Earthship Serenity Construction Timeline
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- Опубліковано 12 січ 2023
- This is a rough slideshow video of the construction of my Earthship over the course of about seven years. It was built primarily by myself and my father, with the help a just a few specialized contractors. It is still very much a work in progress. My wife and I moved in in the spring of 2022. It is more complete now than where this video ends, but still has a ways to go before it's where I envision it would be when I started the project. I hope it gives you some insight into the scope and skill requirements you will need if you choose to do something similar. My personal background is in construction and engineering. If you do not possess these skills I highly recommend having access to someone who does, as this kind of construction requires you to be able to adapt to geological and technical problems often because of the non-standard materials and design.
Warnings about this type of Construction:
- Financing: You will need 70% of the total cost of the project upfront for a financial institution to even look at the project. Once they hear "off-grid" or anything non-standard design, the assets required will substantially increase. I started with a conventional construction mortgage, but due to the long construction schedule got into problems with the banks and had to collapse it. Fortunately, I had an extraordinary amount of collateral, and finally, after a lot of searching, found a bank that would back the remainder of the project. At that point, the house was around 60% complete, and I had dollar-for-dollar asset backing. I was able to complete using a large line of credit. If your project fails, it will most likely fail due to financial instability. It was by far the hardest part to manage, and like I said, I had a lot of assets to draw from.
- Tire Construction: It takes about 20 minutes to 'pound' a tire full of dirt, and anywhere from 1200 to 1800 tires in a house. That is with good loose dirt readily available and good weather. This works out to between 400 and 600 man hours. There is roughly about 350 pounds of dirt in each tire. People have tried to streamline this with pneumatic presses or other such machines, in the end hand filling works the best.
- Tire sourcing: Getting tires can be a challenge. In most places they are a controlled hazardous material. By law here once they reach the recycling facility they can't leave unprocessed. This means you need to get them between discard and pickup. I arranged this with the tire pick up contractor, which of course had a cost to it. Later on in the project, when I required more tires to finish, I made a deal with my county to pick tires from the local collection points. This of course is up to the discretion of the county you're building in, some are nicer than others.
- Permitting: You will need to have drawings done up and stamped by a licensed engineer to get permits. Permits for this kind of construction very from county to county, it's best to know what the restrictions are before you buy the land. I drew up my own plans, as that is what I do for a living, but Earthship Biotecture has various plans for sale on their website @ Earthship.com. However, they are designed for a New Mexico climate and will need to be adjusted to your local climate. They also sell books that will help with that.
- Labour: If you do the majority of your own labour, this type of house definitely has it's cost benefits. However, if you need professionals to do any part of it you will run up your costs extremely quickly. Mostly because even seasoned tradespeople will have no experience with the types of designs that Earthships use. Which means you will need to explain what it is you're doing. You will need to be your own foreman and understand how all the systems work together. Everything is time-intensive. Negotiate contract prices for the work being done upfront. Hourly rates will kill you.
- Timeline: Think how long it will take you, and then double it... Or in my case quintuple it.
- Budgeting: Make as comprehensive a materials list as you can and price out everything online. Use a middle of the road price instead of the cheapest for that list. It will save you in the long run. Since I started my house the price of wood has risen 80% and the cost of glass 30%. The glass in my house which is an essential feature for the heating, cost 35K. If I was building today it would be over 45K. Ordering speed is of the essence.
- Getting help: I hope you have good friends. As stated, everything in this type of project takes an enormous amount of time. I built mine with only two men. We worked on it every single day and weekend. I was working full time all during those years. Hence the seven year price tag. If you get help it will decrease your time to complete considerably. If you have to pay them, it will increase your costs considerably. Try to find a balance you can live with.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me at Ancientdunlop@gmail.com - Навчання та стиль
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Came here after seeing your comments on another channel.
Mad props, your vision and direction are inspired by the creator whether you know that or not.
I spent a lot of my life pursuing Babylon but felt the pull in 2011 to get a farm away from the city.
Now I'm here, and though it's not as well designed as what you've made in going to make the most of it 😊.
Much love and shalom.
Thank you. It is very much providential. Many things fell into place to allow it to happen. And yes I am a firm believer that everything has a plan and a reason. We only need to follow through.
I definitely loved the two levels of earthships layout.. but really wanted to see a walk through of finished results!!! Please post video ❤
Thanks for watching. I'm currently still finishing up the planters, and the greenhouses are a jungle of plants still in pots. Now that I live in it and have a two year old there is a little more chaos in my daily life. But yes, a walkthrough video was always my intension. Perhaps in a couple of weeks once the planters are up and running and all the repotting is done.
This is the best one, i wish i could build like you guys.
Thanks. I hope you get the chance to someday.
You’ve got to post some more videos. This thing is phenomenal.
I posted my concept animation so you can see the comparison between the vision and the final product. Glad you like it. I don't know what else I would post about it. I got asked by a friend of a friend who was interested doing something similar and who wanted to know what some of the issues I had were. So I made this video to try show how it was done. I've watched a few of the newer current Earthship build videos and I find it difficult because I start yelling at the screen ways they could be doing it better or cheaper, so I have to back off and just enjoy mine, and let everyone make their mistakes. Everyone has their own journey. Anyway thanks again for the interest. If you're seriously thinking about trying something like this you can email me and I'll try to answer any questions you have.
Would you be able to share your email? I was sure I had found it but it has escaped me…
@@Shaboynga It's at the end of this video's description.
I would love to see a walk-through video of your earth ship it looks stunning here, I think a walk-through video would really show the details. @@ancientdunlop Amazing job I am trying to convince my wife to build an earthship instead of a conventional one on our little farm in Ontario.
@@ancientdunlop Funny as I watch this video, I was thinking the same thing - ohhh that's not good, that's going to be a problem etc. Though I did get a couple good ideas and still want this build to have turned out great. And of course I make some less than optimal choices in my build too. It seems to be the way it goes. It is helpful to have these videos, thank you.
As a fellow earthship owner, on the Taos mesa, it's great to see your work! It's easy to stay motivated when you see these things come together. Just think...now it will take good care of you and keep you warm and keep the bills of the on gridders away for as long as you live.
I came to take a look to see if you had any videos after seeing your comment on another video, this looks amazing not sure it would work in the UK but I would love to eventually be able to afford to do something similar.
In the U.K. there is the Brighton Earthship. I believe it is owned and operated by the Brighton Permaculture Trust. They actually have tours as well as courses to take on how to build them. I don't know what part of the country you're in, or if visiting it is possible for you, but if not, their website seems to have good amount of information on what it might take for you to get started. It would be a challenge no matter what, but well worth it if you make it. If you have any specific questions I can try to answer them. Good luck my friend.
this is great. glad to see earthship videos still being made. also like the larger earthships and multifloor earthships.
Thanks. Multi-level Earthships do ramp up the difficulty factor significantly so I understand why you don't see more of them. In my case it made more sense for the terrain I had available rather then make it super long. It's two levels sixty feet long, instead of a single level one hundred and twenty feet long. I also find it odd how many Earthship videos are built in completely treeless areas. I know they started in New Mexico but people can build them anywhere. I find so many of them are in desolate locations. The whole front is windows, seems like you would want something to look at.
@@ancientdunlop I would think multi levels would help with if you are hot go to the bottom level, if you are cold go to the top level type of thing. also i think some trees need to be out of the way so that sun shines into the south facing windows. i have seen some earthship videos with trees but they are cleared out on the southern face.
@@texasscience6580 Yes, there is about a 5 degree difference between the two greenhouse levels, mostly due to the tree shade from outside. Even when it's 36c in summer here the lower level stays 20c. The upper level gets to about 27c in the interior, but a simple 60w fan can cool it down quickly. We adjust what plants are planted in each greenhouse according to their sunlight requirements. My strawberries go nuts in the warmer humid planters.
here is an example with Trees. I can think of 3 others i have seen on youtube that is more in a tree and/or mountain area ua-cam.com/video/P817yJQL9i8/v-deo.html
@@texasscience6580 Interesting. This looks pretty rough. I'd have many questions about the design choices that were made, like why the made a can wall perimeter around the edge of the roof, or why there are so many vents going through it. I have also found that in floor planters outperform the raised ones considerably. I don't know when this one was built, but I would estimate in the early 2000s based on the features and how they are implemented.
Guessing it is in Alberta given the architect's location. Kind of pertinent info.
Great bottle work!
Great video
This is the best earth ship I have seen. Thank you so much for the thorough video it was really fulfilling seeing it from start to end. What was the total cost ? And do you have the drawing and engineering for sale ?
Thanks for the question. So, I've been asked about the sale of my plans now a few times. I would honestly love to, but it's not quite that simple. First, I drew up my own plans based on my own research on what I would need. They are tailored for my land and climate. They are based on materials I have available in my country, and adhere to the laws and codes as required. They are stamped by an engineer in my jurisdiction. All of these are variables that need to be addressed by anyone wanting to build an Earthship. Buying my plans would only get you to a starting point, and then you would need to get someone involved to help alter them to your specific area. Secondly, I have learned a ton in the almost two years of living in it, and made many modifications and quality of life improvements. These are not on the plans. I have been trying to Asbuild the drawings as I have time. Details of the improvements will be included in the book I'm writing on the subject. And of course I'm still working on a few. Currently I'm in a -40c winter cold snap, and where I live was in the top three coldest places on earth for 24 hours. It's been a challenge to keep things comfortable. You have to be able to survive on your wits alone when you do this kind of thing. Lastly, the cost question. I get this one the most. My costs were extremely low for the quality of life it affords. Just under 230k all in. Land, materials, engineering, contractors and permitting. 95% of the labor was my own. I started 9 years ago though. Add between 3-5% year over year on that to get an idea of what it would cost now (around 340K) and that isn't factoring in pandemic inflation. I hope that answers your questions. Sorry if it disappoints you, I try to answer every question as honestly as I can. One the biggest issues I have with Earthship Biotecture is that they paint a very rose color view of Earthships because they are selling a product and don't give an honest accounting as to the work or complexity involved, which can set people up to fail, or put people in a tough financial spot. If they had built my place for me at their estimated price ($375 sqft) my place is worth $1.125 million.
This thing is incredible. I’d love to hear more about the costs etc.
Thanks. At the time the costs were extremely reasonable. In the last two years the cost of just the materials have skyrocketed. Earthship Biotecture advertises that their Global model (on which my house is based) can be built by them for $375 a square foot. I built mine for around $85. I started seven years ago though, and literally did all the labour myself. I'm currently writing a book about the experience and the many, many lessons I learned along the way.
@@ancientdunlop I’d appreciate if you could let me know when the book is out. It’d be great to hear of somebody’s real life experience to let me know if it’s a pipe dream or quasi realistic haha. I’m in Sask so there’s plenty of sun. Would also really like to hear how the second level works out in the scheme of things.
All the labor yourself? incredible.. the ability to never give up in seven years? wow. i would buy that book.. let me know. thnx
Looks amazing/inspiring!
-Do you have any moisture issues with this design?
-Is it passively warm enough in winter or do you have to add heat? How about cooling in the Summer?
-Is there anything different you'd recommend doing related to the design or build itself?
- No moisture issues. Where I live there is basically no natural humidity. We have cold dry winters that make the snow crackle when you walk on it and hot dry summers that can burn you in less than seven minutes without sunblock on, so pretty decent extremes. The plants in the greenhouse actually help with the humidity factor without causing issues. The house doesn't sweat at all.
- If the sun is shining full out the outside temperature doesn't really matter much, it's still warm inside. However, we get spells of week-long thick clouds and just dreary weather. When that happens we do rely on a backup generator and heaters in the house. It doesn't take much, but they are necessary parts of the design.
- Analyze your wants versus your needs as unbiasedly as you can. It will save you time and money. There are lots of things I would do differently if I did it again. I would evaluate how much space I actually need, as this is a bit big. I planned the house for three kids, and I will probably only get to having two. Also, I sort of looked too far ahead and thought about how the house would get used and function when the kids are older without thinking about the needs and uses of smaller kids. For example, what I thought would be my home office is now the nursery, which isn't a big deal since I now have a spare bedroom. It's a minor first-world problem but I would rearrange some stuff if I was designing now. I've also been following the progression of battery technology and wish that it had existed when I was looking to purchase what I have because I would have saved some money and increased capacity, but that's just how R&D goes. When Earthships were invented in the 1970s the solar system was two-thirds the cost of the entire project, where it was only ten percent of mine, so i can't really complain.
Overall, I'm pretty happy with the result.
That's serious water storage. Has it filled? Did it satisfy your needs?
Yes. The rainy season for my area is May and June. I fill all four tanks over about a three-week span. In one storm this spring I collected over 3500 gallons in a single night. We use roughly one tank of water per month, but over the summer everything is topped up continuously. I actually don't think about the water system all that much other than cleaning the filters every couple of months, but yes it is more than enough storage.
@@ancientdunlop awesome!! thank you for responding
Truly spectacular! Something to be proud of. Maybe a bit cheeky of me asking but would you mind sharing the build plans ? Would love to price it here in South Africa and look at building one. Thank you.
My email is at the end of the description, if you email me I can send info by replying to emails there. But you should know that my plans won't really help you other than give you an idea of what you could do because Earthships require tailoring to your region's specific climate. I could give an item and price list, but sourcing materials and their value is also very regionally specific. It would be better to ask specific questions rather than reference a design made for a different geographic region. I would recommend reading the library of books from Earthship Biotecture from their website as a starting point. I'm still in the process of writing a book about my experience with this construction, it's already well over a hundred pages and nowhere near finished. I've been living in it for just over a year and I'm still making quality-of-life upgrades and learning how the systems work. It's not the type of project I would recommend if you're not a hardcore did-it-yourselfer. Anyway, I'm happy to share whatever information I can, but I'm not a professional Earthship builder, just an introvert with a tenacious and stubborn personality as well as a glutton for punishment, you should go ask the original Earthship creators for the best advice.
@@ancientdunlop Thank you for the amaizng reply. Ill follow your advise and read read read to learn more. Agree it must be region specific design :)
does your grey water planter on the 2nd story some how connected to your firsts floor grey water planter? like if the planter on the 2nd story is full of water does the water then over flow to the planter on the first floor?
No. The greywater systems are independent on each floor. The shower and sink on the second level feed the upstairs planters only. This means that the upstairs shower should be used on a regular basis, but in case it isn't I put spigots on the interior wall side of both greenhouses to allow for conventional hose watering if need be. Also, instead of just running a the conventional recirculation line, I ran it to irrigation loops along the top of the planters to allow for trickle down watering on consistent basis.
what is the total square footage? with and without the green house? great house, looks beautiful
2000 sqft. living space. 1000 sqft. between the two greenhouses. About 250 sqft. of planters. And then there's a 400 sqft. attached garage. All told about 3400 sqft. give or take... And it's to big. I would scale it down if I did it again.
@@ancientdunlop thanks for the info. :)
where is this earth ship located, did you do all the plans yourself or did u get help from an architect (from a graduation architect very interesting in earthship creating)
Not to get to specific, but I'm located in northern Alberta, Canada. I did not get any outside help, other than reading books, for the design of my house. I relied on my own skills and experience for a common sense design. I started working as a construction laborer for a general contractor when I was seventeen and eventually moved into the design sector of engineering as a career, so I had a fair bit of experience to work from. I drew a comprehensive twenty-seven-page drawing package that I submitted to my local county explaining the design in detail. I had that package reviewed and stamped by a local engineering firm to validate the design (not the one I work for). No architects ever took a look at it. Earthships use a very different mode of thought from almost any other type of building style, knowing building codes can sometimes get in the way of a good and innovative design. I do like to encourage anyone thinking about building one, they are after all amazing pieces of art and technology, and if you have the inclination and drive you should absolutely follow that dream. They are ALOT of work though. Make sure you block out a lot of time in your life, it will not be something you finish quickly.
tesla powerwall 3 would be great to integrate with the earthships.
I could possibly go to lithium. I've been looking at specs for future batteries once the ones that I have now wear out, which will be several years from now. I currently use glass mat deep-cycle batteries, but I am looking at the possibility of lithium in the future. The major drawback to lithium batteries is that they overheat in the event of overcharging which makes them a potential fire hazard. That risk just isn't present in a lead acid battery. Also once a lithium fire starts you can't put it out, it has to burn itself out, potentially taking your house with it. So yes battery technology is an area I'm constantly watching the progress of. There are ceramic batteries in development I have high hopes for. I would probably never buy a Tesla product because they link to and monitor them at all times, and so can alter their use at their whim, which is completely unacceptable in my mind. I built off-grid to escape external interference in my life and Tesla is very much antithetical to that. There are plenty of other competitive products to choose from instead.
This video could WAY BETTER with narrative.
Yeah I know. I made it because a friend asked if their friend could come see my house as they were thinking doing something similar. I wasn't able to accommodate them with a visit as my son had just been born, so I made this video instead. I'm not a great talker and even less interested in being on camera, so this was the compromise. Maybe I'll get around to doing a live walkthrough in a year or two. For now, I have a couple very small children around and life is quite busy. Anyway, thanks for watching and commenting and I hope you got something out of it.