Die Forschung, bis das Erdschiff kam -- Die Effizienz eines Erdschiffs: kaum Unterhalt -- Holzbalken gibt es nicht überall -- Holzbalkendach in kalten Zonen - Kuppeldach in tropischen Zonen -- Preisfrage: Es fehlten günstige Erdschiffe -- Entwicklung 1: Das Grubenhaus (pit house) -- Entwicklung 2: Das Erdschiff (earthship) -- 6 Punkte für ein globales Haus: Abfall - Strom - Heizung - Kühlung - Wasser - Lebensmittel -- Erdhaus bauen: Eine Variation kommt viel teurer -- Erdschiffe mit Erdkante an der Rückwand -- Halbe Reifen gibt es nicht überall -- Das oberirdische Erdschiff in Illinois -- Ein Welthaus wie ein Ford Modell A -- Die Modul-Erdschiffe - ausbaubar je nach Belieben -- Das nachhaltig funktionierende Erdschiff-Haus zu einem günstigen Preis -- Das geistige Entwicklung mit dem kombinatorischen Wissen für das Erdschiff: Architektur, Elektronik, Wassersysteme, Abwassersysteme, Biologie etc.  -- Winddynamische Forschungen bewirkten: Keine Grubenhäuser mehr -- Die Bezeichnung Modul-Erdschiff mit U (kalte Zonen) oder O (tropische Zonen) -- Erdschiffe mit vielen Hütten-Rundzimmern eingebaut - drei Os - und da kam die Idee vom Systemmodul -- Die Kopplung der Zisterne mit dem Systemmodul - eigener Strom, eigenes Wasser -- Die Systemeinheit ist das Zentrum - dann wird das Erdschiff-Haus darum herumgebaut -- Die Erdschiff-Hüttenform: Das Pionier-Erdhaus in Honduras nach Hurricane Mitch [November 1998] -- Die Erdschiff-Hüttenform mit Treibhaus und Prisma-Dach mit Oberlicht -- Immer mehr Entwicklungen bezüglich Treibhaus und Abwassersystemen -- Die Entwicklung aller Komponenten gleichzeitig war ganz schön komplex -- Erdschiff-Hüttenmodelle und U-Modelle -- Erdschiff-Hüttenkonstruktion kühler - U-Modelle sehr warm -- Erdbebensicherheit: Die Hüttenkonstruktion ist erdbebensicher mit Sicherungsring und mit Beton ausgeschalter Türe - Beispiel Belgien -- Erdschiff-Hüttenkonstruktion mit Treibhaus im heissen Klima - senkrechte Fensterfront reicht aus -- Das rechteckige Paket-Erdschiff (package earthship) -- Das Wassersammelsystem mit Metalldach: Perfektes Tauwasser am Morgen -- Das Modell-Erdschiff "Nest" - wird zum "Paket" ausgebaut -- Das Erdschiff "Nest" mit vorfabrizierten Elementen: Fensternischen, Dachstuhl kann man wie Lego zusammenstecken etc. -- Die Klage wegen 16 Grad im "Nest" - der Ansporn zu weiteren Entwicklungen -- Die geistige Entwicklung beim Erdschiff-Bau: Kombination von Wissen über Wasser, Heizung, Kühlung, Biologie, Physik, Grauwasser etc.  -- Ein frühes "Nest"-Modell mit verstreuten Elementen auf dem Dach - heute ist alles im Service-Modul zusammengefasst -- Das Fertighaus "Paket-Erdschiff" (package earthship) - mit oder ohne Erdkante -- Handbuch von Michael Reynolds: Der Bau eines Erdhauses (How to Build a Global Model Earthship) -- Erdschiffe in allen Klimazonen - und sie funktionieren gut - nun immer bei 70º Fahrenheit (21 Grad) -- Der Winkel der Fensterfront: Zuerst ohne Treibhaus senkrecht, dann mit Treibhaus 60º -- Eingangstüren kann man versetzen -- Fotos von Innenräumen von Erdschiffen -- Aufgeteilte, gestaffelte Erdschiffe -- Kalifornien: Die Regierung von Ventura County verbietet Autoreifen und verlangt eine Heizung (!) -- Erdbebensicheres Erdschiff in Kalifornien: Mauern aus mit Erde gefüllte Reifen halten Erdbeben besser stand als Beton

---

The lecture of Michael Reynolds (upload on March 30, 2013)

Video: Mike Reynolds. Types of earthships. (1) (1h0'0'')

Video: Mike Reynolds. Types of earthships. (1) (1h0'0'')
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vh4ppxZHC_U  - YouTube-Kanal: Luciano López Guzmán (30.3.2013)

The video protocoll:

The research until the earthship came

So, the earthship is the end point of a long development with experiments on how to build self-sufficient houses, so we also built pit houses, etc., we built in the "USA", in New Zealand, in Sweden, we had seminars in LA etc. but the earthship is the best house that exists (3'20 '').

Efficiency of an earthship: hardly any costs with it

This earthship really gets rid of all the worries, it's "trouble-free" (3'42 ''), it's super-economical, just as we've implemented other survival strategies (3'47 ''), and construction is easy , unlike other types of houses, where something always breaks, this and that (4'6 ''). Also, the upkeep is easy, so even the Phoenix House needs to be maintained so the Phoenix House is entertaining but costs maintenance (4'16 ''). So with the earthship, there is hardly any maintenance, you can sit down and everything goes by itself (4'20 '').

Wooden beams are not available everywhere

Materials: It is said that logs are everywhere, but this not true. So wooden beams are always available in the "USA", in Canada and in Europe, but there are areas where there is none, and then one has to find substitute materials (6'5 '').

In tropical areas, for example, wood is not a good building material in extreme humidity, termite damage, rot, where you can not use wood (6'21 ''). The roof: So there is a lot of metal in the game, there are bends in the game, this is knowledge beyond the normal knowledge, the homeowner does not know as the people in Third World countries do not know about, not to mention the costs. So also there more cheap and simple solutions had to be found (7'26 '').

Wooden beam roof in cold zones - dome roof in tropical zones

So we wanted a roof that could be made all over the world, and so we came to a dome roof, thus dome-shaped rooms, without wooden beams and without metal plates etc. (7'54 ''). But it works just as well, because the mass in the ceiling is much, and the mass is built around a bit higher, so the dome model is a world model (8'13 ''). So you can build an earthship with a dome roof or with a wooden beam roof (8'19 ''). The dome roof is a bit easier to build than a roof with beams and metal plates (8'33 ''). In this way always a survival house is created (8'43 '').

Price question: There were no cheap earth ships

So far, the earthship is just as expensive as an other normal house, which many cannot afford, and our job is to find cheaper solutions so that more people can buy such houses on a credit basis (9'28 '').

Development 1: The pit house - is failing when the earth conditions are bad

The development started with a pit house, so you see, it's just a pit with a couple of tires at the top of the wall (10'36 ''). This was the forerunner of the earthships - the predecessor (10'40 ''), with a wooden beam roof, with polystyrene as insulation (11'9 ''), and this worked quite well, that was the beginning to incorporate tires in the house constructions (11'25 '').

  

The forerunner of the earthship was a pit house with a sunny window front - cross section

In the end, it was a pit house, so we built several pit houses (11'39 ''): pits were dug out, tire walls were installed all around the pit and was put a roof over it (11'57 ''). These pits are only possible where the conditions of the earth are favorable, and often the conditions are different (12'27 ''). When the earth conditions are unfavorable, the earth walls break up. In lime crust nothing breaks (12'36 ''). That's why pit houses did not become a worldwide model (12'38 ''). We learned a lot about the effect of the earth masses and so on (12'43 ''). I myself lived in a pit house and others were built (12'47 '').

Development 2: Earthship - is always possible, no matter how the ground is

With the earthship, the rear wall was lowered and armed with tires [with earth in them], and at some point the name "earthship" came up and we built more of them (14'40 ''). Sometimes the back wall was longer, sometimes shorter (14'48 ''). Well, the pit house was doing a good job, the pit house was warm (14'57 ''). But we wanted a house that could be built all over the world, a global house on the entire planet (15'7 ''), so like a Toyota Corolla or so (15'10 ''), you can drive that car adapting it to the conditions as a pickup or sports car (15'25 '').

  

Reynolds describes the compact earthship - cross section

6 points for a global house: waste - electricity - heating - cooling - water - food

So there should also be a global house possible which fulfills the 6 points I always mention for a house (15'48 ''): 1) waste - 2) electricity - 3) heating - 4) cooling - 5) water and sewage - 6) food (16'10 ''). With these criteria the world house (global house) was developed (16'23 ''). The sun comes in winter far into the building, in summer the sun is steep and stops at the glass facade (16'44 '').

Build an earthship: A variation is much more expensive

There is now a plan of an earthship with 3 rooms and a large room with open side wall, so the big room has cost as much as the other three smaller rooms together (17'19 ''). So we always recommend sticking to the world model, and when that's built one can still apply variations (17'45 '').

Earthships with earth edge (cliff) on the rear wall

The first earthships were the ones with earth edges (earth cliffs) on the back wall, the models with earth cliffs, so that's like a 3 foot (1m) wide deck level in the back wall (18'2 ''), and for reasons of global buildability we resigned to this cliff construction (18'14 '').

 

Halbe Reifen gibt es nicht überall

Da wurden zum Beispiel halbe Reifen verwendet, aber auch die gibt es nicht überall - also bei jedem Detail mussten wir überprüfen, ob es auch global überall auf der Welt verfügbar ist (18'51''). Also mussten wir ein Modell entwickeln, das nur mit ganze Reifen zustandekam, ohne Halbreifen zu verwenden (19'19''). Also an den Mauerenden verwendet man Zement oder Halbreifen (19'32''). Die ersten Modelle hatten Zimmer in U-Form (19'38''). Und wir beliessen die Erdwände zum Teil aus purer Erde und die Reifen "stiegen" so den Hang hinauf (20'13'').


Earth ship with earth cliff with tires filled with earth on it 01

Half tires do not exist everywhere

Another example are half tires we used, but they are not available everywhere - so we had to check every detail to see if it was globally available anywhere in the world (18'51 ''). So we had to develop a model that could only handle full tires without using half tires (19'19 ''). So on the ends of the walls one has to use cement or half tires (19'32 ''). The first models had U-shaped rooms (19'38 ''). And partly the walls were of pure earth and the tires were "going up" the slope (20'13 '').

  

Pioneer architect Michael Reynolds draws U-forms for earthships in cold zones

The aboveground earthship in Illinois

In Illinois, an earthship was built only above ground, because the ground was very humid and did not allow underground structures (20'25 ''). Dennis Weaver had an earth cliff in his giant eartship in Colorado (20'31 ''), and he had half-tires installed in his walls (20'36 '').

Earthship by actor Dennis Weaver in Colorado (1989) - his "Sunridge Ranch" ("Eco Ranch") [1]

A world house like a world car - like a Ford Model A

So we had to simplify the details, and find a model suitable for any surface (20'48 ''). In addition, the house should provide a pleasant life in any climate, whether hot or cold (20'56 ''). So we wanted to build a world house just as Henry Ford released his world car Ford Model A (21'39 ''). So we matched all the different attempts, also incuding the earth yacht of Weaver (22'48 ''). So one has to sink a house into a mountain slope, so here, for example, the mountain was made of granite, then the tires are installed in [and filled with earth layer by layer] (22'59 '').

So let's take a look at this house we're in [in Taos, New Mexico], that's about 15 years old or so, here's the edge of earth (earth cliff), and there's a crack in the back, but that's not a structural issue, and no other thing happened to the house in 15 years (26'10 '').

Pioneer architect Michael Reynolds with the photo of the earthship, where he gives the lecture - in Taos (New Mexico)

Modular earthships - expandable as required

Next photo: Here is an earthship under construction with the tire walls filled with earth, and here outside an earth cliff has been left standing, you can see that here (26'27 ''). These were modular earthships, because one could put the rooms together, one room, then a 1-bed room, then a 2-bed room (26'52 '').

The sustainably working earthship house at a reasonable price

So we wanted the world to get a sustainably functinating house at a bargain price, without all the architectural costs (27'27 ''), because they collect 15% of the house price (27'29 ''). At $ 300,000, that's $ 45,000 for the drawings (27'34 ''). And that's just a normal house. If the house contains all sorts of details with power systems, water systems, and sewage systems, the price goes to infinite heights, and the architect has to involve engineers in the planning because he has no idea of ​​these things (27'53 ''), so there are joint works for architecture, engineering, biology, physics, and everything else together, the sewage system and the electronics and everything (28'15 ''), and since the whole thing is still relatively new, there are also made mistakes. Well, we've applied it 100s of times now, and there are still some small mistakes sometimes (28'28 '').

The spiritual development with the combinatorial knowledge for the earthship: architecture, electronics, water systems, sewage systems, biology etc.

So we collected all the information about electronics systems, water systems, sewage systems, biology, the details (28'41 ''), so that a new architecture with all these specifications was created (29'2 ''). The Earthship is now like a Lego house, all the details are explored, Phil can even blindly build it back and forth because he has built so many, all of us can do that (29'17 ''). This building would not be such a star if this woud be just a flash of the day, but it is the exemplary application of combinatorial knowledge (29'41 ''). The reason for this is that everyone has worked well, we have the list of building materials, the list of construction processes, the list of details, it is a hit (29'54 ''). After all a basic design came out, sometimes with earth cliff, sometimes without (30'2 '').

Wind dynamic research gave the result: no more pit houses

Now this should become a world house for the whole world, so there was a lot of research going on about which things fit into this world house (30'35 ''). There were also winddynamic researches, which meant that no pit houses were built anymore, but the house was put on the surface and then the earth was heaped up all around (30'47 '') [or the house is built on a slope being sunk into the slope].

The designation Module Earthship with U formed rooms (cold zones) or O formed rooms (tropical zones)

At some point in time, we called the house a modular earthship, because we had two elements: the "U", and for tropical zones we had the round hut shape [like a circle, so an "O"] because in the tropical zones no solar energy is needed to be stored in the thick earth walls (31'5 ''). The U form occurs wherever solar energy needs to be stored in walls (31'13 ''). But in the tropics you do not need that, but there came the round shape with double doors, we call it "hut". For the first time this form appeared in Honduras (31'27 '').

Earthships with many hut round rooms - three Os - and there came the idea of the system module

Earth ship with 2 round rooms and cistern, floor plan

There were customers who liked the hut or wanted some Us or some huts, some huts are cooler in the summer than in the winter (31'38 ''), and when people want both with Us and hut shaped rooms, so we created also a combination, so a ground plan with three circular rooms, two big ones outside, and a small one [in the middle as a water cistern] that was our early attempt to create a new universal standard (31'49 ''). One day I came up with the idea of ​​concentrating the systems units in a "system package" (31'58 ''), so the cistern then directly feeds the systems, where the water is warmed up and processed in the water module, so that was a key experience, this idea of ​​a systems module (32'10 '').

The coupling of the cistern with the systems module - own electricity, own water

Then the cistern directly feeds the kitchen and the bathroom, and you can add a greenhouse directly (32'17 ''). And so the earthship with four components developed to the module earthship: the U-component, the O-component (hut component), the systems' component, and the greenhouse component (32'32 ''). Thus, new standards were established with designs for greenhouses, the systems, the hut shapes, and the U-forms (32'45 ''). They can now be put together like Lego bricks, but there were still unforeseen details and stuff like that (32'53 ''). The basic idea was really good, and maybe we should need another 1000 years to coordinate it all (33'3 ''). The system unit has now been further developed, today the standard is an own power unit, the power box with the current converter (33'30 ''), so here then the own power is produced and the own water is prepared (33'33 '') , own power and own water, it's designed for this (33'38 ''). The own current then depends on the converter (33'47 '').

The system unit is the center - then the earth ship house is built around it

When the system unit is built, the house is built around it, and you can build any number of rooms on all sides (34'8 ''), thus another number of new models came out with it (34'14 '').

The earthship's hut form: The pioneer earthhouse in Honduras after Hurricane Mitch [November 1998]

  

Round earthship with concrete dome roof and skylight in Honduras 1998 - cross section

The hut form [O-form] came from Honduras, we were there after Hurricane Mitch had passed [November 1998], since we had no idea what we should do there, and then we decided to build a round house because it was hot there (34'24 ''). [Car tires filled with earth were piled up forming a round hut]. People went in and realized that it was cool (34'30 ''). The roof was first a concrete dome, but then a geometric-conical roof like a prism with many different surfaces became the standard (34'36 ''), with a birdcage on top (34'41 '').

The hut earthship with a greenhouse and a prism roof with skylight

First came the round hut form, then we added the greenhouse (34'49 ''), then came the huts with prismatic roof constructions (faceted huts), so we could resign to the dome of reinforced concrete and cement (34'59 ''), thus there were many hut houses with the prism roofs (faceted huts) built (35'12 ''). One of it stands in Belgium, another one stands near Tucson [in Arizona] (35'22 ''), so they are always built in hot climates because they do not have to store solar energy in the walls, as is the case in cold climates (35 '31''). [Belgium is not a hot climate, just seems like an attempt].

After returning from Honduras, we realized that it's really easy to build such a hut greenhouse and will certainly be popular, so we made a little video about it (35'51 ''), Tom Navy did it (36'1 ''), and the huts sprang up all over the place, creating new designs, placing the huts on gravel ground (36'15 ''), so these habitats become truly "fun spaces" (36'37 '').

More and more developments regarding greenhouse and sewage systems

The module earthship is now spreading more and more around the world, but we're still not happy with the development, but things are coming out, so there are bananas growing in the desert, and the sewage systems are also developing more and more (36'55 '').

The development of all components at the same time was quite complex

The developments then also concerned the ventilation with the thermal contexts, depending on the climatic zone, and at the same time there were developments with the sewage system, with the water collection system and with the power generation system (37'17 ''). As all these developments took place gradually and in their own rhythms, the whole thing became rather complex (37'26 ''). All in all the earthship is unbeatable, so there were so many rich people with $ 20 million, but I said there's no better house than this world earth ship (38'17 ''). So the systems and the structures all evolved together to an optimal design, and so the world model was born (38'40 '').

Hut earthship models and U models

From the hut model, many houses were built, and we also combine that with the U-shape (38'54 ''): There is, for example, the early house of Amy, so first we built the key place with the system unit, and then the Us followed at all sides (39'2 ''). Here are some that are just standing there in the prairie, looks pretty, but you always have to pay attention to the details (39'25 ''). The details mean time and money (39'28 ''). The system unit is in the middle and the rooms on both sides (39'32 ''). Here are photos of the interior (39'50 '').

Hut earthship construction is cooler - U models are very warm

The hut structures are generally not as warm as the U-shapes (40'13 ''). We each ask the customers what they would like and then we build the earthship for them according to their personal ideas (40'25 ''). Many customers want hut earthships or those universal world earthships (40'34 '').

Earthquake safety: The structure of the hut is earthquake-proof with a circlip and with a reinforced concrete door - example Belgium

  

Round earthship ("hut") earthquake-proof strengthened with a ring over the wall and with a door casted with concrete

Hut earthships become earthquake-proof by sticking a ring on top and casting the entrance into concrete (40'44 ''). So with respect to earthquakes, the round shape is better than anything else, and that's why there are so many round-shaped earthships (41'7 ''), better than the Us, better than anything else (41'11 ''). We are now trying to provide the U-shape with vaults, so that a steady concrete structure is achieved (41'23 ''), but the round shapes are the most earthquake-proof, and one can make a row of them with several (41'30 ''). Here is the model from Belgium, in the small round cell are the systems in it, and attached to it are the round rooms, this is not a bad situation, just is not as warm as the houses with U-shapes (41'40 '').

  

Earth ship with 4 round rooms and a round systems room, Belgium, floor plan

Hut earthship construction with greenhouse in a hot climate - vertical window front is sufficient

Then the greenhouse was added to the hut shape, so: In the cold climate, the window front is tilted to produce more solar heat, and in the warm climate, the window front is vertical, because one does not need so much solar heat (42'25 ''). This was performed with the hut earthship on Hawaii, the Hawaii hut version (42'37 ''). There are many details to consider as well, such as all the prismatic structures, all the shapes, and if you pay attention to all the details, you can save a lot of money (43'5 ''). So I'm working out the different shapes, the details should all be simple, and then the package earthship comes out (43'20 ''). Not many of them are being built, so we're taking into account the public's echo and the details and costs and everything (43'38 '').

The rectangular package earthship

 

The package earthship first version with vertical windows without greenhouse in the front

And there are many customers who do not like round rooms but want rectangular rooms (43'43 ''). So I was eager to design a simple structure that would then be like a package, and that's how the package earthship came about, again: The first room is a studio, the second one bedroom, the third one bedroom, maybe even four bedrooms, as one can divide it, and one can put all sorts of applications in there (44'6 ''). Many of them were built, why? Because we were successful somehow (44'29 '').

The water collection system with metal roof: perfect dew water in the morning

As the water collection system developed, we discovered that metal roofs were the cleanest and easiest to pick up the dew water (44'58 ''). In the early morning, the metal roofs give the dew water perfectly into the water collection system, so there is nothing better than that (45'10 ''). Package earthships: This rectangular shape makes it possible to install a metal roof (45'16 ''). There comes the water collection, which costs, then the many details that make their demands, and that was the drive to development work (45'30 '').

The model earthship "Nest" - can be expanded to a "package"

The package earthship "Nest", floor plan and cross-section with the sunlight coming in

This is how the global model of an earthship came about (45'33 ''). One was called "nest", today it is called "simple survival" (45'39 ''). Bedroom 1, 2, 3 - the trick here is the metal roof, so there are many such earthships, you can look at them, but the residents get sick of it, you know, because every month 40 visitors pass through their house, they do not want that (46'1 ''). So we called it "nest," and thought, in the end, "package earthship" will come out at the end (46'10 ").

The earth ship "Nest" with prefabricated elements: window niches, roof truss can be put together like Lego elements etc.

So many Nest earthships have been built because they are really easy to build (46'24 ''). All window niches are prefabricated, the roof truss as well, so at the "nest" many elements are prefabricated, and so the parcel earth ships are crteated, thus it's prefabricated like a prefabricated house, after the construction of the tire earth walls one can put everything together (46'41 '' ).

The lawsuit because of 16 degrees in the "nest" - the provocation for further developments

We did not use half-tires anymore here, we simply made a tire wall with three sides (46'48 ''). All of this worked very well, so well, that one day a lawsuit came up, because in a house were only 60 degrees Fahrenheit [16 degrees Celsius] prevailed (47'12 ''). The law states that every building must be 41 inches (1.04m) above the ground, and each building must be able to hold 73º Fahrenheit [23º C] during day and night, summer or winter, and in this earthship there  were only 60 degrees Fahrenheit [16 degrees Celsius] (47'25 "). I got a fine, but actually this is a success story without keeping 16 degrees Celsius heating. Turning off the heating (oil, gas, electricity) in a normal house, the toilet freezes (47'48 ''). So they did not buy it then. But we have built many "nests" (47'56 '').

The spiritual development of earthship construction: combination of knowledge about water, heating, cooling, biology, physics, greywater etc.

So here, not only the earthship was developed, but also the thinking itself, which is related to the earthship: It is about water, heating, cooling, biology, physics, gray water, etc., so there are many aspects playing it's role (48'18 '').

An early "nest" model with scattered elements on the roof - today everything is joint in the service module

A package earthship first version with vertical windows and installations on the roof

Here is an early "nest" - we have not talked about the electronics yet - the skylights [in today's earthships] are now inside the inner casing, which you can not see from the outside (48'30 '') because of the process about the 60º Fahrenheit (16 degrees Celsius) (48'35 ''). So when the skylights are not well maintained, cold air will flow in, and that's problematic (49'5 ''). In this metal roof so the skylights are hidden, the power battery is in the wind power units, that was in former times, today it is all housed in the greenhouse (49'22 ''). The roof of the [today's] global model has no holes (49'26 '').

The prefabricated house "package earthship" - with or without ground edge

This small package earthship started sprouting off the ground everywhere (49'39 ''). So, your class [the audience] just completed this house yesterday (49'45 ''). The window frames and the door frames are all prefabricated, you put a beam over it, and then the attic comes from the back wall to the front (50'1 ''). You can prefabricate everything, the glass is already cut, center posts are already cut to size (50'8 ''). The skylights were not prefabricated by us, and then a package earthship comes out (50'17 ''). This is possible in all possible dimensions, can be with edge of earth (earth cliff) or with full tire earth wall (50'24 '').

Earthship with earth cliff with tires on it, which are filled with earth 02

We had a manual for earthships construction, which is still a good book (50'39 '').

     Handbook by Michael Reynolds: Building an earthship:
     please look :

https://www.amazon.com/Build-Global-Model-Earthship-Operation-ebook/dp/B00AGIVP8M/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543427891&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=%22Michael+reynolds%22+handbook

Prescription:

This booklet is the first in a twelve part series that walks the owner/builder through the construction of a Global Model Earthship. This installment covers building the thermal mass walls out of tires, the thermal wrap, vent tubes, cistern installation and front stem walls. Photographs, diagrams and thorough explanations of procedures will guide you through the tire work phase of the building.

With over 40 years of experience, Michael Reynolds has developed a ‘living' home that heats and cools itself passively, harvests/treats/ and reuses its water four times, collects its own electricity, and grows its own food. The Global Model, which incorporates the double greenhouse, is the culmination of years of experimenting and building with recycled materials. These booklets have been put together with input from the Earthship crew, who have built hundreds of these homes around the world.

Reader's comments:

This is a great starters guide to building a "earthship". Loaded with information and all of the unseen items to make the structure functional.

Just a full and complete instruction manual for someone who already knows why it's so important to build an earthship.

Has lots of information and is understandable to someone like me who hasn't done any house building.

Earthships in all climates - and they work well - now at 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees)

In this way, many people get a sustainable house (51'29 ''). So I sent building groups to all parts of the "USA", ie Connecticut, Seattle, Southwest, and it always worked (51'58 '').

Earthship "Nest", floorplan of the basic plan with 1 bedroom

In extreme climates, extremely cold or extremely hot, we were worried that the wall of the house on the side of the window was just a double glass, so that makes us think (52'20 ''). So there are the various package earthships: 1 bedroom, 2 bedrooms (52'30 ''). There is the three-sided tire wall, it is too long and without retaining wall, so we had to install buttresses for the roof, but then they are here, as you can see the houses outside [in the world] (52'50 '').

Rectangular package earthship with 2 bedrooms and dining-living room with 4 buttresses, floor plan

Here's the plan of the 1-bedroom package, similar to the house the course builds here, and it's similar to the global model (53'3 ''). So there are variants with 2 bedrooms, 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms (53'9 ''). When we added the greenhouse and the thermal wrap to the earthship, the point was reached that they could no longer drag us to court because of the drop in temperature to 60 degrees Fahrenheit [16 degrees Celsius], now it's 70 degrees Fahrenheit [21º Celsius], that's close enough [at the prescribed 23º Celsius], but you know, all without fuel oil (53'33 ''). We're really trying to fulfill the laws, regulations, and requirements of the architectural field, so I would not have done it all (53'45 ''), I would have said: 60º Fahrenheit [16º Celsius] when outside it's below 20º Fahrenheit [minus 7º Celsius], that's a success story (53'50 ''). By the lawsuit I was spurred on to improve the house more and more, and so I was blessed to make people even happier, yes! (54'2 '').

Earthship with row of windows, the cross section shows the solar radiation and the warming of the earth walls and the ground

The angle of the window front: first without greenhouse vertical, then with greenhouse 60º

Before the greenhouse came, the window front was vertical, and then with the installation of a greenhouse integrated the angle changed to 60 degrees (54'42''). You can buy the greehouses today as a kit (package kits) (54'57 ''), so the window frames and the roof beams (55'3 ''). There just should not be big spaces for mice and raccoons (55'8 '').

About the electronics with the screens and everything, I'll tell you another time (55'25 ''). So these earthships here on the photos are in the southwest, with nice interior (55'45 ''). At first there were skylights on the roof, then we moved the solar panels to the back, which is presented in the part about the electronics (55'57 '').

Entrance doors can be moved

The transfer of the entrance doors to the package earthships came out also very good (56'8 ''). There was another book called "Earthship detailed booklet" or so, and many people bought it, but we do not know how many people have an earthship today (56'24 '').

Photos of interiors of earthships

The interiors are very cozy, here is a typical construction (56'29 ''), so we have been doing this for some time, but we are still not quite happy (56'36 ''), but anyway we are satisfied, many people are building in this style now, and it's coming out always well (56'42 '').

Split, staggered earthships

The staggered earthships (split level) are also doing well (56'50 '').

Earthship staggered on 2 levels as a hill and the earth is heaped up all around

California: The Government of Ventura County prohibits car tires and requires a heating (!)

In California, the authorities did not want to let us build with car tires first, this was in Ventura County, whe had to build everything in concrete, then the inspector came in uniform, we applied for permission for three years and built everything with concrete and of course it is colder (57'23 ''), you can also use the local rock there, so we showed there that one can build an earthship also only of concrete (57'32 ''). And it came out well: The inspector came in during winter with a coat, took off his coat, finds it warm here, is passing through all the rooms, all right, and then asked for the heating system. The owners said there was no heating. But it needs a heating system, he said. Oh sure, the schoolbook is telling that, so the controller said: You have to install a heating system in this house (58'0 ''). The homeowner called me, almost in tears, and I told him: Go to Home Depot or something, just buy 6 electric heaters, you can put them on a wall and then you can do a reinspection ( 58'24 ''). Then the guy comes, sees the electrical heating devices on the wall, does not even check whether they're connected or not, resigning to the control tour, he takes the path of the easiest way and in this way gets his salary (58'33 '').

Combined earthships with rectangular and round spaces

  

Earthship with vertical row of windows and two round spaces under construction -- combined combo earthship with 1 rectangular room and 2 round rooms with greenhouse on the front, floor plan

Then we started with combined earthships, combo hybrid package modular homes, all in all, everything goes well and good, hut houses and packege houses, but there are always details and expenses to note (58'57 ''): California: So the county in California just has a group of idiots as a government, who have been hesitant for a long time already in the granting of concrete, so they are hindering all people to get their own home blocking the procedures with bureaucracy (59'25 '' ). Nowhere was it so complicated (59'28 '').

Earthquake-proof earthship in California: walls made of earth-filled tires withstand earthquakes better than concrete

Earthquake: In a neighboring county is another Earthship, in Los Angeles County, I believe, and it survived the LA earthquake well [1994?] without any damages, the engineers controlled it after the earthquake, they just wanted to understand why it was like this (59'47 ''). Then the discussion came up of whether the houses would not be stronger unless everything was built out of concrete: concrete is not as good as earth-filled car tires, but in California's Ventura we were not allowed to build a tire construction with earth, something new is not allowed there (1h0'0 '').