough to build about 55 thousand Earthships!
Beware of tyres that have been used as tree guards; if they have been in the sun for many many years they might be a bit "rotten" i.e. crumbly and not as strong as they should be. They might be ok but you should check them carefully before agreeing to a delivery.
Q: How many tyres will I need?
A: it depends on the design and size of tyres but for a 3 bedroom Earthship you will need approximately 1000 tyres.
Q: What is the best size tyre for building Earthships?
A: you can use most tyre sizes: large tread width tyres go on the bottom of the wall with smaller tread widths to the top. Each course should be of the same or similar tread width (first size identification number on the tyre). Earthship Ironbank was built predominantly with 205/65/R15 tyres because this is a common tyre size in this part of the world. But we used many other sizes too. You don’t need to be too fussy. Just about any car tyre will work.
Q: Do tyre walls off-gas?
A: no, not as far as anyone can tell. When you visit an Earthship you can NOT smell tyres. Tyres tend to be very smelly (off-gassing) in the tyre showroom, but after they have been out in the weather, on your car for a while, they don’t smell anymore. Furthermore, in a tyre wall the tyres are covered with render on the interior and covered by earth on the exterior (or cement render) so they are not exposed to sunlight, water, or air all of which tend to promote off-gassing. Off-gassing from building materials such as plywood, carpet, paint, glue etc is more of a concern in a modern home. Thankfully Earthships are well ventilated bulidings and any off-gassing will pass out of the building quickly without the need for fans or mechanical ventilation systems.
Q: Do tyres leach toxic stuff into water?
A: only if the water is highly acidic or alkaline which you might expect in a polluted environment such as a mine site. Even then, leaching of toxic elements out of tyres is minimal according to research commissioned by EcoFlex - a civil engineering company that builds walls and other structures with truck tyres willed with gravel and rock.
Furthermore, in an Earthship wall, care is taken to keep tyres out of contact with water by using good drainage and waterproofing methods.
Finally, if you are worried about this issue you should consider the millions of tons per year of tyre dust particles that enter the environment because of traffic on roads. Surely tyre dust floating about in the environment is far worse than whole tyres that are neatly hidden away from water, air and sun in a tyre wall.
Q: Are tyres a fire hazard.
A: not when they are filled with earth, built into a tyre wall and covered with render. Even un-rendered tyre walls have been known to withstand arson attacks in which they were purposefully set on fire. Even so it was easy to put out the fire because only a small portion of the tyre was exposed to air; the rest was surrounded by earth. In contrast, when waste tyres are stored in piles it is much easier for them to catch on fire because they have air all around (and inside) them and also the jumbled arrangement makes it very difficult to extinguish the fire because it is almost impossible to squirt water onto all surfaces of the tyres.
Q: How should I store tyres?
A: try to keep them out of the rain so that the mosquitoes and rats don’t move in. Arrange them into stacks (about 5 or 6 high) based on tread width and then cover securely with a tarp, or ideally they would be in a shed. Try to arrange delivery of tyres “just in time” so you don’t need to have them on site for a long time. If you keep your construction site neat and tidy you will keep the neighbours and the building inspectors happy.
Q: How long does it take to pound a tyre?
A: depending on the size of the tyres about 10-20 minutes the traditional way with a sledge hammer. Make sure your “dirt” pile is nearby as it takes longer to pound a tyre if you have to walk a long way to get your tyre filling material. A better question to ask is: how many tyres can I pound in a day (it's about stamina). Mike Reynolds uses tyre pounding as exercise and it can be fun to pound tyres with your friends... If you have 10 people, pounding 10 tyres a day for 10 days you have your 1000 tyre wall done! With 50 people helping, which is not uncommon for Earthship Biotecture projects, you will have 1000 tyres pounded very quickly!
There are other mechanised ways e.g. using a pneumatic tamper as per rammed earth wall construction. People have devised all sorts of amazing machines to pound tyres. In general these machines focus on taking the labour out of tyre pounding although some time savings are often also realised. See the Earthship Jurien Bay webpage for an interesting tyre pounding innovation - the first YouTube video link.
Q: Can I put sand or gravel in tyres instead of earth?
A: yes you can, but of course you usually have to pay for sand and gravel. On the upside, sand and gravel require little or no compaction. Often gravel is put in the bottom course of tyres to augment the waterproofing and drainage system of the tyre wall.
OTHER QUESTIONS
Q: Are Earthships built entirely with recycled materials?
A: no this is a misconception. They use a lot of recycled materials, BUT, you will almost certainly need to buy some new materials. If you are very resourceful you can salvage a lot of materials and save a lot of money. In bushfire prone areas you will need to have things like toughened glazing which can be hard to come by second hand and you can't cut it down to size. You will need new cement and reinforcing bar for making concrete footings for the internal walls. It would be wise to buy new roof cladding. Plumbing and electrical gets buried or embedded in walls so new pipes and cables are a good idea. Second hand stuff may need testing. Salvaging materials is time consuming and often requires a lot of work to prepare it for it's next life in your Earthship e.g. pulling nails out of salvaged timber; scraping putty out of floor boards. Also you need to store the materials safely and securely. And these materials have to be designed into the building so, ideally, you need to have them before the design process is completed and submitted to council, or you need to collect exactly the right materials that are called for by the plans. It's not as easy as it sounds but it is very rewarding - do it!
Q: Does Mike Reynolds live in an Earthship?
A: Yes of course! Contrary to the misinformation you hear in the media and on the internet he does live in an Earthship. It is one of the original Earthships. He loves his Earthship! Watch the movie Garbage Warrior (on YouTube) to see Mike in his Earthship.
Q: Is everything I read about Earthships on the internet true?
A: No ... Reading through the various bits of misinformation on social media and the internet you will discover there are many people with a lot of prejudice about Earthships - they don't like them and their reasons for this are usually flawed or unreasonable.
The critique on Earthships at Architecture Republic is OK but in my opinion a bit misleading in many cases. Also at time of writing their webpage (November 2019) it is pretty out of date. For the most part it is correct although there are a few glaring inaccuracies: it is NOT true that tyre walls are not load bearing and "some kind of timber or steel structure actually supports the roof". It is also NOT true that blackwater is treated "within the walls" (they mean within the building). With the exception of a couple of experimental Earthships, blackwater always goes straight to the septic tank (which is outside the building). There are many other issues with Architecure Republic webpage.
There is also the book "Hacking the Earthship" by Rachel Prinz. This book is riddled with factual errors and misunderstandings about Earthships.
Q: I don’t like the look of Earthships, do they have to look that way?
A: Earthships generally need to have lots of glass to the north and the earthberm at the back and sides (earthberm = the earth surrounding the south, east and west of the building). But the roof style, colours, shapes etc can be quite conventional looking. As for the internal finishes you can have very slick white walls if you want or you can have wobbly, earth renders (or slick earth renders). It’s up to you how you want your Earthship to look.
Q: How do I find out about Earthship projects as I'm interested in learning more and perhaps also doing a workshop.
A: please subscribe to the Earthship Eco Homes newsletter here: Contact
Also join the various Facebook groups such as Earthship Down Under and Earthship Australia
There is also the Earthship Australia website - consider becoming a member.
Q: Can I stay in an Earthship and see what it's like?
A: Yes! Come an stay in Earthship Ironbank and try it out. All the info is on the AirBnB website. All bookings are done through AirBnB.
CONCLUSION
Yes, it is possible to build an Earthship in Australia for a similar price to an equivalent home but with far less ongoing running costs and with far less environmental impact. It is early days for Earthships in Australia but there are already numerous examples of council/shire approved Earthships in Australia. What are you waiting for?
Martin Freney
CEO and Founder of Earthship Eco Homes
updated October 2021
A: The Earthship Eco Homes process for developing your set of plans is in five stages:
- 1. Initial Consultation
- 2. Site Visit
- 3. Concept Design
- 4. Planning Approval Drawings (submit to Council for Planning Consent)
- 5. Building Approval Drawings (submit to private certifier/surveyor for Building Rules Consent)
Q: What is an Earthship?
A: it’s a self sufficient building with no power, water or sewage bills, that is made with lots of recycled materials, especially old car tyres which are used to make the external load bearing, walls. Minimal energy is needed for heating and cooling because the house naturally achieves a comfortable temperature due to appropriate location of thermal mass (walls and floors) and insulation (roof and walls). Solar panels make electricity which is stored in batteries. The roof catches water and stores it in rainwater tanks. Water is then filtered and pumped to the bathroom and kitchen. Wastewater is used for irrigating plants. You can grow your own food in wastewater! Earthships are also very DIY, enabling people who have no building experience to quickly gain confidence with the Earthship construction techniques.
Earthships were invented by American architect Michael Reynolds decades ago (in the 1970s) and there are thousands of them around the world, especially in North America. In Taos, New Mexico, USA there is an Earthship community called The Greater World with over 100 people living totally off the grid. Earthship Eco Homes can design you an Earthship.
Read more about it on the official Earthship website.
Q: What is an Earthship Inspired home?
A: it’s like an Earthship only slightly different; instead of tyre walls it may have strawbale walls, hempcrete walls or... the aim is for a super energy and water efficient home. It should embody all the Earthship design principles and philosophy and achieve the same end goal: self sufficiency with minimal environmental impact.
Q: Why should I want an Earthship?
A: there are many reasons to want an Earthship.
- be free from the power, water and sewage “grids” which are causing environmental impacts that the Earth can’t sustain.
- be in control of where your power and water comes from and where your sewage goes.
- save money on utility bills and support the renewable energy industry.
- minimise the use of “virgin” materials that are ripped from the ground and the forests and instead help solve the problem of waste tyres - 55 million of them per year in Australia.
- have a hand in the construction of your own home and build it with your friends or family.
- be able to grow your own organic, zero-food-mile food in your greenhouse.
- want to recycle wastewater.
- be more independent.
- Because you want a home that has a naturally comfortable, stable temperature year round.
Q: How do I get an Earthship?
A: you need money, land and permission/approval.
- Money: if you need to borrow money from a bank this makes it more difficult to be an "owner-builder" and working with a licensed builder is the best way to proceed.
- Land: there is some criteria described below regarding suitable land. A site without power, water and sewage will be cheaper and is ideal for an off-grid Earthship.
- Permission: you need plans and reports that have all the relevant info required by Council/Shire.
GETTING PERMISSION
Q: Is it possible to get permission ("approval") to build an Earthship?
A: Yes, it is possible. Many people IMAGINE that they can’t get approval. Earthship Ironbank, was the first Earthship to gain council approval in Australia. It is approved as a "class 1b" development which means it is approved as a bed and breakfast tourist accommodation which is even more stringent than a normal home (class 1a). For example, it was necessary to install exit lights and have the doors open outwards to facilite emergency egress.
Subsequently other "Earthship" and "Earthship Inspired" projects have also been given approval in Kinglake VIC, Marulan NSW, Brooks Bay TAS, Jurien Bay WA, Narara NSW, East Augusta WA, Inman Valley SA, Goolwa SA.
Because Australia has a National Construction Code it means that the Earthship construction methods are applicable right across Australia. The only major compliance issue with Earthship Ironbank was with the indoor greywater system (greywater garden and toilet flushing), however there are legitimate ways to deal with that which enable you to reuse/recycle your greywater productively.
Q: How do I get approval for an Earthship?
A: just follow the standard procedure...
Step 1 Planning Approval (also known as Planning Consent)
First you need to get Planning Approval from your council/shire - this relates to the size, shape, colour of your home, distances from your home to your boundaries, overlooking neighbours, shading neighbours, and the function of the building (note: it does NOT relate to structural design and structural materials).
Basically you need a site plan, floor plan and elevations - this is included in all Earthship Eco Homes plan sets.
Step 2 Building Approval (also known as Building Rules Consent)
Second you need Building Approval and you get this from council/shire or from a private certifier/surveyor*. This relates to compliance with the National Construction Code (NCC).
You will need the services of a structural engineer, a wastewater engineer, energy assessor, building designer/architect/draughtsperson and finally a private certifier/surveyor*.
- The structural engineer’s job is to demonstrate that the design won’t fall down in an earthquake or blow away in a storm.
- The wastewater engineer’s job is to demonstrate that the wastewater system won’t pollute the ground water or nearby creek.
- The energy assessor’s job is demonstrate that the design is energy efficient and meets the minimum requirements of the NCC.
- The architect/building designer’s job is to provide detailed plans that demonstrate compliance with the NCC and Australian Standards e.g. in terms of termite protection, bushfire protection, ventilation, natural lighting, thermal performance etc.
The Building Approval documentation is then submitted to Council/Shire to apply for Development Approval. When you have Planning Approval and Building Approval you have satisfied all the requirements and Development Approval will be issued by Council/Shire. Generally Council/Shire will "rubber stamp" (approve without hesitation) the documentation and issue Development Approval without any further discussion/deliberation etc. This is because all your ducks are in a row; all the liability for each part of the project have been "owned" by the various professionals, the private certifier/surveyor* ultimately signing-off that everything is above board and compliant with all the relevant codes.
Note that the terms "Planning Approval", "Building Approval" and "Development Approval" change in the various, States, Councils, Shires but essentially this staged approval system is the standard throughout Australia.
* use a private certifier/surveyor for Building Approval rather than Council because, in general, private certifiers are more willing and able to conduct the research required to assess the rather unusual Earthship design and construction methods for compliance with the National Construction Code and other relevant Australian Standards. They are also much quicker than Council typically only taking a couple of weeks; councils can take months. Costs are similar.
Q: Why should I bother with approval? Other Earthship projects haven’t!
A: apart from the need to comply with the laws of the land, it is essential to get approval if you want to insure or sell your Earthship. And if you get approval you can be more confident that it won’t blow away or fall down and kill someone.... and if something does go horribly wrong you are not to blame. If you get caught without approval you have to pay fines and then they (council) will make you get retrospective approval, or demand that you demolish the house! So you might as well get approval before you get too far in.
Q: How much do plans cost and where do I get them?
A: Earthship Eco Homes can develop a set of plans, from scratch, for your particular requirements, or, develop a design from an existing set of plans - which will cost less than starting from scratch.
You can get inspired and download plans via Earthship Biotecture's Simple Survial Model Earthship App on the App Store; however, understand that these plans will need some work before they can be submitted to council for approval. Earthship Biotecture also has plan sets for sale on their website but these will also need amendments before they can be submitted for approval. Australian building codes must be addressed.
Q: Is it possible for an Earthship to pass the minimum energy efficiency requirements?
A: Yes it is possible... you need to have a knowledgeable energy assessor who understands the nuances of the energy assessment rules known as the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS). Unfortunately Earthships are unfairly disadvantaged because the software used to do the NatHERS energy assessments is not designed to deal with tyre walls, greenhouses, earthtubes (cooling tubes), and earth berms. Furthermore the greenhouse, which is not intended as an air-conditioned living space, may have to be counted as a space that is heated and cooled. However, with a knowledgeable, experienced, energy assessor and private certifier you can meet the minimum energy requirements. In reality you can rest assured that your Earthship will be very energy efficient, exceeding the PREDICTION made by the FLAWED SOFTWARE.
LAND
Q: How much land do I need? And what type of land?
A: there are lots of issues to consider:
SIZE
Keep in mind that Earthships are long and skinny to ensure good natural lighting, passive solar heating and ventilation. So, for a typical 3 bedroom Earthship a minimum block size would be approximately 45m in the east west direction and 20m in the north south direction for the building alone. For a small 1 bedroom Earthship 20m east/west by 15m north/south may be possible.
SEWAGE
If you are NOT connecting to a municipal sewage system you may need a large area set aside for wastewater disposal - approximately the size of a tennis court - 200m2. This is known as the "land application area" (that’s a technical term meaning your leach field, where the wastewater can safely soak into the earth) and it will probably need to be 50m from existing dams, bores, creeks, rivers, and other water sources. This is where the wastewater engineer gets involved.
SUN "SOLAR ACCESS"
Also keep in mind that you want a nice sunny spot throughout the whole day with very little shading from trees, houses, mountains etc. You need to face your Earthship roughly north (or south if you are in the northern hemisphere) - approximately 20 degrees either side of north is ok: it is not always possible to face due north and it really doesn't matter if you are facing slightly to the east or west. Face east = extra morning sun. Facing west = extra afternoon sun.
SLOPE
A gentle slope that faces north is ideal because it helps with solar access and reduces earthworks. Steep, north facing slopes can be ok due to the Earthship's design which includes a retaining wall that can be "cut into" the side of the hill/slope. Steep slopes in other directions can be problematic requiring more retaining walls and earthworks (expensive!). Flat sites are fine for Earthships; many of the Earthships in America are on flat sites.
BUSHFIRE ZONES
As Earthships are inherently bushfire resistant, they are ideal for bushfire prone areas, but it is still helpful if large trees are far away or to the south, east and west of the building. The "Bushfire Attack Level" (BAL) will need to be determined if it has not already (ask Council). Click here to see the bushfire resistant "Fireship".
RAINFALL
It's a good idea to check the rainfall and then think about how climate change may effect future rainfall. In Taos, New Mexico, the home of Earthships, they have only about 250mm of rainfall per year. If the rain doesn't fall at the right time they can run low on water an need to call in a truck for a refill. To solve this problem you can add more rainwater tanks but only if your roof is large enough to catch the rain - add a shed/garage. First you have to catch it, then you have to store it.
SOIL TYPE
A bit of clay in your soil is a good thing for making earth renders. Sandy soil is fine. Highly reactive clay soil might mean more expensive engineering measures such as heavy duty concrete footings. You can do some quick tests to determine clay content to establish if you can make earth renders, but determining the exact soil type (which is important info needed for structural engineering) is best left to an expert. You will need some "soil bore logs" (at least three) where you intend to build your Earthship for structural engineering purposes and you will need another soil bore log where you intend to locate your land application area (wastewater soakage area).
SUBURBAN PROJECTS
In the suburbs a genuine “Earthship” may be impossible if the size and orientation of the block of land is unsuitable. If the size and orientation is ok, that is, you can can face the Earthship roughly north, the next hurdle would be compliance with the Council’s planning rules in terms of what the building looks like - it needs to harmonise with the street scape. Talk to the Planning Officer in your council/shire about the planning rules and what the building needs to look like. Ideally the glazed northern side of the Earthship needs to face the street; facing the earth berm to the street may be considered "ugly".
As mentioned previously, land without power, water and sewage connections is ideal for an Earthship and is likely to cost less than a block of land that already has all these connections to the grid. Beware of the grid! On that note, you may like to check your options for connecting to the internet and the mobile phone network.
Checklist for ideal site:
- size/area is large enough
- solar access - orientation (facing north) and shadowing (no trees from NE to NW)
- views to the north
- ideally trees (bushfire hazard) would be to the south east and west
- slope direction suitable (flat sites are ok)
- soil type: not highly reactive clay
- watercourses not too close; room for land application area (wastewater irrigation area)
- check with your designer before buying!
- look for an "off grid" site if you are trying to save money - sites with power, water and sewer generally cost more
- look for a steep north facing site if you are trying to save money as steep sites can be difficult to develop and are therefore cheaper. Due to the Earthship's integral retaining wall, steep north facing sites are suitable.
DESIGN, BUILDING & MATERIALS
Q: Do Earthships work well in all Australian climates?
A: Yes in most climates. Earthships, if designed correctly, can be expected to work well especially in the cold and temperate climates. Where there are overcast winters a small amount of backup heating will be needed. In the sub tropics and tropics it may be sensible to start modifying the design, but many of the Earthship design principles (passive heating and cooling) and goals (self sufficiency) remain valid.
Q: Do tyre walls need reinforced concrete footings?
A: No. Earthship Ironbank proves this once and for all... although if you have highly reactive clay soil your engineer might insist on footings (Earthship Ironbank is built on moderately reactive soil). You should shop around for a structural engineer who understands the Earthship concept and this will help minimise or eradicate the need for footings and other expensive structural engineering elements.
Q: Are termites and issue for Earthships?
A: Yes and no. They become an issue if the design doesn't address this potentially disastrous problem. The National Construction Code (NCC) describes various approved methods to deal with termites (white ants) which eat timber and can cause structural damage to your home. These methods include barriers (e.g. stainless steel mesh), chemicals, and granular material (e.g. crushed granite). I don't believe it is realistic to expect a barrier system to be 100% reliable for an earth-sheltered home like an Earthship; because when you pile heaps of earth around your home it provides a lot more opportunities for termites to gain entry and start causing serious damage.
However, the NCC also mentions that if the construction materials are not susceptible to termite attack you don't need to provide a termite management system. My design approach is to ensure that all structural materials are not susceptible to termite attack i.e. termite treated softwoods, termite resistant hardwoods, masonry, concrete, steel and, of course, tyres. As a precaution, a "baiting" system can also be used to detect termite activity around the home, followed by chemical treatment (termite poison) if they are detected and seem to be a threat.
Q: How do I build an Earthship?
A: you can use a combination of these methods...
1. Use a licensed builder who is willing to try something new. Earthship Eco Homes can support your builder one on one to read the plans and understand any unusual construction details, e.g. tyre walls and bottle walls. With the exception of the tyre and bottle walls the construction techniques are conventional and will be familiar to your builder. I recommend Enduro Builders who are the builders of Earthship East Augusta.
2. Owner Building is another option. Usually all it takes is a short course (or simply some fees) to become an owner-builder. It is up to you how hands-on you want to be: you can do lots of building yourself or you can contract out the jobs you are not confident with and, of course, there are some things that MUST be done by professionals e.g. plumbing and electrical. Part of the beauty of the Earthship is the simplicity of the construction methods: tyre pounding, bottle and can walls, rendering. Attending a workshop is another option for learning the Earthship construction methods which by their nature are easy to learn (Earthships were designed to be easy to build).
3. Run your own "workshop" - invite friends, family and everyone(!) to come help build your ship - that's how Earthship Ironbank was built! Earthship Eco Homes runs workshops, so please check the workshops webpage.
Earthship networks such as Earthship Australia and various social media groups can help attract people to your project. Earthship projects can be wonderful ways to meet like-minded people and learn new skills that may inspire and empower others to go forth and build sustainable homes, for themselves and helping others!
Q: How long does it take to build an Earthship?
A: the time taken is determined mainly by you and your builder depending on how much time, energy and money can you throw at the project. With many volunteers helping to build the tyre wall it can be done in two weeks, then the roof, floors and windows may take another four to eight weeks depending on the size of the Earthship.
Q: What type of floor can I have in an Earthship?
A: Usually you have a "thermal mass" floor such as concrete, earth or mud floor, pavers etc as opposed to carpeted or timber floors. Thermal mass floors help maintain stable indoor temperatures in cold and temperate and even sub-tropical climates. Personally I love earth floors. However, they are susceptible to damage e.g. to people wearing high heel shoes! But they can be repaired relatively easily. A more durable option is a concrete slab floor which must be sealed with a concrete sealer (preferably non toxic water based). You can grind and polish a concrete slab to make it look a bit more interesting or another method is to acid etch it or stain it with chemicals.
Q: What type of roof can I have on an Earthship?
A: Michael Reynolds has experimented a lot with roofs and seems to have settled on three designs:
- a skillion roof which slopes down to a gutter at the rear (he calls this the Encounter Roof),
- an earth-covered, vaulted roof made with ferro-cement (e.g. the original Simple Survival Earthship).
- a gable roof with north facing roof for solar panels (e.g. the Global Model Earthship) and south facing roof to a rear gutter.
The most important thing is that the roof is water-proof and well insulated (and fire-proof in bushfire zones).
MONEY AND INSURANCE
Q: How do I finance an Earthship?
A: if you need to borrow money from a bank you will need to sign a contract with a licensed builder to build your Earthship because most banks won’t loan money to an owner-builder. Some of the more progressive banks e.g. Bendigo Bank might loan to an owner-builder.
Q: Can Earthships be insured?
A: Yes. Earthship Ironbank is. The insurance company will probably list your wall construction as "other" as they will not have the correct category for "tyre walls" on their system. The important thing to the insurance company is that the building complies with all the relevant Codes and Standards.
Q: How much do Earthships cost to build?
A: they cost approximately 5-10% more than a home of the equivalent size and quality. This is because Earthships have solar panels, batteries, rainwater tanks, and other off-grid systems which, of course, adds costs.
A useful rule of thumb is about $1500-$2500 per square metre of "gross floor area" (this is the "footprint" of the house - you can think of it as the size of the floor slab). If you are a very energetic and resourceful owner builder you might achieve $1500/m2. If you want a more complex design with lots of "bells and whistles" then the price might go up to $3000 per square metre. Hence a three bedroom home with a footprint of 150m2 will cost $225-$375K. If you have a limited budget, the best way to save money is to make your home small and efficient... you can always make it bigger later, if you really need to; Earthships can be designed to be easily extendable. Although the construction cost of an Earthship may be similar or slightly more than a similar size home, the ongoing running costs will be much less.
If you have a block of land that slopes in an undesirable direction you may need to do a lot of earthworks which increases the cost.
The size of your off-grid systems is also a factor: the more you "size up" your systems (more solar panels, more batteries, more rainwater tanks) the more expensive it becomes. Thankfully the Earthship is inherently very energy and water efficient so your systems can be relatively small.
To really know the costs you need to hire a Quantity Surveyor to study the plans in detail and make a highly accurate cost estimate. Otherwise work on $2500 per square metre as a rough average, realistic cost. See the "residential" section of this website for typical construction costs in Australia: www.bmtqs.com.au/construction-cost-table 4br Full brick home, level block, single level, unique design is a good example comparable to Earthship. Here is some research including infographics of housing costs in Australia.
A fun way to build the tyre wall is to run a workshop - people are generally happy to pay a fee if you make it fun, educational and feed them well. You will need to hire some experienced Earthship builders and workshop coordinators but in return you get a lot of free labour and an enjoyable experience. You will also need to hire caterers if you can't do the catering yourself.
Q: What are the running costs of an Earthship?
A: very little. This is one of the great advantages of Earthships. If you are fully off-grid with power, water and sewage treatment you don’t have utility bills to pay anymore! But you will need to spend approx $100-$200 per year on water filters, have a savings plan for new batteries every 10 or more years (e.g. $500 per year) and eventually you may need new solar panels and water tanks. I try to save about $1000 a year to cover all these eventual expenses. It's a lot less than paying for energy and water from "the grid"!
TYRES
Q: Where do I get tyres from?
A: you can generally get tyres for free from your local tyre retailer. They are usually very happy to give them away because they have to pay to get rid of them. It helps if explain that you are “building retaining walls” and also you should mention you have council approval, especially if they seem reluctant to give you tyres. This usually satisfies them that you are not going to dump them in the environment. The EPA holds them accountable so sometimes they are quite cautious and curious about people who ask for old tyres. You may even be able to negotiate a fee for taking the tyres off their hands! $2 per tyre would not be unreasonable; however, you may have to get special permission from the EPA for the privelige of "disposing" of waste tyres in a council approved project.
Another great place to get them is from your city’s tyre recycling facility. They are also usually happy for you to help them “recycle” the mountains of tyres they are dealing with especially when you tell them you have a council approved Earthship. 55 million waste tyres per year in Australia... enough to build about 55 thousand Earthships!
Beware of tyres that have been used as tree guards; if they have been in the sun for many many years they might be a bit "rotten" i.e. crumbly and not as strong as they should be. They might be ok but you should check them carefully before agreeing to a delivery.
Q: How many tyres will I need?
A: it depends on the design and size of tyres but for a 3 bedroom Earthship you will need approximately 1000 tyres.
Q: What is the best size tyre for building Earthships?
A: you can use most tyre sizes: large tread width tyres go on the bottom of the wall with smaller tread widths to the top. Each course should be of the same or similar tread width (first size identification number on the tyre). Earthship Ironbank was built predominantly with 205/65/R15 tyres because this is a common tyre size in this part of the world. But we used many other sizes too. You don’t need to be too fussy. Just about any car tyre will work.
Q: Do tyre walls off-gas?
A: no, not as far as anyone can tell. When you visit an Earthship you can NOT smell tyres. Tyres tend to be very smelly (off-gassing) in the tyre showroom, but after they have been out in the weather, on your car for a while, they don’t smell anymore. Furthermore, in a tyre wall the tyres are covered with render on the interior and covered by earth on the exterior (or cement render) so they are not exposed to sunlight, water, or air all of which tend to promote off-gassing. Off-gassing from building materials such as plywood, carpet, paint, glue etc is more of a concern in a modern home. Thankfully Earthships are well ventilated bulidings and any off-gassing will pass out of the building quickly without the need for fans or mechanical ventilation systems.
Q: Do tyres leach toxic stuff into water?
A: only if the water is highly acidic or alkaline which you might expect in a polluted environment such as a mine site. Even then, leaching of toxic elements out of tyres is minimal according to research commissioned by EcoFlex - a civil engineering company that builds walls and other structures with truck tyres willed with gravel and rock.
Furthermore, in an Earthship wall, care is taken to keep tyres out of contact with water by using good drainage and waterproofing methods.
Finally, if you are worried about this issue you should consider the millions of tons per year of tyre dust particles that enter the environment because of traffic on roads. Surely tyre dust floating about in the environment is far worse than whole tyres that are neatly hidden away from water, air and sun in a tyre wall.
Q: Are tyres a fire hazard.
A: not when they are filled with earth, built into a tyre wall and covered with render. Even un-rendered tyre walls have been known to withstand arson attacks in which they were purposefully set on fire. Even so it was easy to put out the fire because only a small portion of the tyre was exposed to air; the rest was surrounded by earth. In contrast, when waste tyres are stored in piles it is much easier for them to catch on fire because they have air all around (and inside) them and also the jumbled arrangement makes it very difficult to extinguish the fire because it is almost impossible to squirt water onto all surfaces of the tyres.
Q: How should I store tyres?
A: try to keep them out of the rain so that the mosquitoes and rats don’t move in. Arrange them into stacks (about 5 or 6 high) based on tread width and then cover securely with a tarp, or ideally they would be in a shed. Try to arrange delivery of tyres “just in time” so you don’t need to have them on site for a long time. If you keep your construction site neat and tidy you will keep the neighbours and the building inspectors happy.
Q: How long does it take to pound a tyre?
A: depending on the size of the tyres about 10-20 minutes the traditional way with a sledge hammer. Make sure your “dirt” pile is nearby as it takes longer to pound a tyre if you have to walk a long way to get your tyre filling material. A better question to ask is: how many tyres can I pound in a day (it's about stamina). Mike Reynolds uses tyre pounding as exercise and it can be fun to pound tyres with your friends... If you have 10 people, pounding 10 tyres a day for 10 days you have your 1000 tyre wall done! With 50 people helping, which is not uncommon for Earthship Biotecture projects, you will have 1000 tyres pounded very quickly!
There are other mechanised ways e.g. using a pneumatic tamper as per rammed earth wall construction. People have devised all sorts of amazing machines to pound tyres. In general these machines focus on taking the labour out of tyre pounding although some time savings are often also realised. See the Earthship Jurien Bay webpage for an interesting tyre pounding innovation - the first YouTube video link.
Q: Can I put sand or gravel in tyres instead of earth?
A: yes you can, but of course you usually have to pay for sand and gravel. On the upside, sand and gravel require little or no compaction. Often gravel is put in the bottom course of tyres to augment the waterproofing and drainage system of the tyre wall.
OTHER QUESTIONS
Q: Are Earthships built entirely with recycled materials?
A: no this is a misconception. They use a lot of recycled materials, BUT, you will almost certainly need to buy some new materials. If you are very resourceful you can salvage a lot of materials and save a lot of money. In bushfire prone areas you will need to have things like toughened glazing which can be hard to come by second hand and you can't cut it down to size. You will need new cement and reinforcing bar for making concrete footings for the internal walls. It would be wise to buy new roof cladding. Plumbing and electrical gets buried or embedded in walls so new pipes and cables are a good idea. Second hand stuff may need testing. Salvaging materials is time consuming and often requires a lot of work to prepare it for it's next life in your Earthship e.g. pulling nails out of salvaged timber; scraping putty out of floor boards. Also you need to store the materials safely and securely. And these materials have to be designed into the building so, ideally, you need to have them before the design process is completed and submitted to council, or you need to collect exactly the right materials that are called for by the plans. It's not as easy as it sounds but it is very rewarding - do it!
Q: Does Mike Reynolds live in an Earthship?
A: Yes of course! Contrary to the misinformation you hear in the media and on the internet he does live in an Earthship. It is one of the original Earthships. He loves his Earthship! Watch the movie Garbage Warrior (on YouTube) to see Mike in his Earthship.
Q: Is everything I read about Earthships on the internet true?
A: No ... Reading through the various bits of misinformation on social media and the internet you will discover there are many people with a lot of prejudice about Earthships - they don't like them and their reasons for this are usually flawed or unreasonable.
The critique on Earthships at Architecture Republic is OK but in my opinion a bit misleading in many cases. Also at time of writing their webpage (November 2019) it is pretty out of date. For the most part it is correct although there are a few glaring inaccuracies: it is NOT true that tyre walls are not load bearing and "some kind of timber or steel structure actually supports the roof". It is also NOT true that blackwater is treated "within the walls" (they mean within the building). With the exception of a couple of experimental Earthships, blackwater always goes straight to the septic tank (which is outside the building). There are many other issues with Architecure Republic webpage.
There is also the book "Hacking the Earthship" by Rachel Prinz. This book is riddled with factual errors and misunderstandings about Earthships.
Q: I don’t like the look of Earthships, do they have to look that way?
A: Earthships generally need to have lots of glass to the north and the earthberm at the back and sides (earthberm = the earth surrounding the south, east and west of the building). But the roof style, colours, shapes etc can be quite conventional looking. As for the internal finishes you can have very slick white walls if you want or you can have wobbly, earth renders (or slick earth renders). It’s up to you how you want your Earthship to look.
Q: How do I find out about Earthship projects as I'm interested in learning more and perhaps also doing a workshop.
A: please subscribe to the Earthship Eco Homes newsletter here: Contact
Also join the various Facebook groups such as Earthship Down Under and Earthship Australia
There is also the Earthship Australia website - consider becoming a member.
Q: Can I stay in an Earthship and see what it's like?
A: Yes! Come an stay in Earthship Ironbank and try it out. All the info is on the AirBnB website. All bookings are done through AirBnB.
CONCLUSION
Yes, it is possible to build an Earthship in Australia for a similar price to an equivalent home but with far less ongoing running costs and with far less environmental impact. It is early days for Earthships in Australia but there are already numerous examples of council/shire approved Earthships in Australia. What are you waiting for?
Martin Freney
CEO and Founder of Earthship Eco Homes
updated October 2021