dissertation on off grid living communities

EARTHSHIP BIOTECTURE OFF – GRID LIVING COMMUNITIES

A DISSERTATION REPORT Submitted by

PRIYANKA.S AC16UAR081 in partial fulfillment for the award of the degree of

BACHELOR OF ARCHITECTURE (B.ARCH) in

ADHIYAMAAN COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, HOSUR (Autonomous)

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025 JANUARY 2021

ANNA UNIVERSITY: CHENNAI 600 025

BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this dissertation report “EARTHSHIP BIOTECTURE – OFF GRID LIVING COMMUNITIES” is the bonafide work of “PRIYANKA.S” who carried out the dissertation work under my supervision.

Prof. Dr. R.Seetha, M.Arch.,Ph.D

Ar. L.MALARKODI, M.Arch.

HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT

SUPERVISOR

Department of Architecture

Department of Architecture

Adhiyamaan College of Engg.

Adhiyamaan College of Engg.

Dr. M.G.R. Nagar

Dr. M.G.R. Nagar

Hosur – 635 109.

Hosur – 635 109.

INTERNAL EXAMINER

EXTERNAL EXAMINER

DECLARATION PRIYANKA.S(Reg no. AC16UAR081) a bonafide student of the Department of Architecture, Adhiyamaan college of Engineering (autonomous), Hosur,

hereby declares that this dissertation report entitled “ EARTHSHIP BIOTECTURE – OFF GRID LIVING COMMUNITIES ” for the award of the degree, Bachelor of Architecture, is my original work and has not formed the basis or submitted to any other universities or institution for the award of a degree or diploma.

DATE : PLACE : HOSUR

(PRIYANKA.S)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I first thank lord almighty, whose graceful blessings enabled me to complete this dissertation report for the fulfilment of my B.Arch degree course.

I convey my heartfelt thanks to the college, especially to ourPrincipal Dr. G. Ranganath, M.E, Ph.D, M.I.S.T.E., M.I.E., C.Eng (I), for providing the wonderful environment and their support.

I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to our beloved H.O.D, Prof.

Dr. R. SEETHA, M.Arch.,Ph.D for rendering her valuable guidance, support, encouragement and advice to make my efforts and the report successful.

I specially thank my Guide, Ar. L. MALARKODI, M.Arch, for her timely guidance and encouragement. I thank all other faculty of the architecture department for their help and guidance.

I am grateful to My parents and My friends who offered great support and encouragement during the dissertation.

(PRIYANKA.S)

ABSTRACT “Live Simple Survival so that others may simply live” |Earthship Biotecture| Converting this motto to reality Earthships is constructed using the waste material or garbage. In simple words ‘self-sufficient and sustainable architecture for people + planet’.

We have a lot of opportunities to use or reuse construction, demolition and other types of waste, but we are using just a small part of it. At the same time, we are putting huge pressure on natural resources demanding new construction materials and the Worldwatch Institute predicts that by 2030 we will run out of many natural resources.

The idea of taking care of the planet to provide our sustenance, and architecture is the vessel to do that and this vessel that we call the ‘Earthship' addresses six things that are the basic aspects for existence and survival globally: comfortable shelter with no use of fossil fuel, natural-sourced electricity generation, water harvesting, treatment of sewage onsite, garbage, and food production. An earthship is a type of passive solar structure made of natural and recycled materials.

In general view; ‘Earthship’ a new habitat on earth for good quality of life for people, where they meet their basic needs for the shelter, food & water. The quality of life of its residents is reflected in a state of wellbeing as they liveoff- grid, without bills, growing their own food and living in a harmony with themselves and with nature.

Keywords; Earthship, Biotecture, Passive solar structures, Quality of life, new habitat.

Table of contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 1. INTRODUCTION

1.1. THE STUDY FOR PEOPLE+PLANET………………………………

1.2. AIM OF THE STUDY…………………………………………………

1.3. OBJECTIVE OF THE STUDY………………………………………..

1.4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY……………………………………………...

1.5. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY……………………………………..

1.6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS……………………………………………

1.7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY……………………………………...

CHAPTER 2 2. EARTHSHIP BIOTECTURE 2.1. MICHAEL REYNOLDS; THE PIONEER…………………………….

2.2. HISTORY & EVOLUTION……………………………………………

2.3. EARTHSHIP CHARACTERISTICS |6 PRINCIPLES|…………………………………………………….......

2.3.1. QUALITY OF LIFE IN EARTHSHIP…………………………...

2.4. RADICALLY SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS………………………….

2.5. SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES & SOLUTIONS…………………………

CHAPTER 3 3. EARTHSHIP CONCEPT 3.1. RECYCLED & REPURPOSED MATERIALS…………………………

3.2. THERMAL / SOLAR HEATING & COOLING………………………

3.3. WATER HARVESTING……………………………………………........

3.4. CONTAINED SEWAGE TREATMENT………………………………..

3.5. SOLAR & WIND ELECTRICITY……………………………………...

3.6. FOOD PRODUCTION……………………………………………….....

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Table of contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 4 4. LITERATURE REVIEW

4.1. EARTHSHIP STRUCTURE TYPOLOGIES………………………….

4.2. VARIOUS BUILDING APPROACHES………………………………

4.3. COMFORT IN VARIED CLIMATE…………………………………..

4.4. DESIGN STANDARDS & GUIDELINES |GLOBAL & INDIA|…………………………………………………..

4.5. EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES…………………….

CHAPTER 5 5. CASE STUDY 5.1. NET CASE STUDIES 5.1.1. THE R.E.A.C.H. COMMUNITY, MEXICO……………………

5.1.2. PEURTO RICO |DISASTER RELIEF|………………………….

5.1.3. AARDHIUIS OLST |INSPIRATION|…………………………...

5.2. CASE STUDY |EXPLORE & ANALYSE| 5.2.1 EARTHSHIP ‘KARUNA’ INDIAN CONTEXT…………………

CHAPTER 6 6. SPECIAL STUDY 6.1. OFF-GRID LIVING COMMUNITY

|URBAN, SUBURBAN & RURAL LEVEL|…………………………..

6.2. LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF AN EARTHSHIP………………………

6.2.1. WHY EARTHSHIP SURVIVAL IS ADVANTAGEOUS?............

6.3. DISASTER RELIEF STRUCTURES………………………………….

CHAPTER 7 7. DATA ANALYSIS 7.1. COMPARATIVE STUDY……………………………………………...

CHAPTER 8 8. INFERENCE & REFRENCES…………………………………………...

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List of figures

LIST OF FIGURES Fig:1.1.

The earthship representation

Fig:2.1.

Research methodology of the study

Fig:2.2.

The earthship logo

Fig:2.3.

History & evolution concepts of the earthships

Fig:2.4.

Earthship principle representation

Fig:2.5.

Radically sustainable section & plan of an earthship

Fig:2.6.

Multilevel structures illustrations

Fig:2.7.

Humankind’s sustainable development goals

Fig:2.8.

Timeline of the sustainable architecture

Fig:2.9.

Sustainable targets & the triple bottom line illustration

Fig:3.1.

Locally available garbage managed & upcycled by earthship

Fig:3.2.

The walls with the tyres & bottles with mud and wood

Fig:3.3.

Roofs with the discarded metal panels

Fig:3.4.

Thermal/solar heat & cool of the shelter

Fig:3.5.

Water harvesting through roofs & storage utilities

Fig:3.6.

Sewage treatment cell on site

Fig:3.7.

Solar panels in roof & a windmill representation

Fig:3.8.

Edible plants & herbs as food production

Fig:4.1.

Plan & sectional elevations of the pit house

Fig:4.2.

The hut form plan, sections with domed & prismatic roofs

Fig:4.3.

The typical 3 ‘U’ floorplan & section of single ‘U’

Fig:4.4.

The typical Nest model floorplan & its sectional elevation

Fig:4.5.

The packaged earthship floorplan & section of the same

Fig:4.6.

The global model earthship floorplan & sectional view

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List of figures

LIST OF FIGURES Fig:4.7.

The floorplan, exterior & interior views of the Nautilus

Fig:4.8.

Various types of earthships & their characteristics

Fig:4.9.

The plan, sectional & external elevation of the rural school

Fig:4.10.

The interior & exterior view of classroom & the school

Fig:4.11.

The views of the music & arts school of Rapa Nui

Fig:4.12.

The flower shaped plan & construction of the school

Fig:4.13.

The internal and external views of the EVE

Fig:4.14.

The other EVE castle earthship with double glazed facade

Fig:4.15.

The vault roof structure of the Waldorf school

Fig:4.16.

The construction of the community hub at Malawi

Fig:4.17.

The typical earthship climate control & environmental function

Fig:4.18.

The warmth in earthship

Fig:4.19.

The elements well suits in the earthship concept

Fig:4.20.

The air circulation system

Fig:4.21.

The overall concept of lighting & ventilation in the earthship

Fig:4.22.

The day & night comfort in the sloped & vertical glazing

Fig:4.23.

The seasonal solar gain in the vertical & sloped glazing

Fig:4.24.

The solar gain & lighting through planning aspects of earthship

Fig:4.25.

Earth + ship = earthships are the ships to sail on the seas of tomorrow

Fig:4.26.

The single & the double bedroom option & standards

Fig:4.27.

The garage option plan & the tailored plan

Fig:4.28.

The open end plan & the duplex option plan

Fig:4.29.

The tyre buttresses & the split level option plans

Fig:4.30.

The construction details of foundation, loads & directions

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List of figures

LIST OF FIGURES Fig:4.31.

The working mechanism of the exterior cum interior spaces

Fig:4.32.

The roofing & water catchment systems during construction

Fig:4.33.

The waste water treatment system to make the productive plantation

Fig:4.34.

The power and energy source and its mechanism in earthship

Fig:4.35.

The windmill Dynasphere fitted to the earthships

Fig:5.1.

The site view & site plan

Fig:5.2.

The site location & exterior view

Fig:5.3.

The site as an inspiration

Fig:5.4.

The adaptable structures

Fig:5.5.

The site location & plan of the earthship embassy

Fig:5.6.

The sectional view & the model series

Fig:5.7.

The planning phases & the view of the structures & materials used

Fig:5.8.

The image representation of an autonomous community & the community in the suburbs

Fig:5.9.

The site plan & zoning of the community

Fig:5.10.

The exterior view & the roofs of the community

Fig:5.11.

The materials used exterior & interior of the olst

Fig:5.12.

The roof top solar gain view

Fig:5.13.

The karuna hut earthship & its location in the farm

Fig:5.14.

The other hut in the farm & the interior of the earthship

Fig:5.15.

The construction process of the earthship Karuna

Fig:6.1.

The idea of rooftop off grid dwellings

Fig:6.2.

The idea of bivouac in rooftop

Fig:6.3.

The idea of off grid urban block

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List of figures

LIST OF FIGURES Fig:6.4.

The idea of off grid urban forest house, urban bath space & the neighbourhood town

Fig:6.5.

The solar power concept & aesthetic & infrastructure regulations in suburban level

Fig:6.6.

The off grid design principles used in the rural zones

Fig:6.7.

The concept meet of biotecture & LCA terms

Fig:6.8.

Fig:6.9.

Fig:6.10.

The whole house classification regarding the grid & off grid construction elements The cradle to cradle & cradle to grave concept Open lifecycle house leading to loss of embodied energy & Closed lifecycle house leading to the renewable output of the house

Fig:6.11.

Earthships on the steep slopes

Fig:6.12.

Earthships forming larger community

Fig:6.13.

Tyre walls are bomb proof

Fig:6.14.

Tyres as retaining walls

Fig:6.15.

A solution to global problems

Fig:6.16.

Community of togetherness for people & planet

Fig:6.17.

Disaster relief Andaman project

Fig:6.18.

Earthquake proof Nepal project

Fig:6.19.

Earthquake proof Port Au Prince Haiti 2011 project

Fig:6.20.

Typhoon resistant windship structure in Philippines

Fig:6.21.

Earthships amidst the urban square of Manhattan for the refugees & homeless during the peak of crisis

Fig:7.1.

Structure comparison based on building services

Fig:7.2.

The overall global contribution of Earthship Biotecture

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CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION

Introduction 1.1. THE STUDY FOR PROPLE + PLANET: The current definition of architecture is about buildings and it’s kind of about architects; neither about the people nor the planet. Architecture should be about people and planet, and nothing more.

Quoting the ‘garbage warrior’ Michael Reynolds “I started as an architect but I have moved into what I call Biotecture, which is a kind of profession that we molded and created and I think is where architecture needs to go today and in the future.”

The resulting was the concept of the ‘Earthship’ an autonomous selfsufficient structures as the founder architect Mike Reynolds, he concerned about the trash & the lack of affordable housing since 1970’s.

The earthship designs constantly evolved incorporating thermal mass, passive solar energy and natural ventilation as means to respect the environment and to counteract climate change thorough the biotecture concept.

Why ‘off grid living communities’???

As the earthships offer us the solution to most of our global issues; such as sustainable community living, an affordable and an alternative self build option, life long security, no bills, protection from climate change, poverty etc…,i.e., a total off the grid solution for both the present and the future. If incase in this world that we are left with no resources for our future needs.., still; we are able to reboot our survival with repurposing the waste and the scraps that are surrounded by us and are also highly & easily neglected today.., the earthships are such an alternative solution to get into off grid living structures and survival as they are more of the machines with the structures.

Thus, this study is helpful for us to understand that the earthship biotecture concept is an excellent example of sustainable quality of life.

Fig:1.1. The earthship representation PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Introduction 1.2. AIM OF THE STUDY: To study, understand and analyse the concept of the earthship structures and their importance and design guidelines for the proposal of the ‘off grid living community’ amidst the densely populated regions |India|.

1.3. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY: |1| To study and to know about the six defined basic principles of the earthships as it includes;      

building with natural and repurposed materials, using thermal and solar heating and cooling, solar & wind-generated electricity, water harvesting, contained sewage treatment & self-sustained food production. |2| To study about its history, evolution, types and material usage and its life cycle analysis, its construction methods and practice to design an earthship. |3| To study about the multilevel structures with the above concepts of the biotecture i.e., the design proposals for the city or community in the urban and suburban areas facing the challenges to fit into the codes and regulations for the building levels. |4| To also understand why and in what basis these structures are proven to be radically sustainable.

1.4. SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The study of earthship biotecture helps us focus on any project proposals to be self-sufficient and sustainable.

Earthships can also be the alternate and affordable housing solution added to cost effective techniques to many those who prefer to live off the grid in the densely populated areas & as a alternate dwelling solution for the low socio-income communities.

1.5. LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY: This study does not focus on policies like reselling of the earthship may be challenging if once built & maintained & also few locations does not allow financing for the experiments in biotecture to be approved for an assembly occupancy like schools and other building typologies.

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Introduction 1.6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS: |1| Earthships are low density constructions, mainly housing, Taking into account the worldwide exponential demographic increase and the densification of cities, whether this approach could be applied in a higher density or in an urban scale? |2| If we stopped to think about the environment and the planet, how important would the role of the architect be in order to find solutions for a more sustainable development? |3| Why the earthships are defined as radically sustainable structures?

1.7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY:

Fig:1.2. Research methodology of the study PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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CHAPTER 2 EARTHSHIP BIOTECTURE

Earthship biotecture

2.1. MICHAEL |MIKE| REYNOLDS; THE PIONEER: Mike Reynolds is an American architect responsible for the invention & design of Earthship – ‘Radically Sustainable buildings’. After his architecture graduation in 1969, he realized that architecture as it stood was not worth enough, had nothing to do neither with the planet nor the people in 1970’s. Mike Reynolds strongly believes that it is possible to build the way that will take a pressure of the planet and take care of the people & thus intervene with the nature. He calls this way of building ‘Biotecture’. Then he purchased a piece of land in Taos, New Mexico, which allowed him to freely build and experiment his concepts growth.

His solution and goal was to design a building made mostly with the waste materials, |garbage|. Initially, the cans, beer bottles were used and principally old repurposed tyres were started to bound & shelter within the earth and the aim of creating these structures were to take the full advantage of the natural phenomena; the earth, the sun, the wind & the rain.

Fig:2.1. Architect Michael Reynolds

Fig:2.2. The earthship logo

2.2. HISTORY & EVOLUTION: At the time Taos was still the “Wild West” with a pioneer spirit and no building regulations. Inspired by television news stories on the problem of trash and the lack of affordable housing, Michael created the “can brick”. Ten empty cans wired together, four flat and four un flattened, wired together to make a free brick, a free unit of space with which to build. Continuous experimentation with these ideas eventually evolved into what is now known as Earthships.

Reynolds built his first house called the ‘thumb house’ named after the unusual shape of the thumb; built of 70000 beer cans and these materials are indigenous to the entire planet, everywhere we go, they are present. Six cans were wired insulated with Al foil or cement concept of abundance of garbage especially the beer cans.

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Earthship biotecture

Fig:2.3. History & evolution concepts of the earthships

2.3. EARTHSHP CHARACTERISTICS |6 PRINCIPLES| The concept of the earthship structures are built using recycled materials, take the advantage of the natural phenomena, produce goods and uses technology creating beneficial contributions to most of the environmental problems.

Strategies like creating more roof space for catching water or the convection engine to cause the ventilation, makes the earthships more efficient, secure and less hazardous than the conventional structures.

Fig:2.4. Earthship principle representation Its 6 principles includes; |1| thermal / solar heating & cooling;

|house as a battery| Earthships are built to maintain comfortable temperatures in any climate.

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Earthship biotecture |2| solar & wind electricity; |house as a power plant| Earthships produce their own electricity with a pre-packaged photovoltaic / wind power generated system. |3| contained sewage treatment; |house as a septic tank| Earthships contain use & reuse all the household sewage in the indoor or on site & outdoor treatment cells; resulting in food production. |4| building with natural & recycle materials; |house as a by products assemblage| They make use of the indigenous materials, those occurring naturally in the local area. |5| water harvesting; |house as a water provider| They catch water from the sky & then reuse it. |6| food production; |house as the food source| Produce a significant amount of food.

2.3.1. QUALITY OF LIFE IN AN EARTHSHIP Quality of life (QOL) is the general wellbeing of individuals and societies.

It is very important to highlight that QOL has a wide range of contexts including: economic state, healthcare, education, politics, employment, environment etc. Michael Reynolds mission statement when he was founding Earthship Biotecture consisted of; |i| evolving the way humans live on this planet by evolving existing methods of living, home by home.

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Earthship biotecture |ii| making small, believable steps toward slowing down and ultimately reversing the negative impact of human development as it relates to the Earth’s ability to continue to support life. |iii| to present these steps in a way that affords easy understanding and inspires people to act. |iv| to empower people to make positive changes in their own lives to reduce their personal effect on global warming. |v| to build homes that are self reliable.

The inhabitants of an Earthship are enjoying simpler life as they are free from the utilities bills, mortgages, homeowner fees, etc. Earthships claim to be independent to food, materials or monetary system.

2.4. RADICALLY SUSTAINABLE BUILDINGS Why the earthships are called the radically sustainable buildings??? The concept of the earthship comes under the ‘sustainable dwellings’ & attaining the self – sufficiency through the materials reuse construction techniques making it more affordable for the survival of both the people and the environment.

The founder architect Mike Reynolds has defined his work of biotecture as that; ‘it does seem to us to get somewhat radical due to the fact that these are a whole lot of the established criteria for architecture at this point & it is radical to move away from that and just give it to people & planet’.

This concept has tried & trying to be made work like; fit into the regular building codes & regulations in the city level planning and multilevel structures by planning a start with the single unit structures with the knowledge of the slow process & evolution and also at the same time it also focusses on what we think; we’ll sure do it for the people and nature.

Fig:2.5. Radically sustainable section & plan of an earthship PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Earthship biotecture The reason behind the invention of ‘biotecture’ is that architects have their own codes & regulations that don’t allow us; for instance , to run the sewage through the living room; Mike & the team have designed buildings that look like an Amazon rainforest in the living room i.e., on the site with the birds flying around & fruits ready to pick and consume, nurtured by the reused grey water from the bathtub & shower. In spite the architect being accused for this, they just did it in a way that it actually work. Moreover this concept has never stopped us to change our lifestyle as we can be able to use all the luxury facilities of the needed like using the fridge, stove, television, computers & what not.

There is no person in any of the rural, suburban & urban zones; that does not need to address basic principles of biotecture and the same is needed everywhere in the world. The world needs the entire villages and the cities to lead the sustainable quality of life i.e., making an effort that reaches a step ahead of sustainability makes the concept as the radically sustainable.

Earthships are intended to be off-the grid structures with the minimal reliance in both the public and the fossil fuels. Their designs can be considered to be the future but available today. The human race will desperately need to adopt the biotecture concept to survive.

Fig:2.6. Multilevel structures illustrations

2.5. SUSTAINABILITY ISSUES & SOLUTIONS Our global population is rising & with it the poverty level and inequality of wealth in all forms, to compound these issues, the cost of living is built up.

‘If all the soldiers in all the armies in all the world put down their weapons & picked up the tools and started building sustainable structures for all the people of the world, our problems would be over and the real life for all the people would begin’- Mike Reynolds.

Humanity stands at a defining moment in history, the integration of environment & development concerns and greater attention to them will lead to the fulfilment of basic needs improved living standards for all, better protected and managed ecosystems and a safer more prosperous future.

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Earthship biotecture The 2050 the vision of the earth the earth summit; |agenda 21| is that ‘we live well , within the planet’s ecological limits. Our prosperity & healthy environment for an innovative circular economy where nothing is wasted and where the natural resources are managed sustainably & biodiversity is protected, valued & restored in ways that enhance our society’s resilience.

Fig:2.7. Humankind’s sustainable development goals

Fig:2.8. Timeline of the sustainable architecture Sustainable development aspects; the three aspects are co-related with an integrated design process is the key to build structures sustainably. The building sector generates environmental, social & economic aspects. In this way, we can pursue sustainable buildings in order not to compensate with the goals & keep reducing the environmental impact that the building sector is responsible for generating. According to the study, buildings are responsible for more than 40% of global energy consumption & for up to 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions for both the undeveloped and developed countries.

These facts tend to change in the terms of ‘how we think of buildings & construction as a society’. There is a great potential for radically reducing the above global impacts in the buildings. By practising the sustainable goals & project related to that; the modern human must then provide jobs for local workers & enable people to join and experience & be inspired to respond to the to climate change in their own ways, and all the other issues related. We should definitely be aware of all the aspects that affect the building industry during every project & focus in positive actions, aim for the better world.

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Earthship biotecture

SOCIAL ASPECTS  Work safety  Professional credit, experience  Local communities integration & regeneration  Ambience & behaviour changes  Visual impact, landscape & safety alterations

ECONOMIC ASPECTS  Property enrichment  Employment opportunities  Other sector developments  Increased transportation options  Affordable options to prospect growth

SUSTAINABLE ASPECTS

ENVIRONMENTAL ASPECTS  Natural resource consumption  Gas emissions  Waste production  Thermal & acoustic comfort  Soil contamination, occupation  Biodiversity impacts

    

INNOVATION & TRANSFERABILITY - Progress ETHICAL STANDARDS & SOCIAL INCLUSION - People RESOURCE & ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE - Planet ECONOMIC VIABILITY & COMPATIBILITY - Prosperity CONTEXTUAL & ASTHETIC IMPACT - Place

The main objective of this target issues are; sustainable locations,

water consumption efficiency, energy efficiency, indoor climate quality, material reduction & resource preservation.

Sustainable construction project; |1| project phase – adapt to passive solution |2| construction phase – detailed constructive process

EARTHSHIP BIOTECTURE

TARGET ISSUES

Sustainable construction target issues; the five target aspects tells us what sustainable construction must in tis way commit to the underlying principles of sustainability which assert that long term development of the built environment requires a balanced interplay of responsible economic, ecological & social agendas.

|3| maintenance & usage – life cycle analysis & sustainable quality of life PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Earthship biotecture

Fig:2.9. Sustainable targets & the triple bottom line illustration |4| disassemblence – all the potential recycled materials included in building & another is a waste list In this way those in charge of putting the building down will be guided about the initial thoughts, always with the respect of the environment.

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CHAPTER 3 EARTHSHIP CONCEPT

Earthship concept 3.1. RECYCLED & REPURPOSED MATERIALS Earthships contain both recycled and natural materials, Materials such as discarded tires, aluminum cans, and glass and plastic beverage bottles are generally used in building earthships. |1| Mixing old tires with compacted soil creates an exceptionally strong material suitable for outer walls and load-bearing interior walls which also acts as the disaster resilient structures and are also bomb proof.

Fig:3.1. Locally available garbage managed & upcycled by earthship |2| Adobe mud is also used for floors & reclaimed wood & metal scraps are used in the structures, tyres are recommended for the rammed earth bricks and the earthen bag structures.

Partition walls inside are the non load bearing & made of cans and bottles which are placed in layers & glued with mixture of clay, sand, straws and water are made and executed in either of the ways, 

As the framed structure |framed with wooden beams & filled with cans/bottles & mud|



Free form |without the frame providing the strength & stability| PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Earthship concept |3| Aluminium cans may be the main materials used to construct other interior walls. They even utilize discarded panels from the applainces such as the washing machines & refrigerator and several other vehicular discarded parts for the construction process.

Fig:3.2. The walls with the tyres & bottles with mud and wood |4| Earthships are built to coexist with and integrate into their surrounding natural environment. These homes have a soil thermal wrap around them, which helps regulate the interior temperature of structures. |5| Earthships often have at least two sides that are built into the earth. The roof design of Earthships enables harvesting of rainwater to divert into the structures for the further utilities. The main properties that make a material suitable for an Earthship are; 

The materials must be found locally, Indigenous,



Recycled, natural & Low energy used during fabrication or transformation,



Dense if being used for thermal mass &



Durable and resilient (if built in disaster prone zones).

Fig:3.3. Roofs with the discarded metal panels

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Earthship concept

3.2. THERMAL / SOLAR HEATING & COOLING Earthships are structures that heat and cool themselves without electric heat, burning fossil fuels or wood. 30% of all energy that is produced globally is used for heating and cooling buildings. Our planet is thermally stabilizing mass that it delivers temperature without wires & pipes, here in the concept the sun is the nuclear power plant & a source of heat itself & earth itself is the battery to heat as well. By using thermal mass and solar gain, earthships are capable of maintaining a comfortable temperature without additional fuels in any climate globally.

Fig:3.4. Thermal/solar heat & cool of the shelter The structural walls of the building are formed with used automobile tires packed tightly with earth. These thermal mass ‘bricks’ |tyres| which weigh about 300 pounds each, are pounded into place and staggered like bricks to form the load-bearing walls for the roof. The tires are also wide enough to eliminate the need for a concrete foundation. The densely packed walls, considered to be self-supporting monolithic walls, also store temperature (heat or cold) because their solidity combines them with the quality of thermal mass.

The basic idea is to surround each living space with mass on three sides and line the south side of the building with windows. Sun enters through the glass and heats up the mass of the floors and walls. In the evening/night when the air temperature drops below the stored wall temperature, heat is naturally released into the space. In the summer, with the sun high in the sky, the building stays cool with the constant temperature of the earth.

People are able to experience both the cooling with natural ventilation through buried cooling tubes and operable vent boxes.

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Earthship concept

3.3. WATER HARVESTING Earthships collect all of their water from rain and snowmelt on the roof, storing this water in cisterns |each inch of rain collected from a square foot of roof equals 2/3 of a gallon of water multiplied by the total square footage of the roof and number of inches of rain per year, resulting the total possible collection|. Water from the cistern feeds a pump and filter system that cleans the water and sends it to a solar hot water heater and also to a pressure tank.

From there, water is used for bathing, washing dishes, and laundry & other utilities of the needed.

Fig:3.5. Water harvesting through roofs & storage utilities 3.4. CONTAINED SEWAGE TREATMENT The used grey water flows to interior botanical cells, where plants use up and treat the water until its clean enough to be collected in a well at the end of the planter and pumped, on demand, to the toilet tank for flushing, |40% of water used in a conventional home is for toilet flushing|. The toilet water then goes to a conventional septic tank, which overflows into an exterior rubberlined botanical cell filled with exterior landscaping plants.

Fig:3.6. Sewage treatment cell on site PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Earthship concept These structures use and reuse all the household sewage indoor and outdoor treatment cells resulting in further food production with no pollution of aquifers.

This treatment plant does not export the sewage to a sewer system or put into the ground in this system of earthship concept. Ultimately this used water is also generated by the septic tank that could be leached into a drain nourishing the non – edible plants and trees around the earthships.

3.5. SOLAR & WIND ELECTRICITY Every building has its own renewable “power plant” with photovoltaic panels, batteries, charge controller, and inverter. The key step in making these systems affordable for residential use is to “design down” the electrical requirements of the house before the solar system is sized. Super efficient lighting, pumps, and refrigeration help lower the load, as does the lack of any need for electric heat or air conditioning. Add in daylight from the windows and skylights and a keen awareness of trickle drains and phantom loads, and an Earthship’s electrical needs are about 25% of that of a conventional house.

Most residents can meet their demand with 1KW or less of energy from solar panels. Some structures may also opt to add a small windmill to the system for stormy climates related to its geographical conditions of the site.

Fig:3.7. Solar panels in roof & a windmill representation The energy stored in the batteries and the panels are then supplied to the electrical outlets. They can even have the multiple sources of the power, all automated, including grid – intertie.

The energy generated by the sun & wind collected by the solar panels & wind turbines, in order to have the power and lights whenever is needed.

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Earthship concept 3.6. FOOD PRODUCTION Interior, in-home, organic food production is the most recent design principle added to the earthship concept. Earthship Biotecture has played a vital role in experimentation with the best plants for the interior grey-water botanical cells. The team of biotecture has also designed a mini-hydroponic planters in suspended buckets that have added vertical growing space in the greenhouses and have tremendous yields of herbs, edible plants & few possible medicinal plants and more. Aqua-botanical systems in the recent design aspects of earthship enhance the food production capabilities with fish and nutrients from their waste.

Fig:3.8. Edible plants & herbs as food production The earthship wetlands, the plants that hold hundreds of gallons of water from the sinks & the shower are a great place for raising few of the possible fresh food production.

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CHAPTER 4 LITERATURE REVIEW

Literature review 4.1. EARTHSHIP STRUCTURE TYPOLOGIES |1| The development of the structures started with the pit houses, its just a pit with a couple of tires at the top of the wall, this was the forerunner of the earthships, with a wooden beam roof, with polystyrene as insulation and this module worked quite well, becoming the beginning to incorporate tires in the construction.

Fig:4.1. Plan & sectional elevations of the pit house

Sometimes, the back wall was longer or shorter and also the pits were possible only where the earth conditions are favorable. Still the pit houses was working and experiencing fine, but Mike and his team wanted a structure that could be built all over the world; the global houses in the entire planet, so that the user could be adapted for several needed conditions. Since then there were no pit houses were built or experimented anymore, but the structure was then put on the surface and then the earth was heaped up all around |the structure is built on a slope being sunk into the slope|.

In the combination of the known techniques such as thermal mass & passive house lies the origin of the first ever designed earthships, the techniques, designs & systems have changed vastly throughout the years of developing the new models and each model improving the other. |2| The then designated ‘modular earthships’ with the two unique concepts of the ‘U’- module and the ‘O’ form which is generally named as the hut.

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Literature review The ‘O’ or the round form, the hut, are the best suitable in the tropical zones, where no solar energy is needed to be stored in the thick earth walls with the double doors & firstly; was developed as the hurricane relief projects in Honduras, the hut earthships are cooler in the summers than in the winter; the roof of the hut were firstly built with concrete dome but later the geometrical – conical roofs like prism with many different surfaces came in existence as the styles and the concepts and the use of the earthship changed over times with birdcage on its top sometimes. The hut earthship then added the greenhouse & prism roof with the skylights in construction for the replacement of the dome roof made of reinforced concrete and cement.

The structure is also earthquake proof by sticking a ring on the top & casting the entrance |doors| into the concrete and can also can be made or planned in multiple rows.

Fig:4.2. The hut form plan, sections with domed & prismatic roofs The original ‘U’- module earthship is described extensively in its earlier concepts. These structures of ‘U’ forms were best suited for the cold zones and occurs wherever solar energy needs to be stored in the walls. This structure is characterized by the tyre walls arranged in U shape with an integral greenhouse space.

In the figure, the typical floorplan of a 3U earthship is illustrated in which the middle and the right U are open to the greenhouse but the one at the left U is isolated by a wall with double doors & bathroom located at the end of the greenhouse. Sometimes according to the clients interest the hut and the U module were combined to form the unique structures.

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Literature review

Fig:4.3. The typical 3 ‘U’ floorplan & section of single ‘U’ |3| The next form of the earthship is called ‘the Nest’, which are really built with ease and even for Mike & his team to achieve the rectangular model in the simple survival structure the concept of Nest was then expanded to the term of the ‘packaged earthship’.

This model aims at simplifying & reducing the construction. Unlike the other models the tyre walls are straight with the internal walls made using the Al cans & beverage containers in the cement mortar, the windows & niches are prefabricated and the typical rectangular shape makes it possible to install the metal roof. Once the tyre wall is filled then all the prefabricated elements are put together and designed. This simple roof that slopes toward the greenhouse side of the structure and the cisterns |rainwater collective tank| are located near the earth filled tyre walls at the end of the patio. The greenhouse in the packaged earthship has the vertical glazing rather than being sloped presumably to facilitate the construction of the same.

Fig:4.4. The typical Nest model floorplan & its sectional elevation

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Literature review

Fig:4.5. The packaged earthship floorplan & section of the same |4| The most recent forms of the earthship design type was developed in the late 2000’s, was the ‘Global model earthship’ this particular structure has an angled external glazing like the one the ‘U’ module design but features a new element, a glazed partition, the wall that delineates and isolates the greenhouse space from the main living spaces, this concept enables the users to control the air flow between the two interactive spaces. The roof slopes to the rear of the earthship and has the solar powered hot pipe systems placed on the roof to melt the snow catch the rain water and the cisterns are located to the rear side of the structure in the earth berm close to the roof gutter. The other innovations in this particular structure includes the introduction of the earth tubes to each ones rooms and the spaces for the passive cooling and for the purpose of the cross ventilation. These structures also replace the traditional openable skylight |roof window| toward the rear side of the rooms, making an unique combination of the ‘U’ module and the packaged earthship as the whole completed structure is well suited for the varied climatic & geographical conditions and the global model earthship becomes helpful for framing the codes, design standards and regulations for these earthship structures.

Fig:4.6. The global model earthship floorplan & sectional view PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Literature review |5| The other uniquely designed earthship forms includes ‘the Nautilus earthship’ and this design was based on the ‘Fibonacci series’ and the floor plan resembles a chambered Nautilus shell. It was built from the ground up on a lava rock site with rammed earth tyres sheathed in straw bales. The spiral shaped floor plan wraps around a bedroom loft with a fireplace. The tyre wall bends back in reverse to form a cistern for water storage.

Fig:4.7. The floorplan, exterior & interior views of the Nautilus earthship |6| The ‘Hybrid model Earthship’ combines the simplicity of the packaged earthship with the sculptural qualities of the modular earthship. The round bedroom is a hut earthship module and could be built as a small stand-alone shelter for disaster relief or built and later added on to. The Hybrid model also marked the beginning of experimenting with the double greenhouse concept.

The outer angled glass provides an area for water treatment and food production while also creating a thermal buffer between the inside living space and the outside temperature at the same time. |7| The ‘split level earthship’ are then formed as the double storey structures and having the multiple room options and the purpose of it changes according to the user needs and choices. This particular double level structures are made in response as the solution for the beginning of the multi level planning aspects in order to design a city, a suburb or a community space with the concept of the earthship biotecture.

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the hut

Literature review

the U module

the disaster relief structures

the packaged

the phoenix U model earthship

the global model

the prefabricated model with vertical glazing

the standard universal structure

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the combined modular form

the split level

the hybrid model

Literature review

the Nautilus

the multilevel solution

the unique model of Fibonacci series Fig:4.8. Various types of earthships & their characteristics 4.2. VARIOUS BUILDING APPROACHES Apart from just being focusing & experimenting their building techniques in the shelter models, the earthship concept has also accomplished the other building typologies like schools, embassies, community center, & other special types of structures that includes the effective use of the earthship principles following the innovative structural forms and concepts all over the world. The team so far have also designed the principle elements for the energy regeneration & in the ecology and plantation working process.

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Literature review |1| The sustainable Public school, Uruguay|2016| Seeking to combine traditional education with the responsible use of resources and the development of sustainable human relations, the first sustainable public school in Latin America was created. The project was simple and was just completed within a month and the materials were funded by few Uruguayan sponsors and the local community that pulled together to source all the repurposed materials to be used in this packaged model earthship effectively. This sustainable rural school building is built in 270 sq.m of area coverage, made with 60% of the recycled materials & 40% of the traditional or the locally available materials.

Fig:4.9. The plan, sectional & external elevation of the rural school The surroundings were sensitive to the orientations, opening to the north to make the most of light and solar energy through a wide glass corridor that acts as a distributor of the three classrooms and two wings of the school, projecting to the exterior a simple and forceful facade dominated by glass and wood.

The north corridor, in turn, enables the production of food through an interior garden. Electrical energy is generated from photovoltaic panels and a central energy storage. To the south, the building is enclosed with a thick retaining wall made of roofs filled with sand & compacted gravel containing the sand and earth slope at the back of the building. In addition to increasing the thermal inertia, allows covering the whole system of reserve and collection of rainwater coming from the cover, besides implementing a sequence of tubes that from natural convective processes, generating cross circulation of fresh air in the summer through the classroom. In winter, the pipes can be closed and the heat generated by the greenhouse effect of the north corridor allows air conditioning in the classrooms. The school also uses rainwater for human consumption in the sinks, irrigation of the edible plants & finally to the cisterns. The school also counts on a process of treatment of black water which includes a septic tank also created with recycled materials |in this case tractor coverings| & a wet zone on the exterior of the building.

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Literature review

Fig:4.10. The interior & exterior view of classroom & the school This school has received the international attention & the sustainability appreciation and an inspiring concept to make the other school buildings in biotecture from various regions globally. |2| School of music & arts of Rapa Nui, Toki, Easter Island |2014| The dream and the aim of creating a free school of music, building a better future and to develop a cultural space to preserve & promote the music, the performing arts & the traditions of Rapa Nui. The idea of the same originated and was framed for the school of music & arts, environmental protection, social protection & cultural preservation of the ancestral legacy |the Toki|.

Building a radically sustainable school for the children learning music & arts in the Easter Island and was mainly focused on the solutions for; |i| Pollution, |ii| Isolation, |iii| Education, |iv| Lack of identity, |v| Borrowed classrooms & |vi| Expanding coverage

Fig:4.11. The views of the music & arts school of Rapa Nui PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Literature review Mike and his team planned & drew the it in the shape of a flower that would house the Toki music school, the building was conceived as a flower with eight petals. A self-sufficient and ecological building and in its construction ten tons of cartons and six pellets, 1,500 tires, 30,000 aluminum cans and 20,000 glass bottles were reused. It generates energy with solar panels and recycles rainwater with storage tanks and botanical cells which has made the structure a totally off the grid solution in the Island.

Fig:4.12. The flower shaped plan & construction of the school

|3| Earthship village ecologies |EVE|, an earthship that geared towards housing a community rather than an individual or the family survival, an idyllic structure where the academic students & interns of the biotecture live, work & grow their own food in this massive house and can hold as the high density community for 25 people and is located on the world’s first sustainable development testing site where the process of research in biotecture is experimented and done.

Fig:4.13. The internal and external views of the EVE PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Literature review The EVE is the two storey building impressive in size & has a cathedral like feel to it. The walls are almost entirely covered with the empty reused bottles & cans, creating a stained glass effect throughout the building joining the office spaces to the east & the classrooms on the west with the lovely sinous curves & its embellishment that it stood unfinished for years & still is being in the process of under construction as it allowed Mike and his team to research & test the sustainable housing on a two acre plot within the earthship biotecture as the result the EVE was never fully finished.

The massive arched windows helps to flood the main room in the natural light & are made with the marine grade plastic instead of the glass; ‘EVE’ designed as an urban housing environment, made up of a five studio apartment that share a communal living space. The only structure in the R.E.A.C.H. community that faces the southwest instead of the direct south; in an effort to pick the most light from the sunsets.

Fig:4.14. The other EVE castle earthship with double glazed facade |4| Goderich Waldorf school, Sierra Leone, Freetown |2011| Mike & his small team has done the construction of a Waldorf school for the local school children in Freetown. The floor plan for this building was based on an 8 petaled flower making each petal a classroom. A ‘U’ shaped clay building with the vaulted roof was created using the biotecture principles of the earthship made of the repurposed tyres, cans, & plastic bottles and in the future the students will be educated and the locals have also been educated to replicate the similar modules for the future projects of the school.

Fig:4.15. The vault roof structure of the Waldorf school

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Literature review |5| Community center in Kapita, Malawi |2013| The community center for the remote village in the rural Malawi, collaborating with the NGO Malawi to empower the earthship biotecture and the crew aimed to train & educate & the locals in implementing more sustainability building principles & lifestyle of the same.

Fig:4.16. The construction of the community hub at Malawi

The eight room building made of the reused tyres, resistant to the natural disasters. The petaled structure utilizes the water catchment that is filtered for good source of water to consume & also does the black waste management.

This community center currently houses a bank, a nursery school, community hall, a library, women centers along with the toilet and other needed facilities for the community hub.

4.3. COMFORT IN VARIED CLIMATE Earthships can be built in any part of the of the world; suited in varied climate |with permit|. Earthships are the thermal mass shelters firstly & secondly are the passive solar structures.

Whatever the temperature goes in the earthship, it will hold a passive solar concept; it is comfortable & interacts only with the sun and the earth for both the warmth and the coolness, providing the stable comfortable year round in varied climate.

The earth |the thermal mass| & the sun |nuclear power| are the two sources of the temperature delivers without wires or pipes. Harnessing the power of the sun; passive solar design, the major focus of the earthship is the effect of the sun on it. During the summer, the sun can heat the shelter but may make it too hot & during the winter it needs to conserve the energy, the direction of the earthship faces is incredibly important as it dictates how much of the sun’s energy that it can harvest or avoid???. The solution to this, the seasonal differences is the passive solar design.

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Literature review This concept also uses floors, windows, walls of the surfaces to absorb, store & distribute the solar energy in the winter; conversely it does the opposite during the summer as it rejects the heat wherever possible. The sun’s warmth is not only for heating the shelter, also provides electrical energy using the solar panels, as the structures strive to be as off the grid as possible, this makes the solar energy essential in achieving the energy sustainably.

the ecology

the botanical

the seasonal Fig:4.17. The typical earthship climate control & environmental function The understanding elements here are the thermal mass, insulation, heating, cooling & ventilation; The warmth; if we are in the need of the heat, we admit to the sun; the sun heats up the mass |tyres filled with dirt| & the mass stores the heat & the insulation wont let it to escape. The more the thermal mass, the more storage capacity. When there is no sun, the heat stored in the mass radiates into the space, for heat travels to the cooler direction.

Fig:4.18. The warmth in earthship

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Literature review The coolness; If we need to experience the coolness, we admit to the cooler earth temperature & block the sun. The cool mass of the earth connects with the mass of the mass of the shelter; is then absorbed into the shelter mass & leaks into the living space. This is like hooking a big battery |the earth| upto the smaller battery |the shelter|, the thermal mass of both the earth & the shelter is a storage battery for the needed temperature.

Insulation & thermal mass; in the recent years, people have recognized the fact that insulation can help keep the temperature in a shelter, however, it neither collects nor stores the temperature. It simply blocks the passage of the temperature in the shelter from inside to out & does the vice versa.

The good insulation has millions of the tiny air spaces and these tends to slow up the movement of the temperature by causing it to pass from one air space to the other as it is opposed to move easily through the unobstructed dense mass.

The examples for the dense mass are stone, water, compact earth and concrete.

Fig:4.19. The elements well suits in the earthship concept

There is a major difference between the mass & insulation as denser means no voids or the air spaces, the more denser the mass, the more temperature it holds.

Theis density actually acts as a conduit for temperature in structures of varied climate & geographical condition that are related globally. The comfort necessities are all available within the framework of a certain ‘rhythm’ in the earthship by simply adapting our basic needs to the already existing activities of our planet.

Air circulation |ventilation|; the warm air can escape through the skylights of the roof lights of varied building types, which are operated by the cable. The upward escaping warm air pulls the cooler air on the ground |comes through an air duct from the shadow side|. So that in the summer the pleasant light breeze is experienced.

Fig:4.20. The air circulation system

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Literature review

Fig:4.21. The overall concept of lighting & ventilation in the earthship In the earthship the outer few of the earth berm heats up & cools off in response to the surface weather. However in the earth, about 4; & beyond the temperature is more constant |around 58 degrees| in this condition in any geographical region the earth can be used to both cool and stabilize the temperature whenever the structure is appropriately designed following the needed principle elements of the earthship.

Therefore these structures also looks like any conventional structure & is still sustainable in terms of the economic & energy efficiency.

Because of the two sources, the sun & the earth interacts with the earthship a little or no fossil fuels are required to maintain a comfortable and a stable temperature in any climate.

The greenhouse windows at the front of the shelter facing the south direction allowing the sun to heat the thermal mass during the day time. The thermal mass operates the heat sink absorbing the heat Fig:4.22. The day & night comfort in the sloped & vertical glazing when the interior cools & is insulating when the interior needs warmth. The earthship is such a designed vessel to sail with the focus that exist beyond the human control & exploitation |radical sustainability|.

Fig:4.23. The seasonal solar gain Earthship & heat regulation : sunny side = window front : in the vertical & sloped glazing solar energy in summer - geothermal energy in winter

Fig:4.24. The solar gain & lighting through planning aspects of earthship PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Literature review 4.4. DESIGN STANDARDS & GUIDELINES |GLOBAL & INDIA| The obstacles that the team & their pioneer architect Mike have had to overcome with the earthship projects when moving in counter to the restrictions & building codes of any city across the globe.

In general the building codes were introduced a long ago to protect the people but their protection has itself grown to be in chocking situations.

In earthship biotecture they stepped out of the regular codes & design standards & aimed to create a revolution of its concept globally.

In all the previously explained case examples of various building approaches other than housing, those designs were able to pursue the methods of sustenance for people without the incongruence of those regular building codes.

These earthships design tries to satisfy two things at once; firstly to make earthship concept work & fit into the regular codes & regulations in metropolitan zones as much as possible, knowing that it slows down its process & evolution; secondly, because the architects especially have their own design standards as the outcome is as invents with the perfect reasons namely ‘biotecture’.

Permits & legality; Building earthship : an ecocentric method of construction The legality of earthships to be built and any subsequent permit requirements are exactly to be determined by construction standards & zoning regulations of any particular area where the site depends. The proposal is always prepared and done according to the local zoning board and on its condition basis. According to earthship standards, the structure that meets the building codes is called global model. These structures creates their identity and concepts to reach beyond the rewards & ratings of any sustainable certified authorities all across the world justly by leading the off grid simple survival practises & lives.

One of the main reasons, that why sustainable projects in 1970’s have not been successful is because the architects underestimated the 3 limitations related to health, social condition, maintenance & renewal which contributed in casting their projects.

Fig:4.25. Earth + ship = earthships are the ships to sail on the seas of tomorrow PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Literature review Design standards: options & planning; |1| a cabin / single bedroom / nest model applicable for simple survival, a minimum application of approximately 600 sq.ft & is easy to add any extra part to the building later, for example one bedroom of approximately 800 sq.ft or above or lesser or the exact ones which is nearly matched with the regular standards of typical affordable structure in the architectural building codes.

Fig:4.26. The single & the double bedroom option & standards

|2| two bedroom option; designed approximate of 800 to 1000 sq.ft and a minimum sized two bedroom unit later on increased in size by 2’ horizontally in the east or west direction. In order to maintain the high performance both in terms of function and cost the extend of the structure is considered accordingly in further situations.

But no increase in the structures mass is recommended in the north south direction as they are meant to receive climatic responses.

Fig:4.27. The garage option plan & the tailored plan |3| three bedroom / garage / tailored option; many options are possible as the above plans illustrates an airlock that can work in any concept of typical earthship plan; there may be an added work space or office space with or without the airlock in any plans. The another option illustrates the open end which is sometimes desired for the view or outdoor orientation and it can facilitate a phased building approach or a duplex situation horizontally.

Fig:4.28. The open end plan & the duplex option plan PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Literature review |4| with multiple space option; illustrating the masonry buttresses that are necessary on the north walls when full height tyre walls are necessary in instances when the building cannot be recessed into earth because of rock or high water tables. These buttresses tyre walls act as the thermal mass when needed in cold or hot climates.

The other one is with the split level option of four bedrooms comprised with basic space requirements of housing that is approximately built in 2000 to 3354 sq.ft.

Fig:4.29. The tyre buttresses & the split level option plans |5| shells & systems; the building is totally finished on the outside walls with all the functional systems and no interior works is done except that which is necessary to get the systems working inside; in this planning types the requirements and the interior finishes are left up to to the building landholder to accomplish their own local talent and significantly saves on the cost investments on building purposes.

Solar survival architecture; the architectural approval phase of the earthship concepts, that permits the building standards which along with planning requirements also includes the structural & mechanical details from initiating the services for the site consultation and preparing even the vertical face drawings for the approval.

These above design standards option gives us the clear ideas about the most energy efficient, economical and the easiest methods to build the earthsips in accordance to its planning aspects.

4.5. EARTHSHIP CONSTRUCTION TECHNIQUES stages of building an earthship; project & obtaining permits: when designing an earthship as with many building, we must take into account, the local conditions and always have to check with local building code development, expectations & possibilities & then to obtain permits that can be cumbersome |weird| & expensive or not by applicable building laws.

The payments for design, drawings & construction should be done according to the solar survival architecture design standards.

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Literature review Construction + design of an earthship; |i| choosing & excavating the site; one of the important factors to consider while making an earthship is the angle & direction of the sun /solar cover; excavating the soil from the chosen site by digging about 5’ or more into the ground; as the depth of the foundation will depend on climate condition of our chosen location geography. The deeper the foundation excavated, the soil will be used for fitting the tyres.

Fig:4.30. The construction details of foundation, loads & directions |ii| choosing the right construction materials; while choosing the materials, its important to consider the local availability with the budget as the materials shall cost as little as possible. In wet climates, roofing materials that prevents the leakage shall be considered and the materials ideal for temperature regulations are also important. |iii| making foundation & outer walls; at the same locations, tyres are used as the fundamental building materials and it starts laying them out & thermal insulation is placed on it followed by the water insulation & plaster and pain at the end as the exterior finishes. |iv| making interiors; after the outside walls are done, the interior walls are to be constructed and they should be made depending on the needs & number of rooms and the required spaces. For the stronger walls, the stacked tyres can be filled with earth.

Fig:4.31. The working mechanism of the exterior cum interior spaces |v| roofing; trusses can be erected first with two or more metal poles or wooden beams to form a series of triangles, the roofing materials like dried grass, wooden beams or tin cans can be used for effective roofing and its execution is provided with the waterproof ply woods, panels or boards is covered with a membrane that does not react with water especially to receive the clear rainwater.

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Literature review |vi| water production in an earthship; the structure is made to catch all the water around them from rain or snowfall, the slanted wall makes sure the water is directed towards the back part of the house where it is then directed into the cistern |storage tank| by the gutter with a sieve to catch the any solid particles present in the water harvested.

Fig:4.32. The roofing & water catchment systems during construction |vii| energy production, saving, regeneration & miscellaneous; the floor of thermally insulated from the ground or insulation of the floor from moisture depending upon the climatic condition of the site.

Insertion of the windows filling the holes between tyres & construction of the partition walls that are mostly could be built from Al cans bonded with cement creating a regular solid structure.

Grey & black water openings can be dug manually or mechanically.

Fig:4.33. The waste water treatment system to make the productive plantation

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Literature review Installation of the solar panels, windmills or water turbines depending on the design & connect them to the main panels located inside the building.

Fig:4.34. The power and energy source and its mechanism in earthship The Dynasphere is the 4th generation vertical axis windmill designed by Michael Reynolds, they have 1.5 kw, generators & can produce electricity at low speeds relatively, also reliable & need very little maintenance.

Fig:4.35. The windmill Dynasphere fitted to the earthships

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CHAPTER 5 CASE STUDY

Case study 5.1. NET CASE STUDIES |i| The R.E.A.C.H. community, Mexico |origin of earthships| |ii| Peurto Rico, the earthship embassy |disaster relief| |iii| AARDHIUIS olst |inspiration| 5.1.1. THE R.E.A.C.H. COMMUNITY, MEXICO The Earthship Greater World Community is a welcoming community founded with sustainable concepts and the following objectives: • To reduce the economic and institutional barriers between humans and their habitat.

• To reverse the overall negative effect that conventional human housing has on this planet.

• To create a less stressful plane of existence for humans in an effort to reduce the stress that they in turn place on the planet and each other.

• To interface economics and ecology in a way that immediately and tangibly affects current pressing problems with life on earth.

• To provide a direction for those who want to live in peace with each other and their environment.

• To empower individuals with the unarguable forces of nature as opposed to incapacitating them with the smothering forces of politics and bureaucracy.

• To find & distribute the appropriate soil from which the flower of humanity can bloom.

• To evolve humanity into an earthen harmony already exemplified by more evolved structures such as plants, animals and water.

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Case study Earthship characteristics specific to Greater World Earthship community; |1| manufacturing own bio-diesel fuel |2| commonly owned community land |3| minimal automobile impact |3| slow growth, 20 year plan A sustainable community which contributes to its surroundings in the world at large and is constantly reinforcing the strength of its own existence. Since most of the earthships are singular in their focus on sustainability, this community is of particular interest due to the fact that it is a conglomeration cohousing philosophy.

The background details; Location: Taos, New Mexico Area: 634 acre including test sites Became a legal subdivision in 1998.

First and only approved utility free subdivision in the developed world |completely off the grid|.

Fig:5.1. The site view & site plan A grand pit reclamation project in which a water catch system and reuse system combines with permaculture techniques to trap & direct surface water run off in order to demonstrate how to rejuvenate / reclaim a formerly worthless piece of discarded land.

The site of total cover area of 634 acre, in which 347 acre is common & a natural park land, currently erected over 130 housing units & over 70 families of the native and non natives of the place are experiencing a total off grid living.

79 standard houses site, |5 acre mean| 42 affordable houses site, |3 acre mean| 9 houses / light commercial sites.

Fig:5.2. The site location & exterior view PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Case study Four phases of development to occur over 20 years of sites span, The phase 1 involves; housing & recreation area obtaining amphitheatre, sport park & basketball court, one major through road & several smaller arteries along with the hiking & horseback riding trials.

The phase 2, 3 & 4 involves; the public education facilities & sustainable living institute.

Social factors: |1| Land administered by I board of the city central of directors elected by community at large. |2| privately owned land / public owned land produce sense of connectivity while preserving its original identity. |3| attainable living through the provision of ; |a| different size land lots |b| various densities |c| owner or the holders participation |d| growing own food |e| recycling |f| elimination of mass utilities

Fig:5.3. The site as an inspiration

|g| also eliminating the unnecessary infrastructure Economic factors: |1| provision of custom high & affordable housing solution |2| light commercial area to promote & encourage ‘cottage industries’ & office / studio space to accommodate

Fig:5.4. The adaptable structures

future growth. |3| no public funding = actual community employment created from one region to greater world.

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Case study Environmental stewardship: International institute for sustainable living with the public education facility planned for the direction of the interested DIY |do it yourself| projects with the research available globally.

The site covers all the trial & error models of the typical earthships and each has their uniqueness and has also been the great examples to fix the biotecture standards to be built easily. The site also involves the survival models for the students & the workers and trainees those who are interested in research & work process of the earthship models & concepts in this way creating & maintaining the environmental stewardship in sustainable aspects.

5.1.2. PUERTO RICO |DISASTER RELIEF| Puerto Rico; the earthship embassy A community center focussing on the education of sustainable practises, a community center facing the future disasters.

Project details; Location: Aguada, Puerto Rico Island, a Caribbean Island Under construction project to be completed at mid of 2021.

An example of autonomous architecture providing security & self reliance

Fig:5.5. The site location & plan of the earthship embassy The five domed spaces will serve as a library, music school, audio visuals, classroom & an office.

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Case study In September 2017, Puerto Rico was hit by Hurricane Maria, creating devastation, destroying homes and leaving thousands of people without water and electricity. Biotecture Planet Earth and Earthship Biotecture are getting ready to build a first disaster relief demonstration building to be used as shelter in Puerto Rico. It was then the project phases started to construct a community center in 2018.

The incorporation of six principles provides the independence from often unreliable corporate & government entities.

This project specially focusses on the building finishes with different recycled materials, with the hut model molded with tyres & concrete in the place of mud & also has the dome roofs.

Fig:5.6. The sectional view & the model series The ultimate is to offer an example of safe autonomous & hurricane resistant architecture to help the locals to create a resilient future in the Island.

A person can use the building as a school, community center which will promote all the aspects of sustainable living & disaster resistant.

Fig:5.7. The planning phases & the view of the structures & materials used About biotecture planet earth; It is a registered non – profit organization formed with goal of expanding the use of affordable, resilient & sustainable buildings around the world.

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Case study While educating the public about biotecture, construction & functionality of these buildings and also these systems in parallel was formed with the starting phases of this Island project.

Biotecture planet earth mission statement, Building stronger, resilient & economic structure in a place where natural disasters are likely to strike frequently and to give people, the power & knowledge to help & contribute among themselves and others.

The contribution to this non – profit organization are generally tax deductible to extent, permitted by law.

5.1.3. AARDHIUIS OLST |INSPIRATION| European sustainable architecture was a remarkable niche movement in 1970’s, during their crisis for oil & several other natural resources. They could not do many experimental projects, both in today & during 1970’s in order to succeed in finding innovative solution, the architect has to play different roles such as researchers, technologist, engineer, DIY builders, theorist, facilitator, project managing & developers and were multitasking for huge ideas.

They researched & experimented & also explored the role of contemporary Dutch architects regarding the urban circular economy in the built environment.

Roles of an architect designing the solar homes, self resilient structures in terms of energy, food & reuse of the materials.

Fig:5.8. The image representation of an autonomous community & the community in the suburbs

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Case study Then the concept of the earthships were inspired & the research were done according to the Dutch practice & culture & the project ‘olst’ meaning housing was developed & completed in the year 2012. The culture of Aardhiuizen members were residing in the dwellings then.

Aardhuis Olst comprises of 23 earthships 12 of which have walls made from car tyres filled with compacted earth. This construction method is in concurrence with the first earthship constructed in the 1970s by architect Michael Reynolds in New Mexico.

It is a way of upcycling waste materials |but can also be seen as a way of introducing materials previously alien to the local environment|.

The layout of the almost completely realised (2012) ecovillage in Olst with all the buildings angled south, facing the sun.

Fig:5.9. The site plan & zoning of the community On the north side the earthships are covered by an earth bank. There is one vacant lot (VL) for the last two-family dwelling. The strict order is reminiscent of New Objectivity projects and very useful in not wasting space. There is room for parking (P) near the entrance as the earthships can only be reached on foot or bicycle. At the hart sits a work and living commune dubbed the Middle House (MH). The earthships have 2, 3 or 4 housing units each. Next to the houses an area has been set aside for permaculture gardens (PCG) and a public park (PP).

Discarded materials & local building materials determine the buildings designed for the off grid living.

Architect Mike & post to Orio architects has modified the design to meet the Dutch conditions |rain, temperature throughout the year|.

In this plan, 12 structures have the tyre walls filled with rammed earth with supporting roofs, the other 11 structures are built with the straw walls with a wooden frame supporting the roof. The roofs are generally slanted at 9 degrees to catch a maximum sun in winter & little sun in hotter days.

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Case study A unique European project, an eco district of 23 earthships. In this 9 houses will be having the domes covering the stairs interior & serve as the domed roofs with the diameter of more than 5 m, they consist of wooden parts in aviator shape.

Fig:5.10. The exterior view & the roofs of the community

Building materials, tyres, scrap wood, straw, cob & earth plasters, materials used in construction were sourced from within 50 km of the site radius.

These structures have the surface area varying from 78 sq,m to 168 sq.m. materials for the floor insulation is recycled EPS, roof insulation, hemp is used & sound insulation with hemp & metisse and the timber frame with infilled straw.

Fig:5.11. The materials used exterior & interior of the olst Warmth; All buildings have a characteristic south-facing glass façade.

Thermal mass is created by the tire walls and floors. Earthships in the Netherlands need to be optimally isolated. The Energy Performance Coefficients (EPC) is zero to almost zero (with small variations among the houses, depending on materials uses). An earthship needs less extra heating than a conventional building. Extra heat is created by mass heaters, economic wooden stoves or heat pumps. Most buildings use natural ventilation through lattices at the front and roof-windows at the back of the buildings.

Water; In Olst, groundwater is pumped & filtered to drinking water that meets the safety regulations, the waste water is filtered by a reed filter released into the surface water, consists a sort of composting toilet systems which keeps the minerals in the local areas used at the terrains. Community building is connected to regular sewage system.

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Case study Electricity; All PV-panels on the 23 houses and the community building supply ample electricity for all needs. All buildings are connected to the power grid, using it as a battery; on sunny days there is a surplus, on cloudy days we use the power-grid when needed.

Green; the slopes at north side of the site, the green, infrastructure & varied plants makes the gradual zone between village houses & fields by using half paved roads & natural paths, they also present an alternative to conventional hard material roads & contribute to water management. The modest street lights help protect the ecological values of darkness.

Fig:5.12. The roof top solar gain view 5.2. CASE STUDY Earthship KARUNA |Indian context| 5.2.1. the earthship KARUNA, The single hut model located at Kodaikanal, India, inside the Karuna farm.

There are many options that can be plugged into a traditional structure/ house, an earthship is a complete sustainable solution for living, i.e., Earthship Karuna is a luxury house with low carbon foot print for the building process & also lower the environmental impact, over the decades of life of the building.

100% self sufficient, no heating or cooling system and the structure is powered by a 1 kw solar photovoltaic power system.

Fig:5.13. The karuna hut earthship & its location in the farm

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Case study In this model the water is heated by solar collectors & stored in super insulated tanks. In the regular days water is piped in at around 70 degree and is perfect source for a hot bath at zero cost.

Unlike the other earthships at foreign zones, this hut looks with the roof of Indian Manglore tiles & mud plastered exterior with the luxurious interior.

Fig:5.14. The other hut in the farm & the interior of the earthship British architect Alex Leeor, a highly sustainable housing style is the first of its kind in mainland India.

The house has a guttering system that can harvest & can store over 30 k litres of rainwater.

Totally solar powered, 6 panels that provide enough electricity in all the seasons.

The 1200 sq.ft project does not use the power from the national grid.

The roof that can be opened or closed to allow proper airflow & for heating & cooling, the tyre sewage system, that is self contained and requires no maintenance, the house that is earthquake resistant as it has no foundation & fits to the terrain land beneath it |rooted in the earth|.

Fig:5.15. The construction process of the earthship Karuna PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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CHAPTER 6 SPECIAL STUDY

Special study 6.1. OFF-GRID LIVING COMMUNITIES |URBAN, SUBURBAN & RURAL LEVEL| What is living off the grid? It’s all about sustainable living and renewable energy. But what does it really mean? Is it just a term? Is there some secret mysterious explanation? Is it simply opinion or choice of living?

For few people, being off the grid may mean simply being disconnected from the power grid, while for others, they may have the opinion that to be “truly off the grid” they must disconnect from all utilities and live a completely selfsufficient lifestyle, free from reliance on public sources of utilities, food, or housing. Both the statements are correct to their choice of living accordingly.

Sometimes this term is confused with the statements like primitive living, escaping the system, survival & preparedness, sustainable life and off the electrical grids. In fact these above choices and statements may vary when it comes to the idea of leading an off the grid lifestyle at three different zones like the; the urban, the suburban & the rural level. |a| The urban level; Off-grid housing & living is almost always relegated to remote or rural areas due to strict urban building codes and access to affordable land, but sometimes self-contained structures pop up in parks, on rooftops and in canals or the owners of more conventional city dwellings simply cut the cord. There are already a lot of different ways to go off-grid in the city, most explored by necessity due to poverty, others seeking a more sustainable way of life without giving up community and convenience.

Reclaiming the rooftop space atop urban structures isn’t a new idea, The structure horseshoes around an existing elevator core, which warms the space passively, and gets its power from solar panels is the new one trending off grid solution in urban zones.

Fig:6.1. The idea of rooftop off grid dwellings

Bivouac is a pop-up campsite rotating to different rooftop spots around the cities. It’s entirely free, and an interesting concept, though wondering what the idea says about accessing urban spaces when you’re well-off just for fun versus the tent cities created by & for the homeless provided with all the needed facilities.

Fig:6.2. The idea of bivouac in rooftop PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Special study

Fig:6.3. The idea of off grid urban block

An off grid urban block idea, complex of living spaces inspired by rolling hills, with vegetation-covered roofs, solar panels, wind turbines, and passive solar louvers covering the building’s glass facades to regulate heat.

The block to have its own rooftop water catchment system, a greenhouse, a pool and other communal required spaces for a community to be.

Fig:6.4. The idea of off grid urban forest house, urban bath space & the neighbourhood town |b| The suburban level; It’s just not too difficult to become completely self-sufficient or off the grid in the suburbs. But we can definitely increase our self-sufficiency by leaps and bounds if we carefully navigate regulations. Some of its pros generally includes the access to the supplies needed as it is the mix of both the city & village together, collective waste products for useful purposes, livestock option & money making opportunities are of huge in hands of people leading an off grid life in the suburban region. While going completely offgrid in the middle of a suburb isn’t cost effective, using solar power that’s grid-tied and can benefit from net metering is a popular choice.

Fig:6.5. The solar power concept & aesthetic & infrastructure regulations in suburban level Planned suburban communities and housing complexes with the proper management & maintenance have fairly a strict aesthetical regulations which may affect the people choice of having the backyard space compromising with the views & height limits.

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Special study The infrastructure regulations, suburban areas often have lots of rules about things like installing fences, sheds, trellis, ponds etc,… which may often result in the longer duration of completing the projects in such areas and the other one is the neighborhood challenge as not all people are similar when it comes to appreciate that each off grid principle that may suit well to the community that they own & live. |c| The rural level; It usually involves surviving in a rural area with enough land to become totally self-sufficient but with both having the benefit & the drawbacks. The benefits having the cheaper land access, fewer legal regulations, easier inspection & the off the grid options as the rural land or properties don’t have access to city amenities like public water. They may or may not have electricity. Sewage is usually handled by the property or the land owner, such as with a septic tank. The lack of infrastructure and tie-ins with public utilities leaves more room to implement off grid water systems and other ‘green’ solutions. Water collection or access points such as irrigation ponds, well digging, or spring tapping likely still require permitting. Yet, as long as we as the people in rural or remote areas have reasonable plans for construction, the process is usually simple and is also completed quicker than the projects done in the urban or in the suburban zones.

Fig:6.6. The off grid design principles used in the rural zones 6.2. LIFE CYCLE ANALYSIS OF AN EARTHSHIP Life cycle analysis or the cradle to grave analysis of an earthship, it is the compilation & evaluation of inputs and outputs and the potential environmental impacts of any product or building systems throughout its lifespan.

The concept of earthships are however not without any challenges. Among them which includes the issues relating to compliance with building regulations, life cycle issues, applicability of urban or suburban context and its suitability in climates other than where the structure has got their origin & evolution globally.

Life cycle issues; the earthship buildings rely on the up to date technology such as the batteries & solar panels which eventually needs to be monitored & replaced.

Here in this the water system relies on tanks, pumps & filters.

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Special study Also the pressure tank & the wastewater system requires a significant amount of space, materials & regular maintenance to work effectively. These are the amenities that houses connected to typical infrastructure do not need. The materials used to construct an earthship are quite unusual as often related to the onsite and offsite repurposed & upcycled waste & scraps and are also little known about the expected lifespan.

Fig:6.7. The concept meet of biotecture & LCA terms The life cycle analysis of the earthship structures is generally to have a clear understanding & comparison of the environmental benefits & impacts of its lifecycle including the construction, its use in operation & end of life |recycling & demolition| to that of the other conventional construction methods, utilities & building systems.

Fig:6.8. The whole house classification regarding the grid & off grid construction elements PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Special study Using the global model earthship as the basis of the study of the life cycle analysis of those structures having compared to the other thermal envelope constructions according to the terms of materials & process as discussed above in the figure 6.8 gives us the unexpected outcome that the earthships in their construction life cycle stage having the lesser degree of end of life (EOL) i.e., the satisfying part of cradle to cradle rather being in the process of cradle to grave.

In the up to date results of the study it has been found that various external wall construction materials had a wide range of impacts & as expected the earthship which uses large amount of the earth cover & reuses materials which are highly recyclable at their end of life performs well when compared to the other mudbrick structures of using the same amount of the earth for construction. Also the environmental impact of the thermal Fig:6.9. The cradle to cradle & envelope of the eathship was the cradle to grave concept highest than all the thermal envelope types that were evaluated during analysis however when the greenhouse & the earth berm were not included & by reducing the quantity of the concrete by modifying the can filled walls to use adobe mortar instead of cement mortar & by using the short stub tyre walls instead of the concrete buttresses, the environmental impact of the earthship thermal envelope was resulted as half the second lowest of all the other construction evaluated without affecting the maintenance, performance & occupancy stage impacts having the minor material changes, not a radical redesign but one single process.

Fig:6.10. Open lifecycle house leading to loss of embodied energy & Closed lifecycle house leading to the renewable output of the house PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Special study Then here also lies the design challenges of balancing the embodied energy of construction materials with the operational energy use & the challenge becomes far greater as the need for heating & cooling diminishes because this increases the relative impact of choices regarding the material selection.

Another importance is given to the water supply, energy & the waste water and the significant benefit arising from the off grid water supply & to a lesser extent the off grid waste water system, is generally due to the energy use associated with the provision of potable water & disposal of waste water both of which requires a significant quantities of energy to pump water & waste water over long distances. In general the fact that the assumed lifespan of any building is of up to 50 years & the study & analysis related to the voices of the earthship occupants up until today are that they are very satisfied with the amenities that the off grid systems provide despite the fact that they require maintenance & behaviour changes. The limits that the earthship’s off grid systems impose ensure that overall resource use is not excessive, yet they are adequate & at times abundant, provisions for the occupants allowing them to live in comfort with the with the modern conveniences & boosting the principles of the earthships effectively. The implications of these above results are that the design efforts should focus on minimizing the use stages impacts if it is expected that the structure will have a long lifespan & conversely the structures that are expected to have shorter lifespan should use the construction materials with low embodied energy & its processes maximizes the probability of reuse & recycling potential. Hence we designers should prioritize the design criteria to aim for the dwellings that requires the little or no heating or cooling & they be self sufficient in energy, water, & waste water treatment using minimal, small scale, off grid systems as per the global model earthship archetype as the materials used in this dwelling achievement are of less concerned but are still important.

6.2.1. Why the earthship survival is advantageous??? |a| Can be built on steep slopes to make multi-story structures; Earthships are well suited to locations that would make a traditional approach difficult, if not impossible, without proper road access. In fact, if we have even a steep slop we can build with minimal excavation, and then step up with the slope to build the next level.

Fig:6.11. Earthships on the steep slopes

In this way we can build an unlimited number of floors to one house that are connected by a staircase at the back as the typology of the earthships has such structures as a solution to build.

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Special study |b| Can be scaled up to large community green buildings; It is possible to use Biotecture to create a large sloping mega earthship that could within itself be a self sufficient community. It would be built on a large mound or hill that would allow for multiple and unlimited floors, with connecting corridors all being used as green house areas.

The back north face that doesn’t get as much sun Fig:6.12. Earthships can be used to house most of the systems, storage, forming larger and areas that don't require natural light. community We could also pioneer the use or large mirror arrays to reflect sun light back to the north side for food production. |c| Tyre walls are bomb proof and stronger than a stone or reinforced concrete wall; It has been said that if we drove a truck into a tyre wall, it would bounce off! The same can be said for a rocket or missile, one would imagine they would bounce right off! Even the most massive blast to a tyre wall that is stabilized with a bond beam would simply cause it to shake and wobble, but it would not puncture or fall Fig:6.13. Tyre walls are bomb proof down.

This reflects the earthquake resistance of a tyre wall. Since they are not bound together by mortar, but are held in place by gravity, they can not crack or break down in the way that concrete does. Once concrete cracks it is finished! Since tyre walls have SO much mass, at up to 100Kg per tyre, with the weight of many tonnes above it, it would take an enormous blast to shake one down. Also, if this tyre wall is bermed with 5’ or earth in addition to the tyres we then start to realize that there is no competition between them. |d| Tyres can be used to make huge permanent retaining walls; The use of car tyres is not limited to building our houses. They are one of the very best, cheap, and quick ways to make permanent and even huge retaining walls. There is not much to compare to this approach versus a stone Fig:6.14. Tyres as retaining wall! walls PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Special study As we have witnessed, tyre retaining walls can be put up in just a few days or a week, with minimal time since we don't need to compact them quite as much as we do in an Earthship wall. They do not move or subside, even in the heaviest rains and storms, and will last much longer than a stone wall without maintenance. We can plaster over this wall to create a natural looking edge which can be overgrown with plants and grass to help bind the edge together. |e| Earthships offer us a solution to most of our current world problems; They meet the Climate and Economic crisis head on; This approach solves so many of our global issues, such as sustainable community living, an affordable self build option, life long security, no bills, protection from climate change, poverty etc..

Fig:6.15. A solution to global problems With all aspects of our carbon footprint taken care of, that is to say the build itself as well as the lifestyle and ultra low carbon footprint of the people living in it for a lifetime. They re-purpose a huge waste issue, namely car tyres, plastic bottles and other waste materials. They also take the issue of an economic meltdown by giving people independence of the economic system in order to live comfortably. |f| We can create a successful Earthship community because there are almost zero running costs and bills; They are still in an early stage of development in many countries, and so they will get even better!

It is fair to say that most global communities struggle economically, and most of them have long ago had to ditch the idea of not needing money! They have bills to pay, and as a consequence the communities have become fragmented and generally don't have perfect community feel! Earthship Biotecture could succeed overcome this issue because the main problem is bills and overheads to run their power systems, Air Conditioning Units, etc.. A truly self sufficient community which don’t have to work externally to make money to keep things afloat will have time and less stress so that they can grow food and nurture the community instead.

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Fig:6.16.

Community of togetherness for people & planet Page | 56

Special study As Earthship Biotecture has been evolving since the 1970s. Every year the concept evolves, and widens its reach into new countries and climates. It takes time to build, test, and adapt this models in new climates. This is because the process itself is very difficult in the beginning, there are many legal and planning hurdles, and most importantly there are not yet that many people who are self building. Nevertheless, as each build happens, many people are exposed to it and are starting to learn and teach others. As people experiment and build for themselves in their own country we will learn how better to adapt them to suit, thus satisfying the global sustainable aspects & goals.

6.3. DISASTER RELIEF STRUCTURES How the earthship structures & its concepts are made disaster relief for almost all the recognized disaster that are either natural or man made across the globe??? Such disasters includes the earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons, hurricanes, landfills, fire & bomb illegals & accidents causes related to the refugees, homeless & low socio economic communities as the structure withstands all these above disasters but relying on its biotecture typologies & the principles best suited for the particular disaster prone areas all over the world level sites at varied geographical conditions. |1| There are the earthships that are built post the tsunami stuck islands in the Bay of Bengal contaminating the total wells in the with the sea water, such condition happened in the year of 2005 & the earthship volunteer crew construct a prototype using the debris that were left over from tsunami with the focus on collecting the clean water whilst providing the post disaster shelter. As a result the house collected 2000 gallons of water containing the double roof for the enhanced convection air circulation. Hence the earthship remains as a community water temple. Then the officials & people over there aimed to provide the earthquake proof & tsunami resistant houses to the people of the Andamans.

Being a tourist spot, the Andamans, 1300 km from mainland India, has a lot of waste material. Normally, this waste, mostly nonbiodegradable, is burnt, buried or left strewn around, causing a great environmental hazard.

Noticing that resources like water and electricity were always in short supply in the islands, and it was decided to go in for structures that not only utilized the waste but were also less dependent on electricity and water for construction.

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Fig:6.17. Disaster relief Andaman project Page | 57

Special study The other issue that the team decided to tackle was the disposal of wastewater from the toilets, as the Andamans does not have an underground sewage disposal system. Taking these above issues to considerations, a sample structure was designed and built in Hut Bay, Little Andaman. The earthship is a self-sustainable structure – with its own sources of water and power - that can also withstand, to a certain degree, tsunami waves. It can be built by anyone as was demonstrated by the biotecture & local island team members who put up one with their own hands in just 15 days.

Any conventional structure would have taken three times the amount of time.

The circular form makes the structure more stable and would break the impact of a wave more than a flat surface. The structure is built on a foundation of tyres rammed with earth. The weight of each truck tyre, when packed with debris, is almost 400 kg and it is this shear mass that holds the building to the ground. The layers of tyres in the foundation make the structure quakeresistant due to their ability to absorb tremors.

The cost for building a residential unit (earthship) of 300 sq ft would be Rs 1,50,000 as against Rs 3,50,000 for a conventional structure. This would include the water harvesting tank, solar energy cells and bio toilet. This structure has stirred interest among those working to build dwellings for those rendered homeless by the tsunami. The earthship is appropriate not only for Andaman Islands but other parts of South East Asia too. Due to its selfsustainable character, it is suitable for remote areas, especially as police and forest outposts, schools and primary health centers. These structures can also be used by the tourism industry to add value and redefine eco-friendly and cost-effective resorts.

|2| The earthquake relief project in Nepal as of the causes frequent in 2010 & 2015 had left hundreds & thousands of people homeless & displaced in Nepal.

Mike Reynolds once said; All housing becomes permanent regardless; People live in it until it falls apart even if it was meant to be temporary…

The main objective of this relief project is to build a replicable structure that is earthquake proof giving access to the local organizations, individuals & groups to learn the construction & concept of biotecture & they also provide the warm & affordable housing for all. The team’s proposal is to build comfortable shelter with perfect seasonal temperature, easy to Fig:6.18. Earthquake proof replicate, catch & collect rainwater & Nepal project solar systems for light & electricity.

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Special study

Fig:6.19. Earthquake proof Port Au Prince Haiti 2011 project Getting a community involved in a building project is extremely beneficial to the present and future life of the project. Local community involvement in building and planning leads to a local commitment to the structure—ensuring it will meet their needs. Involving the locals in the construction of the structure will also give them something to do and feel helpful while doing it at a time when all home seems lost. Since the construction of the Earthship is so simple and cheap, it’s easy to explain to not only the community members helping build, but local engineers that can help lead future builds in the rest of the country. The tyres aren’t connected to the internal walls, allowing them to oscillate independently from the rest of the building thus preventing the damage from the earthquake. |3| Philippines Windship; a disaster response structure made to withstand the typhoon Haiyan.

The first Windship hit was a 10 day build which established an aerodynamic and resilient structure. The Windship design evolved from the Simple Survival Earthship design and functions as a storm shelter and school building for the Barrangay of Batug in Leyte Island. Along with the completion of the Windship, the team put up a low cost hut to serve as a more affordable building in the community using primarily local resources and recycled materials. This hut incorporated materials such as coconut tree lumber, bamboo, adobe, used car tyres, recycled glass bottles from Fig:6.20. Typhoon resistant local resources. windship structure in Philippines PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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Special study |4| We recognize the current and pressing nature of the global refugee crisis.

This is not a localized one-time crisis, there are refugees all over the world and we think we can find a solution to provide knowledge and housing to all of them. Planning a small city prototype that is the campus of an International Earthship Academy that teaches refugees how to build a city for themselves while at the same time demonstrating to the world a sustainable approach to living that uses no infrastructure and no fuel.

Fig:6.21. Earthships amidst the urban square of Manhattan for the refugees & homeless during the peak of crisis

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CHAPTER 7 COMPARATIVE STUDY

Comparative study 7.1. COMPARATIVE STUDY between earthship & conventional structures; Occupant’s mindset, conscious resource constrained lifestyle |choice| ethics & values drive behaviour INDEPENDENT & AUTONOMOUS Design & construction strategies

Convenience & comfort level & driven with minimal thought about ecological impacts where GRID CONNECT financial constraints drive behaviour & RELIANT

Passive solar heating & cooling |solar orientation|

Mechanical heating, ventilation & cooling systems |oriented towards the streets or views|

Solar & wind generated electricity |self sufficient limited supply|

Mains electricity typically generated via non renewable energy |practical unlimited supply|

Onsite sewage treatment

Sewer infrastructure, sewage treatment & disposal

Building with natural & recycled materials

Building with contemporary materials with adverse environmental impacts Reticulated water infrastructure though use of rainwater tanks is increasing

Water harvesting |self sufficient limited supply| Food production & greenhouse DIY construction Ecologically built provide all needs of housing without assistance from outside & sustainable technologies prevent strains on environment

Ornamental garden or lawn Construction by professional builders Meeting minimal legally required energy standards & large structures have more energy to meet the same performance requirements as the small structures

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Comparative study

Fig:7.1. Structure comparison based on building services

Fig:7.2. The overall global contribution of Earthship Biotecture

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CHAPTER 8 INFERENCE & REFERENCES

Inference 8.1. INFERENCE As a result of this research, according to the Earthship Biotecture concepts & structures which have been analyzed & evaluated in this study, these off grid structures are proven to be more energy efficient, comfort & healthier environment with financial benefits i.e., achieving sustainability through material reuse bounded through the earth. The similar designs of biotecture concepts can use many other repurposed materials limited only by the imagination & the ultimate product is something that personifies a paradigm shift to a whole systems approach to human built sustainability.

Achieving sustainability through material repurpose; A sustainable community or a society is generally understood as one that satisfies the living beings & the planet’s needs without diminishing the prospects of future generations, just as the building codes are written to preserve the health & safety of the public, such sustainable structures is emerging as a responsible way for humanity to preserve the health & safety of our planet thus proving the statement of this study for people & planet.

Moreover its important to mention that these are multiple earthship constraints going all over the world as the movement has been propagated & consequently expanded & so will be in the upcoming years. There is sure fact that such projects or proposals of off grid survival concept has been spread out & people are getting more conscious & interested to be the part of this global community.

Earthships as the solution to global sustainability issues & aspects with its principles and world contribution up until now; There is not any mystery involved in earthships electricity, no unknown source of water, no magical black hole that sucks up all the sewage, instead here we can work in harmony with our planet to deal with these issues taking what it has to give us directly & giving back what it needs to receive, thus closing the energy cycles reducing our volume means that our output needs to equal our input in quality & quantity.

Earthships also helps, inspire & provide with innovative & effective design solutions & concepts for the architects; Its just that our houses must be designed to sail with the forces that exist beyond human control and exploitation. Earhships are the self mechanical vessel structures that can be the solution and an alternate for most global issues by forming the off grid survival communities and thus providing the architects & developers with an innovative opportunity to incorporate these biotecture concepts into their designs at certain levels.

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References 1. LifeArk off-grid housing is focused on sustainable community transformation | Design Indaba 2. buildingstandards_earthships.pdf 3. Microsoft Word - 5.1 eathship & quality of life 4. Earthship Pros and Cons 5. Earthships: DIY Fully Sustainable Off-Grid Living | A 2020 Guide 6. In Taos, a community of ‘voluntary anarchists’ is taking off-the-grid living to the next level | Roadtrippers 7. Earthship Biotecture: Self-sufficient and Sustainable Architecture for People and Planet | urbanNext 8. Design Principles — Earthship Biotecture michael Reynolds 10. Earthships: An Off-Grid Habitat | BlARROW 11. Sustainable Homes: The Earthship | Smart Cities Dive 12. The Good and the Bad About Earthships – Green Homes – MOTHER EARTH NEWS 13. Earthship Refugee Project - Biotecture Planet Earth 14. EARTHSHIP KARUNA | A SELF SUFFICIENT AND SUSTAINABLE OFF-GRID PASSIVE SOLAR HOME 15. Earthships: The Post-Apocalyptic Housing of Tomorrow, Today 16. Off Grid Community - Off Grid World 17. THE GREATER WORLD EARTHSHIP COMMUNITY Pages 1 - 13 - Text Version | AnyFlip 18. Aardhuis Olst, in The Netherlands | free cultural spaces 19. Vereniging Aardehuis Oost-Nederland - Construction of the earthships 20. GOING OFF-THE-GRID THROUGH THE "EARTHSHIP" by Dimitra Anastopoulou – issuu 21. Joana Quintas | Internship Report 2017 by joana quintas – issuu 22. Mike Reynolds Earthship Biotecture – Of Utopias 23. Garbage Warrior - Oliver Hodge, Michael Reynolds – CIA 24. Architecture: Earthship house 01: basics and floor plans 25. the vertical face earthship plan option book - Rivendell Village MAFIADOC.COM 26. Earthship Construction - Blue Rock Station 27. Solaripedia | Green Architecture & Building | Projects in Green Architecture & Building 28. The role of the architect in the circular economy 29. Latin America's First Earthship is a Sustainable School Built from Found Materials | ArchDaily 30. Rapa Nui School of Music and Arts | Imagine Easter Island 31. Earthship Music School on Easter Island - Toki | Indiegogo 32. sustainable building Archives - Page 3 of 4 - The Desert Echo & Urban Ecology - Co-evolution of human-ecological systems – IAAC Blog PRIYANKA.S| B.Arch 2016-2021| AC16UAR081

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References 33. Earthship: The Freetown Express by Mike Reynolds | Waldorf Today Waldorf Employment, Teaching Jobs, Positions & Vacancies in Waldorf Schools 34. Our Earthship Project – Goderich Waldorf School 35. Earthships Are the New Real Estate In a Recovering Haiti 36. Past project - Philippines Windship - Biotecture Planet Earth 37. Past project - Malawi Earthship Community Center - Biotecture Planet Earth 38. earthship_biotecture_-_insulation_and_temperature_regulation.pdf 39. Earthship Biotecture & Tire Houses: Energy-efficient homes from used tires.

40. Microsoft Word – Najlepszy 41. Recycled Materials Village - One Community Open Source Village 6 42. Building Codes and Green Building – Community Enterprise Law 43. PUERTO RICO — Earthship Biotecture michael Reynolds 44. Andaman Islands Earthship Disaster Relief - Earthship Biotecture 45. Urban, Suburban, and Rural Homesteading: Which Type Is Right for You 46. Sustainable and Eco-friendly Disaster-proof HousingBuildDirect Blog: Life at Home 47. Research Proposal for Environmental Protection Agency: Implementing Earthships in Developing Countries Susceptible to Earthquakes – sustainable development 48. Permits, Codes & Regulations - Earthship Biotecture 49. Cradle to Cradle - Rethinking Products – EPEA 50. Urban Off-Grid: 12 Creative Solutions For Self-Sustainability in the City | Urbanist

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