Plans

Earthship Eco Homes has a range of designs that can be evolved to suit your needs, or a completely new design can be created for you.

All the designs use the six Earthship Design Principles developed by Michael Reynolds (earthship inventor/architect from the USA). The designs have been developed to ensure they address Australian building codes, standards, climate, termites, bushfires, energy efficiency, etc.

Earthship Design Principles

Natural and recycled construction materials are used as much as practical
Natural heating and cooling - minimal (or zero) heating and cooling required - these homes have comfortable indoor temperature naturally
Renewable energy - because these homes need only minimal heating/cooling the off-grid energy system is small in comparison to a regular home.
Renewable water - collecting, storing, filtering and pressurising rain water
On-site wastewater recycling and treatment - the indoor greywater wicking bed gardens are where wastewater is transformed into... bananas (and other delicious fruit). A septic tank and leach field deals upcycles blackwater from the toilet and kitchen sink for irrigation of gardens.
Food production occurs in the sunroom... everytime you take a shower, your wastewater flows into the indoor garden to irrigate food and flowers.

Earthship Eco Homes has designs suited to:

small suburban blocks of land
larger, rural blocks of land
bushfire prone land
sites with views to the south, east or west (note: in Australia, Earthships must face roughly north)

Earthship Eco Homes has developed a range of wall construction options.

Wall construction materials can be changed to your taste. Some people are concerned about the use of tyres in Earthship walls and would prefer something different. We are sure that tyres are a safe, ecological and economical construction material, but acknowledge that other options have their own advantages in certain situations, hence we have developed a range of options for the main (retaining) wall that is fundamental to Earthship design.

External (retaining) wall options:

Tyres (filled with compacted earth and rendered so you can't see the tyres)
Rammed Earth
Super adobe (sandbags)
Concrete block (with render to hide the blocks)
Pre-fabricated concrete panels (lifted into place with a crane)

Internal wall construction options:

"Can walls" (aluminium cans in cement or earth mortar)
"Bottle walls" (glass bottle bricks in cement or earth mortar)
Strawbale
Straw panel e.g. Durra Panel
Mud brick
Rammed earth
Compressed earth blocks
Cob
Light earth
Hempcrete
Super adobe (sandbags)
Timber framed with plasterboard (Gyprock)
Brick

Standard Designs

The Standard Designs have evolved from the first projects in Australia.
Indicative areas, timings and costs are provided below.
Please understand that every site and every project has different factors affecting the time, cost etc however these figures will give you an idea of what to expect.
Construction cost quoted is for an owner-builder and construction workshops. If you don't want to be an owner builder, add 25-30% for the licensed builder's margin.

EarthBnB

EarthBnB is a tiny home for 1 or 2 people, or as tourist accommodation. It is optimised for bushfire resilience, and fast construction.

Floor area: 40-50m2 (variations of the standard floor plan are available)
Area required for building: 25m (east west dimension) x 20m (north south dimension)
Approval time: 9 months
Construction time: 3 months
Owner built Construction cost approx: $250K

Zero

Earthship Zero is designed for ultimate performance. Based on some of Michael Reynolds' most efficient designs, this Australian version has been prototyped at Earthship East Augusta with amazing results - super stable indoor temperatures with zero heating and cooling energy required! Outdoor entertaining areas are included in the design or can be left out to save money/space etc. Also refer to the Mollongghip VIC project to see a 2 bedroom Zero under construction by owner-builders.

Floor area: 125m2 (1 bed, 1 bath) 150m2 (2 bed, 2 bath) (variations of the standard floor plan are available)
Area required for building: 35m (1 bed), 40m (2 bed) (east west dimension) x 20m (north south dimension)
Approval time: 9 months
Construction time: 3 months
Owner built Construction cost approx: $300 (1 bed) -400K (2 bed)

Bushfire Family

The Bushfire Family design was developed to be highly resilient and highly defendable against bushfires. It is earth-sheltered and earth-covered which means earth is mounded against the walls and there is a thick layer of earth over the roof. It is essentially an underground house. It also has bushfire shutters on all the windows and doors and a sprinkler system that creates a mist of water around the building to keep it cool and protected during a bushfire.

Floor area: 200-250m2 (variations of the standard floor plan are available)
Area required for building: 40m-45m (east west dimension) x 20m (north south dimension)
Approval time: 9 months
Construction time: 12 months
Construction cost approx: $900K

Suburban

The Suburban Earthship is designed to fit on a 30m x 30m (900m2) block of land. It has strawbale walls at the east and west ends of the building plus the typical Earthship tyre wall to the south, greenhouse to the north.

Floor area: 130m2
Area required for building: 25m (east west dimension) x 20m (north south dimension)
Approval time: 9 months
Construction time: 6 months
Owner built Construction cost approx: $350K

Suburban MB

The Suburban MB (mini berm)
This Earthship is designed to fit on a north facing suburban block of land. A smaller than usual earth berm (earth mound) enables small south facing windows to admit extra light and cross ventilation - recommended for sub-tropical climates.

Floor area: 117m2
Area required for building: 25m (east west dimension) x 15m (north south dimension)
Approval time: 9 months
Construction time: 12 months
Owner built Construction cost approx: $450K

Vista

Earthship Vista is designed to provide views to the south, east and west via a strawbale "wing" which enables windows to be positioned to get the views. Strawbale walls provide excellent insulation, are ecological and economical, and (surprisingly) bushfire resilient.

Floor area: 187m2
Area required for building: 42m (east west dimension) x 25m (north south dimension)
Approval time: 9 months
Construction time: 12 months
Owner built Construction cost approx: $650K

TropoMod

TropoMod is designed for the hot and humid tropics of far North Queensland. It is a modular design that is very easy to replicate and link together to form a larger home or eco-tourism, bnb type situation. For more info click HERE

StrawShip

The StrawShip is an Earthship but without the typical earthmounded tyre retaining walls. Strawbale walls provide excellent insulation, are ecological and economical, and are bushfire resilient as demonstrated by CSIRO testing.

The Earthship Eco Homes Design & Approval Process

Stage 0 - Design Questionnaire

The Design Questionnaire is designed to get you thinking about what type of design is appropriate for you and your land and to explain some of the options for the off-grid systems, roof tyre etc. It also captures some key info for to smooth out the design and approval process - your contact details, address of your site etc. Click the button below to start the Design Questionnaire. DO THIS FIRST!

Design Questionnaire

Stage 1 - Feasibility Study Report

Goal: Determine if your desired Earthship can be designed and built on your land within your budget.

Online Meeting: Discuss answers to the Design Questionnaire to refine the Design Brief (see page 8). Review site information (maps, drawings, etc.) for advantages and disadvantages.
Feasibility Report: A PDF report will be emailed to you, assessing project viability in terms of site, budget, and design preferences (draft Design Brief).

Stage 2 - Site Visit

Goal: Understand you and your site better, finalize the Design Brief for an efficient Concept Design stage.

On-Site Meeting: Martin will discuss building orientation, location options, and assess site issues (bushfire risk, vehicle access, micro-climate, topography, solar access, wastewater disposal).
Alternative to Site Visit: Detailed site information from you and your contractors/consultants (videos, photos, maps, reports, drawings) can be used, though an on-site visit is recommended.
Finalize Design Brief: Including design features, constraints, budget, room types and number, occupants, timeframe, preferred materials, building style, and site location.

Stage 3 - Concept Design

Goal: Explore ideas addressing the Design Brief, providing options for your Earthship.

Design Exploration: Floor plan, roof design, room size and arrangement, building orientation and location.
Review Meetings: PDF plans sent for review before online meetings to discuss and improve the concept. Meeting Notes document design changes.
Concept Development: Three rounds of concept generation and review are included, the third (final) concept guiding Stage 4. Additional concepts beyond three incur an hourly charge.
Plan Details: Each set includes site plan, floor plan (with area), elevations, sections, and 3D views.

Stage 4 - Development Approval / Planning Approval

Goal: Develop architectural plans for Council submission for Development or Planning Approval.

Consultant Coordination: Liaise with wastewater engineers, bushfire assessors, and others for necessary reports.
Plan Refinement: Final Concept refined in consultation with you for required architectural drawings (site plan, floor plan, roof plan, elevations, exterior finishes).
Material Details: Specific materials and construction methods are not required at this stage.
Consultant Quotes: Earthship Eco Homes coordinates quotes; you are invoiced directly by consultants (site surveyor, soil bore log contractor, civil engineer, bushfire consultant, ecologist).
Significant Changes: Client-requested changes beyond agreed concepts incur additional hourly fees.

Stage 5 - Building Rules / Construction Certificate

Goal: Develop plans and specifications for building certification, Council approval, and construction.

Construction Details: Added to previous architectural drawings, developed with a structural engineer to ensure National Construction Code (NCC) compliance.
Performance Solution Report: If required by certifier/surveyor, incurs additional consultant costs.
Consultant Coordination: Quotes for authorization; direct invoicing by consultants (structural engineer, energy assessor, private building certifier/surveyor, performance solution consultants).
Significant Changes: Client-requested changes beyond agreed concepts incur additional hourly fees.

Stage 6 - Construction Drawings (optional)

Goal: Provide additional information to the builder if required.

Additional Drawings: Supplement Stage 5 approval drawings with more construction details, as requested, in PDF format.
Recommendation: Optional but highly recommended for clarity during construction and quoting.

Stage 7 - Construction Consultant (optional)

Goal: Provide project management, advice, and support during construction.

Services: Consult with builder, trades, engineer, conduct site inspections, update drawings as required.
Recommendation: Optional but highly recommended for smoother project execution.

Stage 8 - Construction Workshops (optional)

Goal: Turn your project into an educational event to teach sustainable design and construction to volunteers.

Workshop Management: Organized by Earthship Eco Homes, including advertising and orchestrating the event with the owner-builder or licensed builder.
Labor Solution: Students help with labour-intensive tasks (tyre walls, earth renders, bottle bricks).
Cost Offset: Student fees cover workshop costs (food, catering, camping infrastructure).
Outcome: Win-win for you and the students, providing valuable learning and support.
Recommendation: Optional but highly recommended for cost efficiency and educational value.