Everything To Know About Earthship Homes

Earthship homes' style, materials and structural composition might remind you of an otherworldly style, such as something you'd see in a sci-fi movie. However, Earthship homes are unique, ecofriendly homes that help homeowners achieve an off-grid, self-sufficient, solar dwelling.

Michael Reynolds introduced the concept in the 1970s as a way to minimize homeowners' carbon footprint, with a reliance on a self-sustaining lifestyle.

Is an Earthship home, possibly in the community Reynolds created, the right fit for you? Let's find out.

What Are Earthship Homes?

What is an Earthship home, exactly?

Earthship homes are passive solar or off-grid homes with an autonomous approach, without a reliance on on-grid utilities. They're built of natural and recycled materials and focus on a closed-circuit system. Homeowners can grow food, collect rainwater, solar energy and dispose of waste sustainably.

Earthship homes utilize wind, water and solar to generate electricity, produce food, heat and cool the interior of the home.

Where exactly do they exist? The largest off-grid subdivision in the world is the Greater World Earthship Community near Taos, New Mexico, but you can find Earthships in many other states.

The 6 Principles Of Earthship Home Design

Earthship home design follows several key factors and principles, including recycled construction materials, passive solar heating and cooling, solar and wind electricity, water harvesting, sewage treatment and food production.

1. Recycled Construction Materials

These green homes are built with recycled and natural construction materials. Builders use tires packed with dirt for the foundation of the home, and create the walls using cans and glass bottles. Earthship home builders steer clear of using natural resources, such as wood, to build, though they may use recycled and reclaimed materials.

2. Passive Solar Heating And Cooling

Earthship houses heat and cool themselves using the sun instead of fossil fuels. Solar windows can collect sun during warmer months, meaning homes can regulate their own temperatures.

For example, the sun's heat enters the building through south windows and gets absorbed by the walls and floors of the home.

3. Solar And Wind Electricity

Earthships require less energy than traditional homes due to their unique design and can use solar and wind energy. Earthships minimize electrical power loads using DC pumps and appliances, wind turbines, efficient appliances, solar water with natural gas backup, propane and other options.

4. Water Harvesting

Earthship homes capture water from the roof; Earthship homeowners collect water from rain and snowmelt and store it in cisterns. A pump draws water from the cistern for use in the home.

However, in desert areas, you likely can't collect enough rainwater to support the home, even if you limit your water use.

5. On-Site Sewage Treatment

Earthships utilize a self-contained sewage treatment system, which minimizes the amount of water used. Reuse water by using it in washing machines, sinks or showers and filtering it through plants and reusing to flush toilets.

6. Food Production

How Is An Earthship House Built?

Energy-efficient Earthship homes contain used and sustainable materials throughout their construction, but how does it work to build one?

First, you'd select a home site and work with architects who specialize in Earthships. You'd also consider sun exposure, wind patterns, window exposure and other factors.

Next, you'll need automobile tires to build load-bearing walls in a staggered pattern. You'll also integrate thermal mass materials, like adobe, into the walls. Consider the amounts of natural and recycled materials you'd like to use, like glass bottles, cans, reclaimed wood, salvaged materials and anything you can use to reduce the carbon footprint.

Consider how you'll add a greenhouse for growing food, regulating temperatures and creating a true Earthship home. Along with this, you'll also want to put a support infrastructure in place for harvesting rainwater and a gray water system to collect water and purify it.

Finally, consider solar design to regulate indoor temperatures, natural ventilation and other ways to minimize waste and environmental impact to promote biodiversity.

Benefits Of Living In A Modern Earthship Home

Why might you want to live in this type of home? Let's look at some benefits of living in a modern Earthship home.

Reduced Carbon Footprint

Human activities produce greenhouse gasses, which creates a carbon footprint. You leave a personal carbon footprint every time you move, consume and use resources. An Earthship home offers a map to create a reduced carbon footprint. If you're sensitive to the size of your carbon footprint, a modern Earthship home might be a great option for you.

Freedom From Utility And Energy Bills

Earthship homes are completely self-sufficient, which means they free you from utility and energy bills with an Earthship home. For example, the Earthship Biotecture website shows that it costs just $150 for road maintenance and property taxes and community fees. In this case, you won't pay water, electricity, gas and mortgage bills. You'll also only have to pay for food you cannot grow yourself.

Self-Sufficient Water And Sewage Systems

You can have a self-sufficient water and sewage system with an Earthship home. Earthship homes give you every opportunity to collect water and reuse it. It reduces your environmental impact and reduces the need for conventional sewage systems, making them less pricey and harmful to the environment.

Potential Drawbacks Of Living In A Modern Earthship Home

The potential drawbacks of living in a modern Earthship home include the fact that it's a costly investment and Earthship homes have trouble adapting to colder climates as well.

Costly Investment

It's not cheap to build an Earthship house, and it's important to note that a traditional home will cost you less. Generally, it'll cost between $220 – $275 per square foot to build your Earthship.

Trouble Adapting To Colder Climates

How Much Does An Earthship Home Cost To Build?

An Earthship home typically costs between $220 – $275 per square foot. In other words, it can cost you between $440,000 – $550,000, and that doesn't include the cost of the lot.

Can You Get A Home Loan For An Earthship Home?

You may wonder whether you can get a home loan for an Earthship home. The honest answer is that it's difficult to obtain financing for an Earthship home. Lenders will likely not lend you the money because they can't find other comparable sales in the area.

Most people pay cash for an Earthship home, but you may be able to pursue another type of loan, such as a personal loan, to cover the costs of an Earthship home.

Where Can You Find Earthship Homes For Sale?

The Bottom Line: Earthship Home Architecture Is The Future Of Self-Sustainable Construction

Earthship homes can help you find a true path to sustainability, free you from utility bills and allow you to recycle many materials. However, it costs a lot to build these types of homes, and they cannot typically adapt to colder climates – you’ll likely need to live in a warmer climate.

So, is an Earthship home right for you? The only way to know for sure is to do a lot of research and possibly even visit the Greater World Earthship Community to determine whether it fits your needs. Check out other ecofriendly ideas for your home.