Why earthships are awesome

There's no conventional heating in the Groundhouse as its south-facing position, glazed front and passive underfloor heating keep the house warm. But if it does get too chilly there are two wood-burning stoves. Inside, the clever passive house really doesn't look too different from many other country homes in the area.

With rustic colours and lots of wood, it's furnished with a mix of vintage French furniture and bespoke one-off pieces made from natural and reclaimed materials. For that welcome touch of luxury, the bathroom has a huge stone bath with an overhead shower. Like many other Earthships, it also uses glass bottles for light and heating, with the one in the bathroom offering up a wow-factor design feature. Each of the three bedrooms has glazed tri-folding windows that look out over the organic garden.

In the warmer weather, the outdoor and indoor living spaces merge together, so residents can be at one with nature. Ready to go off-grid in your very own Earthship?

Do you want to comment on this article? You need to be signed in for this feature. News Homes Interiors Investing Features. Incredible Earthships: Off-grid homes you've got to see Gallery View. Expand View. Self-sufficient homes built from rubbish Earthship Global. Going off the grid doesn't have to mean going back to basics. More and more people are trading traditional homes and hefty household bills for energy-efficient Earthships.

Growing in popularity since the s, these stylish eco homes are built from upcycled materials packed with mud or set into the ground — hence their name. Step inside and explore these remarkable houses designed for living off the land What is an Earthship? Earthship Global. How are Earthships made? Earthships are built from salvaged waste that can easily be sourced — beer cans, old tyres and bottles are all key to the construction process.

In every house there are at least 1, tyres that provide natural insulation. Recycled bottles are also a huge feature and allow natural light to flow inside the structures, creating a beautiful mosaic of glowing coloured glass. Who founded Earthships? How is energy produced? Seven Directions. Earthships don't require central heating or air-conditioning, so the resources they do need are kept to a minimum.

The structures generate their own energy with the use of solar panels, which provide clean electricity for 30 years, while also helping to minimise global warming.

As well as solar energy, Earthships generate electricity through wind power. Combined, they create enough energy to charge the batteries within the building's power module, which provides clean energy for household usage.

By Sam bot on March 4, But they are more than just a cool alternative living situation, they actually have the potential to change the world! In this case, it means modern. When people hear about sustainable off-the-grid living, they usually picture primitive homes divorced from the comforts of the 21st century. And rightfully so, as most sustainable solutions proposed until now have fit that description.

But these homes look much more artistic and sleek than other forms of sustainable living. Each earthship comes with at least 1 greenhouse which grows food all year round. You actually have the ability to feed yourself with the plants growing out of your house.

Even the most arid of climates can provide enough water for daily use through only a rain-harvesting system. Even the most arid of climates can provide enough water for daily use through only a rain-harvesting system. The entire roof of an Earthship funnels rainwater to a cistern, which then pumps it to sinks and showers when required. After being cleaned by the plants, the water is pumped up into the bathrooms for use in the toilets.

The most brilliant piece of engineering in an Earthship is the ability to sustain comfortable temperatures year-round. The thermal mass acts as a heat sink, releasing or absorbing heat when the interior cools and heats up, respectively.

The large greenhouse windows at the front of the house always face south to allow the sun to heat up the thermal mass throughout the daytime. Solar panels on the roof and wind turbines provide Earthships all of their power needs. When people hear about sustainable, off-the-grid living, they usually picture primitive homes divorced from the comforts of the 21st century. And rightfully so, as most sustainable solutions proposed until now have fit that description.

Earthships, however, offer all of the comforts of modern homes and more. Each Earthship is outfitted with one or two greenhouses that grow crops year-round, no matter the climate. This means you can feed yourself with only the plants growing inside of your house. Even the most arid of climates can provide enough water for daily use through only a rain-harvesting system.

The entire roof of the Earthship funnels rain water to a cistern, which then pumps it to sinks and showers when required. After being cleaned by the plants, the water is pumped up into the bathrooms for use in the toilets. The most brilliant piece of engineering in the Earthship is their ability to sustain comfortable temperatures year round. The thermal mass acts as a heat sink, releasing or absorbing heat when the interior cools and heats up, respectively. The large greenhouse windows at the front of the house always face south to allow the sun to heat up the thermal mass throughout the daytime.

Solar panels on the roof and optional wind turbines provide the Earthship with all of the power it needs. So you can focus your time on doing what you love, and bettering the world around you. Imagine if the entire world was able to focus on doing extraordinary things instead of just making enough to get by.

What would change? At a recent Earthship conference in Toronto, Canada, a married couple in their forties shared about how they built a 3-story Earthship by themselves in 3 months. They had never built anything before in their lives and were able to build an Earthship with only the printed plans.

They did not hire any help, nor did they use expensive equipment to make the job easier. Earthships are exorbitantly cheaper than conventional houses. With these cost options, Earthships can fit the needs of everyone — from the least privileged to the most worldly.