Terram Amoenam House
Walls can be built with water bottles (no deposit here in Michigan), however, I think internal walls will be traditional drywall and external front walls will be brick. Rear walls will still be earth rammed tires.
Also see
Questions
These are the big questions, when these are answered, I will be ready to buy land and start building.
- How far apart are the trusses spaced? On one set of plans, what seems to be trusses are place 2' apart.
- Where to get tires
- How is the chimney installed
- How tall is a filled tire, or more directly, how many layers will we need total and how many in front?
References
- http://www.earthpower1.com/
- Detailed build log from a young couple who built their own earthship
- http://oscarlisabuild.blogspot.com/
- Haven't gone through this one yet, but it seems reasonably detailed
- http://www.treehugger.com/files/2010/12/how-to-build-an-earthship.php
- Good slide show, and they're build a GME. Also a good shot of the trusses and X supports.
- http://www.chromasomatic.com/blog/?p=197
- Logs 10 days of building a GME in Montana
- http://www.genrefluent.com/earthshi.htm
- Another build log, GME and vertical face. This is extremely close to what I want to build.
- http://www.youtube.com/user/offthegridbuild#g/u
- Youtube channel going in some good detail about a GME build.
- http://www.offthegridbuild.com/
- Very detail GM build, including a lot of prices
- http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=N2so9hyNWxc#!
- GME build animation
Development stages
Earlier: Research and Plan
- 2012 - Finalize plans, look into legal issues, put together a budget. Build prototypes.
- 2013 - Go to an earthship internship. Get land, get legal clearance, find a tire source, possibly sell house if we don't have enough money to just build the Earthship (otherwise, stay in the house until the Earthship is done).
- 2014 - Build and move in. The tire walls will start going up in late spring, that will hopefully only take a few months. The exterior will then be built and we can move in.
- Beyond: Finish inside of house.
Financing
I'm now putting 25% of my paycheck aside for this project. I can invest in CD's at a rate of 1.9% for 3 years ($1058), 1.6% for 2 years ($1032) and 1.2 for 1 year (1,012). At my current income this gives me an estimated 23,346 which will mature in February 2014.
Concerns
Build with 4 U shapes each being 18x26. - Note that the Global model does not use U’s, I’m not sure how this works structurally, but it may significantly change how the layout works.
- apx. 49 tires per layer
- 9 layers tall
- Tires are about 2 ft 8 in wide
- Windows are generally 46x90.
Make sure to put insulation under the home - non-Southwest climates can incur serious heat-loss through the ground.
Design Features
Solar cooker built into kitchen. I've seen a design that is built into the kitchen and has a door to take food out/put food in. This would be really cool.
Radiant Temperature control: I want to put in a rocket stove type device that pulls air from the outside. The tube coming in will be run underground so that in the winter, the air will be warmed a bit before hitting the fire, but more importantly, in summer, the air will be cooled. The top of the chimney will be black to heat the air inside, causing an updraft. This should keep the large metal stove cool, radiating cool air in the summer. Alternately, I may just use hot water radiators if I go with a large, central hot-water tank.
Major Costs
- Roof ($5,000)
- Decking
- plastic
- metal roof
- Trusses (33x$100 = $3300)
- Aluminum flashing
- Flooring [1000]*
- Concrete [1000]
- Clothes washer^
- Wood [2000]
- Dryer^
- Refrigeration unit [600]
- Dish Washer^
- Solar Energy System
- panels 1kw ($2,000)
- batteries [2000]
- inverter [1000]
- Electrical wiring [500]
- cisterns [2000] : May not be needed, go with indoor pool
- Sinks [1000]
- 2 Bathroom
- 1 Kitchen
- 1 laundry tub
- wood stove [1000]
- cabinetry [500]
- plumbing
- Pipes [500]
- pressurized water tank (400)^
- gray water parts ???
- water organization module "$3100"
- Hot-water-at-source "$600" $200 per unit on Amazon, 2 bath, 1 kitchen.
- Toilets "$5,000" - http://www.envirolet.com/enlowwatrems1.html
- Windows [$6000]
- Land ($15,000, ^$20,000)
- Flashing
Key
- [just a guess]
- (some research)
- "known price"
- ^not needed initially
These costs are still not solid, but I'm guessing our "move in" cost is going to be around $75,000. We currently have $17,000 set aside specifically for the Earthship and another $8,000 that I've set aside for a car that can be used putting us around $24,000. In addition, we have $11,000 in the joint account (our "6 month buffer") that we can use with caution. Our monthly cost will go up initially (mortgage on the Earthship land) but way down after we sell the house.
Energy Consideration
Electrical needs
- Lights
- refrigerator
- water pump
- washer/dryer
- computers/tv
It will be cheaper and more effective to start with natural gas (big white tank) and slowly wean off it. The cost is pretty low.
One of the design pieces I would like to incorporate is a multi-function stove. Looking at the Fachongle furnace in ESS Feb 2005 I would like to base it off that design with a few modifications. The Fachongle furnace has an area to burn wood, then the hot air is directed around a brick box that can be used as an oven, above that is a smoke box, then out the flue. My modification is to add a door and an air inlet. The air inlet with run under the house from outside. This will supply the fire with air that is slightly pre-heated but not taken from the house. Also, in the summer, the fireplace can function as a solar chimney (by extending the flue several feet above the house and painting it black). All told, this design should provide heating in the winter, cooling in the summer, a brick oven, a fireplace and a smoking box.Solar Water Heater
The design I like best is a drain back solar water heater driven by a dedicated solar panel. When the sun is shining, the solar panel drives a pump to move water through the system. When the sun stops shining, the pump stops running and the water drains out of the solar water panels. This is important because if it is cold, the water could freeze, bursting the pipes. By simply allowing the water to drain - the system operates more efficiently. I considered not using a heat exchanger, but on second thought, it may necessary. Distilled water will leave nothing behind and allow no bacterial growth. Drinking water, even fairly pure, may leave sediment or allow bacterial growth.
good article: http://www.builditsolar.com/Experimental/PEXColDHW/Overview.htmShoe Bench
It is important to remember that we will need power during building.
Indoor Plants
These plants help clean the air
- areca palm
- mother in laws tongue
- money plant
Design and Aesthetic
A bench by the front door to remove shoes with a large, flat pull out drawer at the bottom to place shoes in.
Future Plans
General Notes
Look into "Permaculture". May be able to do the 'bottle' walls out of cob or compressed earth bricks instead. Having deciduous trees in front of the house may actually help - they will keep the sun out in the summer, but let light in during the winter.
For the foundation, I would really prefer to avoid concrete. Perhaps I can do "soil concrete" or a simple rock foundation. Perhaps a cob floor would be cheaper than flagstone and may be a great temporary option.
I may be able to get FREE help if I get a little buzz going on around the project. I may be able to get help from people who are interested. Justine also suggested looking for grants.
These guys are doing some interesting work (http://opensourceecology.org/wiki) trying to document and build the core tools necessary for modern civilization.