I had heard of the theory of heating water using a hose through the middle of a compost heap, but check out this video to see it in practise. What a fantastic addition to a system that uses the multi-faceted compost heap to turn waste in raw material and energy – not to mention the methane capture!
I love the idea of how simple it is to construct. If you had an existing shower or watering system, then it wouldn’t be a great stretch to add a compost along the way. I must get myself a compost thermometer too, obviously a very handy instrument.
Big turn out to share the vision for a new Christchurch
Adding our voice to the pleas for those in Christchurch to attend last weekend’s community expo on rebuilding the City, we are pleased to report that a massive turn out occurred.
The next stage is for the City Council to consolidate all the suggestions and present a report for consideration by citizens. It seems that people are signalling loud and clear how environmentally sustainable and ‘good for the soul’ they want their new Christchurch to be. There are likely to be further opportunities for the Earthship principles to have a part to play in this City’s future.
For further information, go to: shareanidea.org.nz
Recycled Housing: a TEDtalk by Dan Phillips
This is an intriguing TEDtalk by Dan Phillips, a designer and builder from Texas, exploring why we are prediposed to creating waste in the building industry and what he is doing about it. A one man army who rejoices in the rejected materials of others. A guy that looks like he’s at home whittling on the porch, quotes Jean Paul Sartre and challenges us about why we insist on wearing matching shoes.
A great exploration of the philosphical arguments behind earthships and the evil of commodity housing.
Will we be successful?
If anyone asks me “Will you be successful with you plans for Earthships in New Zealand?”
I will look them in the eye and say “Yes” and point them at the new ESNZ posters we recently had made.
Is that because the posters are particularly professional looking and espouse the great properties of Earthships?
Well of course they do, but that’s not the reason.
Its how they came about.
Having had an idea and put the word out that we needed to make some ESNZ posters that we could display at the NZ Permaculture Hui over Easter weekend, the call was answered. Tim in Dunedin from SHAC.org.nz, whom I’ve never met, contacted me and said he knew some people who could help. He put me in touch with Sara, a graphic design student also in Dunedin who could put the poster together. Someone else I’ve never met. Then came along Aaron, a writer who provided oversight on the copy for the poster and positive feedback on what we wrote – yet another person whom I will enjoy meeting one day. The posters were finished in the nick of time and we then had to work out how we got them to Motueka for Saturday morning. I called my Earthship co-conspirator in Wellington, Andrew, someone I never knew a month ago and told him we needed the posters printed ASAP. I then called my lovely friend Gayle, a traveller from the UK whom I met as a volunteer on a Red Cross water point in the Eastern Suburbs of Christchurch in early March and had been enlightened by the conversation we had about Earthships. She was travelling from Rotorua to the hui in Motueka and would be catching a ferry from Wellington first thing Friday morning. Andrew duly printed the posters and dropped them off for Gayle, whom picked them up and took them to the hui.
Wow.
It just happened from nothing and despite not knowing how the next part would work out, it never faulted.
Why did these people do this? For someone whom they hardly know?
I have organised some big things in my time, but this poster completely floored me. This was powerful. Its like a magnet, with every particle pointing in the same direction. This taught me that we can do this and we will make it happen. So take a look at the poster and see what it tells you.
I’ll sign off with the last line of the poster.
“Earthship NZ is on a journey defined by people, not buildings, we’d like you to join us for the ride.”
Rob – just one part of the growing ESNZ crew
New Earthship Book Important for New Zealand
Building upon their success with Earthships: Building a Zero Carbon Future for Homes, Kevin Telfer and Mischa Hewitt are to write a follow-up book whose working title is Earthships: Lessons from European Pioneers.
This is a fantastic development for Earthships in New Zealand as it plans to harvest the data that has been collected from the number of Earthships now built in Europe. Amongst the questions it will seek to address, the key one as Kevin puts it is:
Perhaps most significantly, we ask whether the earthship concept, extensively trialled in the dry hot/cold climate of New Mexico has translated effectively into different climates. And we discuss whether earthships really do deliver on the dream they promise — a low-cost, low carbon, self-sufficient home.
It will be published in 2012 by IHS BRE Press.
Call for Builders & Designers for Christchurch
Two people involved in the Sustainable Habitat Challenge have started gathering people together for the rebuild of Christchurch.
Here’s the note I received from Tim Bishop:
Did you know, that following the Napier earthquake of 1931, a six-month building moratorium was laid down to allow for a planning process? Look at the positive legacy that such planning has produced.
There is huge opportunity here to retrofit Christchurch into one of the country’s most sustainable, resilient and beautiful cities and to create a similarly positive legacy for its communities.
We can assist by making ourselves easily accessible to those in need in Christchurch, and by providing a range of proven concepts, ideas and skilled designers and builders.
We are looking for builders and designers who would like to contribute to the Christchurch reconstruction effort. Would you like to assist? Please leave you details on the form here
There is also a Facebook group set up by Alex Hills for Pro-Bono Design for Christchurch which is gathering people together who will be able to bring some great influence to the design and rebuilding processes.
Earthbuilds Team discuss Earthship construction & workshops
Here’s a clip taken during the build of the Greenhead Moss Earthship which was sadly burnt down by arsonists as it neared completion.
But don’t fret! The experience many people took away from the project can not be harmed in any way and you will even see a cameo appearance of yours truly in a couple of scenes. [Oh, the commentary is a mix of Dutch & English]
Kevan and Gillian Trott are the force behind Earthbuilds, a European Earthship construction company which has a number of successful Earthship builds under its belt and other projects on the go (see Nottinghamshire earthship article on this website). They own their own Earthship at Ger in Normandy, France, which I was lucky enough to stay in. They have an international team of experienced earthship builders.
Although its a short clip, it hopefully gives you a feel for the issues that need to be thought about around: Staging the site for a build (where everything goes during the build itself); Power on site (temporary set up of PV solar panels or on site generators – you’re unlikely to have mains power because you don’t need it in the final house); health and safety on site (heavy lifting, working at heights, cutting glass, safe rest areas, toilets etc).
Earthships and Earthquakes in New Zealand
All of us in New Zealand have been irrevocably challenged by the events of the Christchurch Earthquake on February 22nd.
I know a number of you have already asked the question – is this the time for Earthships in New Zealand?
Foremost we need to put the human issues first and allow people a time to process and grieve for what has happened to their City (and my hometown). Once people are ready then we need to help them rise up and offer support to them to think about their future and what sort of house and community they would want to rebuild their ‘home’ in.
I was fortunate to be able to help out in Christchurch, working as a volunteer with the Red Cross and was able to see some of the damage first hand. I wanted to provide a lay person’s opinion of how this event continues to mould my view of Earthships and sustainable housing in general.
[Disclaimer: None of the following is objective or remotely scientific, nor have I had the chance to sample a decent amount of the city’s architecture]
The violence of the Christchurch Earthquake was unprecedented. The Richter Scale does not fully convey the impact of the forces at work, as this was 6.3 whereas the September quake caused less damage yet it was 7.1.
The Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) scale is a better measure of the intensity of the shaking. Christchurch was an MMI X, whereas last year’s Chilean earthquake, the seventh most powerful ever recorded, had a maximum intensity of MMI IX. The Chilean earthquake was over 5,000 times more powerful than the Christchurch one yet the shaking near the epicentre was actually worse in Christchurch.
Equally the peak ground acceleration (PGA) is another measure of how bad the shaking is in an earthquake. According to an article in the Los Angeles Times , the maximum PGA in the Christchurch quake was one of the highest ever recorded anywhere.
I observed that the quake ‘lay lines’ throughout Christchurch were quite surgical in that some houses were relatively unscathed next to those that were completely destroyed. I noted that some large (‘Oamaru Stone’) sandstone block homes less than 10 years old were condemned back in September due to the movement of the walls and the inability to rectify the displacement. Certainly brick homes, and those of a more rigid construction in general, did not fair well. Timber-framed homes broadly seemed to fall into two camps: more recently constructed ones flexed and buckled but seemed to stay together; whereas those older structures crumbled like matchsticks in the worst affected areas.
The only official Earthship constructed to date in New Zealand is the Gubb’s Earthship in the Waikato. The construction of the rammed earth tyre walls deviated from more common practise in the Northern hemisphere by placing vertical rebar rods through the tyre walls from top to bottom as intervals of approximately 1.5m. With New Zealand situated on the ‘Ring of Fire’, it is one of a handful of countries with stringent Seismic Survivability performance requirements. I am sure there are countries with higher specifications but based on my experience of the Christchurch Earthquake (in an area previously not known for its seismic activity) I would think that use of vertical rebar should be adopted as standard practise in New Zealand for future Earthship construction. This would only be possible by adopting the Gubb’s pneumatic donut-press process for ramming the earth into the tyres and use of a gantry to lower half-filled tyres into place down the rebar and then completing their pack out.
My concerns about the performance of a rammed earth tyre Earthship in a large quake would not be so much surviving as a structure during the initial shake but the displacement of the walls and the threat that would pose to the timber framed roof trusses sitting on top of them. I am not aware of any attempts to successfully rectify the walls of an already built Earthship anywhere in the world and think this may prove unfeasible and result in Earthships being condemned as a result. So the successful distribution of force across the wall would hopefully minimise the final displacement of the walls and hopefully avoid this issue. To this end I would consider the use of a mesh wire fixed across the tyre walls to distribute the seismic energy as an option (the same principle used in Gabion walls).
Overall I think the sturdiness, energy performance and waste material re-use of the Earthship’s rammed earth tyre walls still make them a fantastic option for building construction. With the modification of the construction to include vertical rebar and a wire mess finish, I think the seismic performance could be massively enhanced (speaking as one without any Architectural or Engineering qualifications mind you).
As for the rest of the Earthship design and how I think it would fair:
About 300,000 tonnes of silt was brought to the surface during the quake. There are about 135,000 houses or dwellings in Christchurch (based on the 2006 census). Say about half the houses in Christchurch had silt brought up either in the property or in the street outside. That means on average 4 1/2 tonnes of silt came up for each affected house! I’m sure that’s a conservative estimate too, as I suspect far less than half the houses in Christchurch were affected by silt. I think the floors would have ruptured and with large amounts of floor insulation this could have been a significant problem (or maybe it would have pushed it outside of the house following the path of least resistance?). I don’t think anyone in Christchurch truly understood the forces of nature at work before the February 22nd quake.
Certainly the major problems facing the city after the quake have been the restoration of amenities. With off-grid housing residents in Christchurch may not have had to worry so much about access to drinking water, power and the on site handling of sewerage.
Eight days after the quake the city of 400,000 residents had:
– power restored to 86% of homes;
– mains potable water (that still needed boiling) available to 60%; and
– sewage only connected to 50% of households
Clearly Earthships with their autonomous power, potable water and on site sewage treatment would have clearly coped well. The other great thing I’m sure of, is that the community-minded souls who want to live in Earthships would have instantly opened up their homes to their neighbours and the vulnerable in their community to ensure that no one who could be helped suffered.
[Thanks to Simon Elms for supplying the Christchurch Earthquake facts in this article]
Notthinghamshire to build an Earthship Visitors Centre
The centre’s design is based on a form of self-sufficient building known as an earthship, which was pioneered in New Mexico 25 years ago. Anthony Thistleton-Smith, of architects Waugh Thistleton, said the original design was geared towards the climate in New Mexico and it didn’t work in Britain.
“We want to develop it more appropriately for the UK climate and make it look more modern,” he said. “This will be great for Newstead but will also have a bigger benefit in creating a new building type. We are trying to save the planet in small steps.”
You can read the full article here.
Where is the best place to build an Earthship in New Zealand?
Question: I’m interested in possibly builing an Earthship in New Zealand and wanted some more info as far as best places to build, such as earthship friendly land, and so forth.
There is no comprehensive list of Earthship-friendly locations in NZ. As there is no state legislature in NZ, just Federal law, the Building Standards and Regulations apply uniformly throughout the country. Where differences come in, is at the Regional Plan level where there might be specific requirements that need to be observed (landscaping, water use etc).
By and large the Building Code is fine with Rammed Earth Tyre construction where it can prove it meets the performance standards as set out in the building codes. The Gubb Earthship in the Waikato had reinforcing rods through the tyre walls (which is not the Biotecture standard used elsewhere in the world) in order to pass inspection. Depending on your preference (and the depth of your pockets) you could adopt anything from getting a NZ Engineer’s report to say the standard Earthship build meets the Code; to building the tyre walls within a standard timber frame (as was demonstrated by Mike Reynolds in Japan if I recall correctly).
The key message I offer is that anyone attempting to build an Earthship in NZ, must ensure they get planning consent and permits. The worst outcome for addressing society’s problem with Earthships; would be that they get a name for themselves as ‘hippy lean-to shacks’ only good for bulldozing.
As far as good places to build goes, a number of local councils now employ eco-building advisors who offer their services and advice freely. I know Hamilton has one and there are other regional councils with them. Hooking up with one of them to guide you through the consent process would definitely make a big difference.
Some of the building-services might prove challenging. Whilst rural NZ has been using septic tanks and treating sewage locally for hundreds of years on a large scale; some of the grey water re-use concepts in Earthships challenge the conventional wisdom. This is mainly to do with what you would be allowed to grow in it (although I don’t see the Building Control Officer paying a surprise visit to check your Begonias aren’t Broccoli!).
Its also worth noting that opting out of council rates is prohibited in some jurisdictions. As they argue that even if you live in a self-contained home; the roads, footpaths and parks you enjoy as a user still need to be paid for. But hey, if Rates are the only thing you end up paying for, then you’re still onto a winner.
My current biggest concern about where to build an Earthship in NZ, is the cost of bare land in the first place. Sadly everyone that has ever wanted to try their hand at property development has bought every spare paddock from Farmer Brown, stuck survey pegs in it and flogged it off for a cool million. I could go on but that is best reserved for a long winter’s evening and many bottles of wine…
If you can find the right place to build from an affordability point of view, such that it leaves you enough money to overcome code-compliance challenges, then I’d take it and start ramming tyres.
We all know NZ and the world would be better for it.