earthship biotecture independent off grid architecture 6pages

7/27/2019 Earthship Biotecture Independent Off Grid Architecture 6pages

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Earthship Biotecture: Independent, Off-Grid Architecture

By Charlotte Simmons B.Arch

I spent the past three years studying architecture at the Glasgow School of Art. As I progresthrough the course I developed a personal direction that focused solely on environmedesign, as well as a desire to educate people about lifestyles which care for the earth.

The brief for our final project was to design an off-grid, completely self-sustainable retreatmusicians in Scotland, which I found to be a very rewarding assignment. During the coursemy research I came across Earthships and was impressed by the philosophies behind them their integration with the earths cycles.

Initially I was mainly interested in the systems used within Earthships, such as draingreywater from showers and sinks into planters to grow food; but after further research an

visit to the Earthship in Fife I became convinced by the integrity of the buildings as a whole.

For my degree show I took this conviction further anddesigned a double storey Earthship which I worked onwith an engineer for an Interact project. I wassubsequently accepted onto an internship course withEarthship Biotecture in Taos, New Mexico where I helpedthe crew to build for a month. At weekends we alsohelped friends with their own Earthship projects, such asan indoor planter and a chicken coop.

Since coming back from Taos, I have been thinking ofways to incorporate Earthships concepts into my life inGlasgow.

As a first step, my flatmates and I have bought a propagand some plant pots and are growing herbs, lettuces beans on our window sills. We also have a more long tproject to convert our shed into a greenhouse so we can gall year round. Last week we went to the Glasgow WRecycling Center to see their greenhouse made from plabottles. Our aim is to finish the build before the spring, socan begin to grow as soon as possible.

I realise that it is only by example that we can makedifference; by taking a step and doing it yourself. Thhopefully, others will follow.

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Figure 1: Fife Earthship, Scotland

Earthships are passive solar homthat set a standard for sustainaarchitecture. They minimize relianon public utilities and fossil fuels they require no heating or coolithey produce all their own powthey have a plumbing system whallows them to re-use rainwater fotimes and they are built from forfive percent recycled materials.

Earthships are in use in countrworldwide. Currently there are tcompleted Earthships in the UK, oin Fife (Figure 1), and the otherBrighton, however there are mamore in stages of planning aconstruction. Some of these plainclude Earthship communities.


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Mike Reynolds, the architect and founder ofarthship Biotecture, is profoundly concerned byow many buildings depend on centralisedystems for heat, light, water and sewage. He

warns that as our population grows the stress on

hese systems is dramatically increased.Reynolds recognises the need to respond tonergy, food and water shortages with a newpproach to architecture. He designs (and builds)uildings that integrate themselves with the earth

nstead of continually taking from it:

The Earthship has been designed to reduce ourmpact on the planet and increase our connectiono it.

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n September of this year I spent a month in Taosn an internship with Earthship Biotecture. I

tayed in a community called REACH, which wasuilt to push the limits of Earthship design (Figure). Nine homes here are built at an altitude of,500 feet on the side of a steep mountain andave existed for twenty years without powernes, wells or sewers.

www.earthship.net

Figure 2: Earthships at REACH, New Mexico

Thermal/Solar Heating and Cooling

Earthships were first developed in Taos, New Mexico. At an altitud7,000 feet, and with temperatures ranging between 37C and -30C, tbuildings maintain a constant indoor temperature between 18C and with no back-up heating or cooling. This is achieved by using large amoof thermal mass to naturally regulate indoor temperatures. Earthshipscomposed of a series of U-shaped modules which have high thermal mand admit the sun on the south face as required.

The angle of the glazing on the south face is perpendicular to the angthe winter solstice sun so that maximum solar gain and minimum reflection can occur during the coldest months. When the low sun enterbuilding it warms the massive walls. The walls store this heat untisurrounding air temperature drops, then slowly release it. Overheatisummer is prevented as the sun is higher in the sky and is reflected ofangled glass. It also cannot penetrate as far into the building (Figure 3).

An Earthship is defined by six principleswhich are based on thirty five years ofexperimental building techniques:

Thermal/solar heating and cooling Building with natural and recycled

materials Water harvesting Contained sewage treatment Solar and wind electricity Food production

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Figure 3: The angle of the glass on the south face depends on the latitude of the site

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Due to the Scottish climate, the Fife Earthship has a thermal wrap and a water barrier which encase earth beits thick walls (Figure 4). Because this earth is dry, insuland massive it has the same properties as the wall,creates a large heat store for the building. This meanseach wall has more than a meter of thermal mass. method is also used in the Earthship in Wishaw, Scotland

In addition to high thermal mass, many Earthships are ebermed on three sides (Figure 5). This increases the themass and, if the building is buried deep enough, allowsstructure to be in contact with the earths stable tempera(about 12C). Earth tubes can also been buried in the beprovide fresh air at a comfortable temperature.

Build ing wi th Natural and Recycled Materials

Earthships are built from earth-rammed tyres which are olike bricks to form walls (Figure 6). Earthships have beenfrom tyres for over twenty five years for the following reas

They are found in abundance all over the planet (Thburns approximately 40 million tires each year).

They do not need to be manufactured into new fbefore use.

They have a high thermal mass as each tyre hbetween three and four wheelbarrows of earth.

They are durable as, once buried and plastered, thesupply is cut off so they do not rot or burn.

They do not require a skilled labour force as they

easy to fill with earth. They are slightly flexible, so they move with the

instead of resisting it.

Tyre walls are nearly three feet thick, which is wider thanrequirement for conventional footings, so they can be buistraight onto the ground. This means that thermal mass,structural bearing and foundations are achieved in onemonolithic wall (Figure 6). The roof of an Earthship is heainsulated for added energy efficiency.

Tom Griepentrog, P.E.), the engineer for Dennis WeaEarthship in Colorado, USA said in my opinion . .

construction method is equivalent to or better thangeneral quality, strength, effectiveness, fire resistadurability and safety that is required by the [AmerUniform Building Code.

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Cans and bottles are also used as building bricks as often require large amounts of energy to recycle. They camade into walls using cement to bond them, or to cdecorative details.

2) Reynolds, Michael; Comfort in any Climate; (New Mexico, 2pg 50

gure 4: Earthship in Fife, Scotland has an increased thermalmass to stabilise its temperature in the cold climate.

igure 5: The Sutton Earthship, Taos, NM is earth-bermed onthree sides and has earth tubes running through its berm.

Figure 6: Earthship in Wishaw, Scotland. The tyre walls tooktwo weeks to complete.


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Figure 8: Diagram of greywater recycling system

Water Harvesting

Why pipe water long distances . . . [using] signifelectrical power . . . when water falls from the sky?

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Earthships are designed to catch and use water fromsky without pumping it from centralised sources. Theof an Earthship is often corrugated metal with a propfinish, so clean water can be collected from its surThe water is channelled through a silt-catch and incistern. The cisterns are located so they can gravitya Water Organization Module (W.O.M.), that filterswater to different grades, including drinking water. Wis then pumped into a conventional pressure tancreate regular water pressure. Solar hot water heprovide hot water, or are used as a backup to andemand gas boiler.

Contained Sewage Treatment

Earthships have an ecological, self-contained wrecycling system which divides black and grey waterdeals with them separately.

Greywater from the shower and bathroom sink is filtthrough a grease trap, and then drained into an intrubber-lined botanical cell, called a greywater plantethis planter the water is cleaned naturally by the roots and a peatmoss filter and then collected in a bed at the end of the cell. When the toilet is flushe

pump sucks water from the end of the planter strback into the toilet (Figures 8-10). Edible plants canbe grown in the greywater planters.

Black water from the toilet and water from the kitsink (which contains food debris) run directly inconventional septic tank where solids sink. This tankan overflow into a rubber-lined black water treatmenwhich is filled with gravel, sand, soil and robust planTaos desert climate the black water cells create fertile soil that vegetation is growing outside peohomes, in an otherwise very arid environment devomuch plant life. This is an example of going be

sustainable, to restorative, design.

Worldwide, aquifiers are emptying at an alarming and it rains all the time in the UK, yet it is not compractice to collect water from roofs. In the Taos dehowever, Reynolds has managed to design a rainwcatchment system that provides enough watereveryday use as well as for a whole jungle of plants Food Production). There is a lot to be learned solutions.

3) www.earthship.net

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Figure 9: Sectionthrough an interior

greywater cell

Figure 10: A greywaterplanter in Taos, NM.The large trees arebanana trees whichhave fruit on them.


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Solar and Wind Electricity

arthships produce all their own power usinghotovoltaic panels and wind turbines. Earthships

enerate DC energy which is stored in batteries. Theower Organizing Module (P.O.M.) inverts DC energytored in the batteries so AC appliances can be used.

Most of the key electrical items in the home (such as thewater pumps and fridge) are DC, so if the inverter has amalfunction, the running of the building will not beffected.

arthships must provide their own power so they arendependent of centralised power systems as the everncreasing webs of wires and pipes, both above andelow ground, are dangerous, unhealthy, ugly andxpensive.

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) Reynolds, Michael; Comfort in any Climate; (New Mexico,000); pg 5

Figure 7: Diagram of rainwater harvesting

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Food Production

space for growing food is an integral part of thesign of an Earthship. This is to reduce the need for

vast amounts of oil and packaging used to deliverd protect supermarket food. The plants are wateredthe greywater treatment system (as they are grownhe greywater planters), so can grow all year round.

hen soaps are diluted and added to the plant water,y make the plants stronger and more resistant to

sts. Bananas, grapes and avocadoes are goodds to start off in the planters as they are strongnts. Once these robust plants are happy in thenter, more fragile plants can be introduced, suchlettuces.

e Phoenix Earthship, Taos, has a greenhouse withds and tree frogs living in it and is split into different

mperature zones so that a variety of fruits andgetables can be grown within it. It grows all its ownd including mangoes, artichokes and bananas and

s a pond with edible fish in it (Figure 11, below -e living room in the Phoenix Earthship, Taos, Newxico).

Figure 12: Earthship in Wishaw, ScotlandThe Earthship in Wishaw went underconstruction earlier this year (2

Figure 13: Section through the Earthship in Wishaw, Scotland

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earthship biotecture independent off grid architecture 6pages

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