This is a model I am working on for the very hot climate in Portugal. This model is a biotecture plan and not a design plan. The colours and layout of furniture are examples. The roof will be a simple sloped structure, but the material will differ from that shown in this model.
A followup video will explain how this earthship is designed to perform in very hot climates in Portugal where the summer sun can reach over 45 degrees celsius. The building faces South, with the hottest west side bermed with soil and grass to protect it from long summer days.
The shapes and structure of this Earthship model all serve functions. These may relate to structural strength, or performance. Performance is critical in this building, especially to keep cool. You will see long silver pipes in the walls. These are cooling tubes and allow the air to cool down naturally as it passes through them. The house vents mainly from the greenhouse skylights. If the sliding french doors are opened in the lounge, this will allow hot air to quickly pass out of the house and then sucking in fresh cool air.
I hope you enjoy this dynamic eye candy! Let me know if you would like to live in this home?! This design is one that I hope to build and then improve and share with others that come to the area. It is possible to make this design smaller or bigger depending on personal needs.
▶️ 3Speak
I do like the look of this home and I love the idea of sharing indoor space with my garden, that really appeals to me and I know it is a signature of earthships for many reasons. How much do you think it would cost to make? Looking forward to the next video Alex xxxx
happy to hear you like this home ;-)))
Ill have to let you know how much it costs once i build it! it is designed to be relatively cheap and easy to make.. although not the smallest or cheapest way to go... i will make a bare bones very small and also bigger versions once i have tested this model and see how it performs...
much love! <3
x
It's a really elegant design @eco-alex - simple, functional and actually very classy. I look forward to seeing the next stage of its evolution.
Amazing work with the 3D model Alex! I seriously enjoyed your eye candy and imagined my family fitting in there quite perfectly ;)
Seeing this makes me want to start working on designs. I can see where another bedroom might fit if there was a second inverted spiral...
You know, when I was a child I wrote to Jim'll Fix It, asking if I could build a house. Thankfully good old Jimmy turned me down. Better that I waited a few years ;)
that is hillarious about jim'll fix it.. that sure would have been a tall order even for Jim.. ;-)
thanks so much for the feedback! yes that second room got put in and taken out again.. i wasnt sure about it.. and do want to make a slightly different expanded version for people who want some thing a bit bigger.. ill no doubt 3D that one up sometime.. it basically involves using some of the current dead space at the back to put the bathroom and storage so there is more space in the main house to add a second room... im not sure quite what you mean about the inverted spiral . .. ill have a think about it.. been a hectic day.. finally my yurt arrived and ive been shopping all day getting tools and things ill need to make the base.. look a bit of a challenge but hopefully i can do it nicely...
<3
Is this a revival of the old Nautilus" model? I just LOVED that one at the Greater World site. Of course, I'm sure you know what happened to it, and the current building that has replaced the nautilus is a far cry from its original design. But the plans and pictures are just amazing! And you are going to build this in Portugal? How amazing is that!!!
ahhh! yes i had a look at that .. it is similar but after i looked i saw it was also really different.. they way the berm is used and the greenhouse .. yeah i heard they changed it somewhat.. never managed to see it when i was there...
glad u like this plan! i do too.. and i REALLY hope to build it for someone.. sooon! <3
Nice work on this 3D rendering. I am very interested in what you develop for the hot climate there. I am currently in Mexico where we are working to build community and the weather here is generally quite hot (both dry and humid depending on the season).
I noticed the extra large roof overhanging the earth berm. I'm guessing that is to increase rainwater collection. I was wondering about having a large window in the bedroom which I'm assuming faces to the south since it is on the same wall as the greenhouse. Won't that dramatically heat up the sleeping space or will the heat level be controlled by using an eves over the window to block the summer sun?
Thanks for doing this work for the benefit of all.
hi! thanks for the questions... you got it right on the roof! It is oversized by a nice amount to get as much water as we can.. also ,, on a more expanded design we can use some of the space in the back side where we can put the bathroom, systems, and storage... I will make a design of that some time. If it is a wet climate u could cut the roof to match the curve of the house..
on the bedroom window,, yes i agree its too big.. i made it big at the start and didnt take the time to make it smaller.. ITs worth mentioning though that its pretty easy to block incoming sun radiation using blinds or similar shading. If the sun is really harsh you can line the curtains or blinds with silver reflective insulation which will really reduce most of the solar gain during hot days.. the benefit is that in winter we can really open that space up with natural light....
also worth mentioning that the bedroom has its own venting skylight and cooling tube.. so in theory that room should be very easy to control the climate in!
happy to chat more and help you if you do start designing / building! <3
I'll be following your evolving design with interest. Some people here are interested in building with cob. I'm interested in integrating various Earthship systems into whatever structures are built.
Originally, I was thinking that the use of a berm and tire wall would be unnecessary in this climate but the recent heat has me rethinking that. One thing that I'm concerned about is the ants and whether they would get into the berm and cause problems. There are a lot and they seem to be everywhere. Have you seen any info or personally experienced ants in any of your projects?
Well if u do the berm properly it is fully sealed with membrane and insulations with every tiny gap filled.. so in theory nothing is getting in.. if they did im not sure how much of a problem it would really be.. they wont make it through the tyre walls...
CONGRATULATIONS!! and thank you for creating wonderful, original content on Hive.
Please share and support our curation, and share some Hive-Love to the other posts selected too.
EARTH HEALING is a Natural Medicine project which supports the regeneration & healing of Mother Earth on HIVE
great project!!