So you want an Earthship...
Earthship Ironbank (designed by Martin Freney of Earthship Eco Homes) has demonstrated that tyre walls (without footings!) are compliant with the National Construction Code (NCC).
The indoor Earthship greywater system which includes toilet flushing with greywater is not permissible in it's current format but there is a workable solution that enables you to recycle your wastewater right now. You can have the beautiful indoor planter irrigated with rainwater and with a little extra plumbing you can easily convert to greywater irrigation. And of course you can still use wastewater from your septic tank for outdoor irrigation.
There is no law against solar power and batteries.
And there is no law against collecting rain water (not in Australia anyway).
Therefore, we can build Earthships in Australia!
Your first step should be emailing me with some thoughts on the following issues;
1) find land: ideally north facing slope or flat block of land (minimal slope), without electricity, water or sewer (this will make the land cheaper). The earthberm (backfill behind the tyre retaining wall) may not be permitted in suburbia for a variety of reasons, but if you have a large block of land then there should be no reason for Council to decline your Earthship proposal. Just ask your friendly Council Planning Officer if you can build an "energy and water efficient, off-grid, earth-sheltered sustainable home" and I'm sure the answer will be yes. A minimum recommended block size for a typical Earthship is approx 20m north/south by 50m east/west = 1000m2. Actually you can do it in half this size with some design modifications... Earthship Eco Homes has a Suburban Earthship design available now!
2) raise funds: you need to budget about $1500-$2500 per square metre to construct your Earthship - it depends on your resourcefulness with salvaging materials and how much labour you put in yourself. Hence a 150m2 three bedroom home 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 much less.
3) you need permission: this is where Earthship Eco Homes comes in, creating the plans you will need for approval - the plans are guaranteed to comply with Australian codes and standards. Or, if you buy plans from Earthship Biotecture then Earthship Eco Homes can assist with supplementary information that addresses Australian codes and standards.
The indoor Earthship greywater system which includes toilet flushing with greywater is not permissible in it's current format but there is a workable solution that enables you to recycle your wastewater right now. You can have the beautiful indoor planter irrigated with rainwater and with a little extra plumbing you can easily convert to greywater irrigation. And of course you can still use wastewater from your septic tank for outdoor irrigation.
There is no law against solar power and batteries.
And there is no law against collecting rain water (not in Australia anyway).
Therefore, we can build Earthships in Australia!
Your first step should be emailing me with some thoughts on the following issues;
1) find land: ideally north facing slope or flat block of land (minimal slope), without electricity, water or sewer (this will make the land cheaper). The earthberm (backfill behind the tyre retaining wall) may not be permitted in suburbia for a variety of reasons, but if you have a large block of land then there should be no reason for Council to decline your Earthship proposal. Just ask your friendly Council Planning Officer if you can build an "energy and water efficient, off-grid, earth-sheltered sustainable home" and I'm sure the answer will be yes. A minimum recommended block size for a typical Earthship is approx 20m north/south by 50m east/west = 1000m2. Actually you can do it in half this size with some design modifications... Earthship Eco Homes has a Suburban Earthship design available now!
2) raise funds: you need to budget about $1500-$2500 per square metre to construct your Earthship - it depends on your resourcefulness with salvaging materials and how much labour you put in yourself. Hence a 150m2 three bedroom home 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 much less.
3) you need permission: this is where Earthship Eco Homes comes in, creating the plans you will need for approval - the plans are guaranteed to comply with Australian codes and standards. Or, if you buy plans from Earthship Biotecture then Earthship Eco Homes can assist with supplementary information that addresses Australian codes and standards.
How to build an Earthship...
You can use a combination of these methods:
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. 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). With the exception of the tyre walls the construction techniques are very typical and will be familiar to your builder.
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.
Earthship Biotecture can run an "Academy" (educational event) in which the labour to build your Earthship comes for free - but there are some expenses in terms of running the Academy. An Academy tends to save time not money. You'll get your Earthship built quickly and get lots of (social) media attention.
Run your own "workshop" - invite friends, family and everyone(!) to come help build your ship - that's how Earthship Ironbank was built! 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!
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. 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). With the exception of the tyre walls the construction techniques are very typical and will be familiar to your builder.
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.
Earthship Biotecture can run an "Academy" (educational event) in which the labour to build your Earthship comes for free - but there are some expenses in terms of running the Academy. An Academy tends to save time not money. You'll get your Earthship built quickly and get lots of (social) media attention.
Run your own "workshop" - invite friends, family and everyone(!) to come help build your ship - that's how Earthship Ironbank was built! 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!
If you want plans...
Consider if you want to get plans from Earthship Eco Homes, Earthship Biotecture (the American company that founded Earthships) or another designer/architect. Either way, please get in touch with me as I am happy to chat with you about your project.
My process is in five stages:
I work with a team of professional designers, engineers and energy assessors who, together, can ensure a successful project.
My process is in five stages:
- 1. Initial Consultation
- 2. Site Visit
- 3. Concept Design
- 4. Planning Approval Drawings
- 5. Building Approval Drawings
I work with a team of professional designers, engineers and energy assessors who, together, can ensure a successful project.
More Information...
Please visit my Q&A page - this provides more information about many of the topics discussed on this page.