An idea for an eco home

kinda like a DAVINCI HAUS, timber frame with glass walls for natural light (very little artificial lights needed),collects rainwater to flush toilets, built in about four to five months. It's quite a stylish modern take on green abodes i think i would prefer a small botanical wooden cabin and try to utilize my space more efficiently, that is if i win the lotto

I like your ideas

Here's the REAL DEAL!!
Earthship Buildings

I certaily understand the desire among us environmentalists to live harmlessly on the Earth by using recyclable materials to build our homes. The problem is the weather cannot be expected to recognise that. If a tornado or a hurricane rips through and area, only the reinforced, or concrete, or underground buildings have much chance to survive intact. Personally, I will never build my own home, but if I could it would be reinforced concrete blocks; and that would not be destructive to the environment if the human population kept its numbers in balance with the biosphere. If the human population were only 3 billion Worldwide and corporate greed was thus prevented, there would be no harm in using modern technology appropriately to make our lives easier without harming the environment. That is a balance I wish I could live to see, but I'm afraid events are going in the other direction, because the dumping just goes on and on.....

I agree with the use of concrete to build the house concrete is a good reusable material as well A home can be beat down concrete taken away grinded down and used again. Plus concrete lasts much longer and is strong and you can mold it to do many things like have railways that catch water. I believe there is a good mix between modern technology and pure biology and old science as well.

Originally Posted by Val

Here's the REAL DEAL!!
Earthship Buildings

Concrete has a high energy of manufacture. Earthships use a minimal amount of both concrete and wood, use a maximum of indigenous materials, and re-use and recycle tires, cans, and bottles. They use the sun for heat and power. They use recycled and catchment water. They have composting gardens and toilets. Basically, an Earthship can have a negative footprint whereas a concrete or standard house has a large positive footprint.

But by not using concrete whose purpose is over, and recycling it into a new form, it seems more wasteful? Not the process of acquiring new concrete the, reuse of concrete specifically. And while I love the idea, and see it as something to strive for, I don't see how long one of these Earthships would last in tornado alley, or during heavy flooding in southeast, or earthquakes in California, and i'm not sure on the time that one of these building stay up. A subterranean concrete home is impervious to 95% of disasters can be built in almost all environments not just a specific few and lasts a really long time as concrete hardens more overtime. When Hurricane Andrew ripped through Florida years back and left a path of destruction, my house was still standing because it had rebar reinforced concrete walls. I think that just like LED lights you can take that higher cost to produce concrete and over time it may pay back that cost by not having to be rebuilt as much. Since houses do have low useful lifespans anyways.

I dunno no way is wrong I think there is a lot to think about with this stuff

The Earthship is more earthquake resistant than concrete, which becomes brittle and fails, even reinforced. The Earthship(TM) is also partially subterranean, and can be made waterproof with thick building plastic all around with overlap sealer. Concrete with the right additives and processing can be good and waterproof too, at a larger cost. There generally are no overhangs to catch high winds with the Earthship. The weakness would be the windows, even though tempered. Very wind resistant insulated rolling stainless steel shutters are available at added expense for any type building.
The main thing with being green, the Earthship is the best there is. However concrete and steel are very strong, and needed for the strongest types of Earthships for vertical reinforcement, and bond beams. Plus portland is used as part of the stucco mix, and part of most soil-cement mixes for filled voids and hollows with vertical rebar, and half tire point load areas. It is also used to make straw bale and adobe brick homes stronger, and even to the point of being concrete panel construction. Of course, having much of your roof not exposed, or low to the ground helps with wind resistance. 1 1/8" of stucco provides at least a three hour fire rating, too. Lightweight concrete for roofs is great, like the Bermuda styles, and non-toxic for catchment. The problem is that the more concrete or portland or steel you use, the higher the energy of manufacture, and the less green. The Earthship can use for verticals, re-used rebar throw away pieces from jobsites, 2' or longer. Exposed catchment roofing can be glued down rubber, painted on acrylic, metal or lightweight concrete. The huge thermal mass is solar heated for maximum winter and minimum summer thermal gain with thermal stability. Interior gardens provide year-around food, and composting toilets and gardens provide replenishment for the garden soil.
Some soil types and locations are no good for them, though. So it is best to study up before any green home building.

"Research from Murtaugh and Schlax at Oregon State University shows that a hypothetical American woman who switches to a more fuel-efficient car, drives less, recycles, installs more efficient light bulbs, and replaces her refrigerator and windows with energy-saving models, would increase her carbon legacy by 40 times if she has two children."

That Earthship design is really beautiful. "When I grow up that's where I want to live!"

It sounds like a really good idea, but it might be expensive?? If you're building a new house, there pretty cool and affordable systems available, like this company, Imison. Super lights walls, totally insulated, super strong, easy to build and the materials are green and available almost everywhere... Imison Panel Assembly - YouTube

Styrofoam panels are not green. Using indigenous materials and re-using waste IS green. It is also much cheaper than buying pre-fab materials and kits. It all boils down to location and how much do it yourself work is done.

Originally Posted by nrdthxpr

That Earthship design is really beautiful. "When I grow up that's where I want to live!"

Couldn't agree more!