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List of Appendices Appendix 1 The Earthship Concept Appendix 2 Policy Context for Eco Housing Appendix 3 Earthship Design & Adaptations for Scotland Appendix 4 Earthships and Labour Appendix 5 Earthship Autonomous Systems Appendix 6 Earthships as Affordable Eco Housing Appendix 7 Survey Questionnaire Appendix 8 Survey Questionnaire Covering Letter Appendix 9 Background Information Sent Out with Questionnaire Appendix 10 Results and Findings - Earthship Communities Research Project Questionnaire
Survey Market Demand for Earthships & Perceived Barriers Appendix 11 Supportive Comments from Questionnaire Respondents Appendix 12 ZWAZE Community Proposal Appendix 13 Scottish Earthship Development and Support Network
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Appendix 1 The Earthship Concept The Earthship is a highly energy-efficient housing model with a low carbon footprint: it‟s design principles of thermal mass, solar passive design, rainwater and autonomous sewage systems, and renewable energy utilisation create a self-sustaining space, capable of heating and cooling itself with little/no fossil fuel, meeting its own water and power requirements, treating its own sewage and provides the opportunity to grow food all year round. The main building materials used are car tyres and aluminium cans, which reduce waste in landfill and contributing further to the reduction of polluting gases. As well as preventing waste pollution by physically reusing car tyres, the Earthship demonstrates how carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced through functioning without fossil fuel derived energy. Heating and lighting are provided through the principles of thermal mass, solar passive gain and by generating energy from wind, hydro and solar power. Pioneered by American architect Michael Reynolds the ethos behind the concept is to provide low cost housing that has minimal running costs, which takes care of people and the environment. The architect designs low cost, service-less housing for people with the aim of making them less dependent on utility infrastructures where they can live self-sufficiently in terms of power, sewage, water and, (in part), food. Today there are more than 2000 Earthship homes worldwide. The Earthship structure is a series of circular or U-shaped rooms, which are open to, and joined by, a south-facing hallway, sometimes referred to as the greenhouse (Figure 1 below). Figure 1 U-Plan Earthship
(Source: Reynolds, 1990) The load-bearing walls of the building are generally up to 3 feet thick, built from tyres compacted with earth. Tyres are very durable, resilient to earthquake, and provide the building with thermal mass, and are thus considered by the architect to be ideal building blocks. They are plastered with an adobe mud-straw mixture and cement, which varies in proportion to the moisture levels of the atmosphere in which the Earthship is being built. The interior, non-structural walls of the building are made from aluminium cans laid into cement. Timber is used to construct the roof, which is heavily insulated to minimise heat loss. The Earthship was developed in New Mexico, U.S.A. at latitude of 37o north and at an altitude of 7000 feet (2133 m) where winter temperatures reach -30oF(-4oC), and summer ones around 100oF(37oC). In this extreme climate the Earthship maintains a temperature of 65o–75oF (18o-24oC) with no need for backup heating or cooling. The heating and cooling mechanisms are inherent in
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its structure, utilising the earth‟s constant temperature, it is designed to capture and store solar radiation, and operates a ventilation system. The building is commonly dug into the earth on three sides, tapping into the natural thermal constant, which at a depth of 4 feet is a stable temperature of around 58oF (14oC), 12o F away from the so-called comfort zone for the human body. The mass of the dense tyre walls acts as a battery, storing the heat from the earth, as well as the sun. The mass buffers any extremes in temperature and is increased relative to the air volume in the rooms, thus decreasing widths, depths and heights of living spaces increases the temperature. The principle of thermal mass is illustrated below in Fig. 2. Figure 2 Principle of Thermal Mass
(Source: Reynolds, 1990) The hallway placed on the Southside of the rooms is faced with glass and acts as a heating duct. It is designed in such a way as to admit the maximum amount of winter sunshine without reflection, by aligning the tilt of the glass relative to the latitudinal position of the building. So designed, the glass is thus perpendicular to the winter sun (Figure 3 below). Figure 3 Earthship Orientation and Solar Design
(Source: Reynolds, 1990) This can be compared with conventional houses, which by way of design, tend to disregard potential solar power (Figure 4 below).
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Figure 4 Orientation and Solar Design of Conventional House
(Source: Reynolds, 1990) Centralised energy systems are vital to conventional housing, without which they would be unable to function; they would be too cold or hot, lack cooking facilities and any acceptable degree of comfort. These centralised systems are powered by fossil fuels, or non-sustainable sources of power. Conversely, independent mechanical systems, which utilise renewable energy such as solar power and wind, are installed into the Earthship to provide power, water, and sewage treatment. The design of the Earthship is such that it requires significantly reduced power requirements compared to a conventional house, which has to rely on external power for all heating and cooling. Power is collected by solar panels, (or other sources of renewable energy such as wind or water, depending on the location), in DC form and stored in batteries for use. The complete power system is operated by a Power Organising Module (POM), which includes batteries, solar panels, all connections necessary to fit solar electricity into a conventional wiring system, and an invertor to convert the DC power to AC power used by household appliances. Some DC lighting is fitted to the Earthship in case of invertor failure to ensure the availability of lighting at all times. Figure 5 below illustrates the power system. Figure 5 Power System
(Source: Reynolds, 1990) The Earthship is not plumbed into a main water system but functions entirely on a rain catchwater system. Consequently the figuration of the roof is important as the primary catch point for the building's water supply. Appliances such as low flow showerheads are used instead of conventional ones to reduce water demand, and greywater is used to flush the toilets (see below). Figure 6 below illustrates the exterior parts of the catchwater system. The process begins on the roof of the building, which acts as a catchment area, funnelling the rainwater into a drain. The drain is typically positioned at the front of the building, which is south facing, to prevent the water from freezing in winter. From the drain the water goes through a silt catch system, located inside or outside the building, which filters any loose debris from the water. The water is finally stored in an
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indoor or outdoor reservoir, which is designed in relation to the amount of rainfall received in the area, and pumped by a solar-powered pump to aerate the water. The water in the reservoir is then fed through a series of pumps and filters, which like the power system, is regulated by a Water Organising Module (WOM), designed in a ready to use panel which can be fitted into any house by a conventional plumber. The water is then ready for use when it leaves the filtering and pumping system and goes through a conventional gravity-fed tank, pressurising the water going to fixtures such as showers, taps and washing machines. Figure 6 Catchwater System
(Source: Reynolds, 1990) In addition to capturing heat from the sun the greenhouse hallway accommodates large plant beds (illustrated in Figure 1) that provide food and oxygen as well as filtering the building‟s sewage, which can be divided into two types; blackwater and greywater. Typically 80% of wastewater from a household can be used as grey, which consists of all used water except that from the toilet, (e.g. bath, shower, washing machine and sink). The greywater is collected and filtered to remove debris, such as hair and food particles before going through the planter beds, in the south-facing hallway. Oxygenation, filtration, transpiration and bacteria encounter takes place in the planter beds, which generally have a 1000 gallon (3785 litres) capacity, with a gravel bed in place at the bottom. The beds are a fully contained system with rubber lining to prevent external seepage. The size and number of planter beds needed for houses are calculated by applying the transpiration rates of plants to the water consumption of the household. After filtering takes place by the plants the water is used for the garden and for flushing the toilet. Exterior planter beds, which are also rubber-lined, receive the water from the septic tank, and function similarly to the interior beds. In countries with high rainfall, such as Scotland, they would be covered to prevent excess water entering them.
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In essence the sewage system is using water 4 times but is set up with valves in a way that transforms it easily into a conventional system, whereby all the wastewater would go into the septic tank, or the septic tank would overflow into a conventional drainage area. The planter beds used to treat the greywater of an Earthship provide ideal spaces to grow edible plants. Positioned on the south side of the house it is possible to grow year- round food in many climates. Although it is still necessary to supplement food requirements with external purchases, the home grown produce is contributing to a more sustainable lifestyle. In the summer months in Scotland it is possible to reduce dependency on intensively grown produce, which involves the use of significant transportation and chemicals. Table 1 below summarises the fundamental differences between Earthships and conventional houses and highlights the result of such differences.
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Table 1 Fundamental Differences between Earthships and Conventional Houses
Earthship Result Conventional House
Result
Heating & Cooling
Thermal mass Stores heat; low energy input
No/little mass No storage of heat; high energy input
Power Renewable energy e.g. solar, wind and small scale hydro
Sustainable power
Fossil fuel dependent e.g. electricity, gas and coal
Non-sustainable; major culprit of greenhouse gas effect through CO2 emissions
Water Rainwater Renewable source
Dependent on mains services
Requires energy; habitat loss through hydro dams
Sewage/Waste water
Self-treating/recycled
No external output; use of treated sewage for food production and garden
Sewage treatment works
Energy intensive; potential pollution of water systems and coasts
Food Capable of year-round production
Reduces need for intense farming methods and associated environmental effects
Little potential for home grown food in building
Dependency on intense farming methods and associated environmental effects
Location South-facing slopes
Efficient solar passive gain; low energy input
No particular aspect No solar, or haphazard, solar passive gain; high fossil fuel energy input
Main Building Material
Locally sourced waste tyres and cans
Recycled materials reduces waste going to landfill and depletion of natural resources; minimal transportation; high durability of materials
Bricks, cement, concrete, sand and aggregate, timber
Quarrying/ harvesting of natural resources; loss of natural habitats; high energy manufacturing processes; significant transportation
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Appendix 2 Policy Context for Eco Housing Housing, Energy, Development and Sustainable Communities Policy Context Ecological and financial burdens of new and current housing in the UK Current rates of population growth and the increasing number of households, has serious impacts on living conditions and human settlements. These factors demand an increase in housing provision. Most geographical areas, however, cannot sustain this demand and the type of intensive development that is required to keep up with the demand. It puts a burden on the local infrastructure, the environment and the community. In areas where there is space to build more housing, the environment and wild space is often severely compromised because of the nature of the housing and the conditions under which land is made available for development. Instead of joined-up thinking, we're getting joined-up towns and communities. It is not only new housing that places this burden on the people and the environment. The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) report on „How to plan and construct housing in the 21st century‟ states that, “the majority of new and existing homes in the UK has significant environmental impacts. Our homes contribute around 27 percent of the UK‟s carbon dioxide emissions, and they have significant impacts in terms of use of natural resources such as timber and water. The overall ecological footprint of UK homes therefore represents a major impact on the global environment”. In addition a financial burden is present. Because supply is not able to keep up with the increased housing demand, this is leading to significant price inflation. This inflationary effect on land, buildings and house prices has tipped the balance of affordability, thus making it increasingly difficult for local people to afford to purchase any equity stake in a property in their area and as such they are unable to access the property ladder. However, even if people weren‟t interested in buying housing, there is a shortfall of affordable housing for rent and because of many factors; there is even a shortfall of planned affordable housing in many local authority areas. According to the Highlands Small Communities Housing Trust1 brochure, “the gap between the need for and the supply of decent, affordable housing in the Highlands grows bigger every year…in rural communities many people in need do not apply (for the Council for housing) because, with so few houses and re-lets occurring (due to Right to Buy sales), they have little chance of allocation. Moreover the increasing cost of buying houses, which become available locally is now far beyond the means of most of those in need who often end up living in caravans, insecure private lets, sub-standard, overcrowded or other unsuitable accommodation.” They go on to state that, “Housing Associations, which today are the main delivery agents of new rented and other affordable housing opportunities in rural communities, are doing as much as their public funding allows. However all the main players in the Highlands agree that new approaches and additional resources are required to tackle the problem.” A quick look at the Housing Strategies of the Local Authorities in Scotland shows that this picture of the Highlands housing situation could well be a snapshot of the overall situation in Scotland. International, UK and Scottish policy context There is, however, a global commitment to reducing carbon emissions and creating sustainable and empowered communities. The United Nations (UN) and its various councils and subsidiary bodies in partnership with Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) are responsible for formulating policy recommendations for member states. UN Member states, of which there are 192 globally, agree to these policy recommendations by signing them at summits such as the Rio Earth Summit held in 1992 and the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD) that took place in Johannesburg, South Africa from 26 August to 4 September 2002. It brought together tens of thousands of participants, including heads of State and Government, national delegates and leaders from non-governmental organisations, businesses and other major groups to focus the world's attention on actions to achieve sustainable development. The UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD), which has a UK counterpart, was set up in December 1992 to facilitate the follow up and implementation of the agreements reached at the Rio Earth Summit
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earlier that year. It continues to monitor and implement plans made at both Rio and at the WSSD. The twelfth session, which started in April 2004, is focusing on human settlements for the next two years.
The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-HABITAT acknowledges that improving existing housing stock and increasing housing provision is important, but they state that “these activities must run parallel with actions that specifically address and focus on the human rights aspects”.* They specifically state that the rights-based approach to delivering housing can “empower the poor and the homeless”.
Signing international agreements and developing policies and strategies to carry them out, such as
Agenda 21, the Framework Convention on Climate Change and the Habitat Agenda, amongst others, shows commitment on a global scale to these vital issues for the people and the planet.
MESSAGE FROM CHAIR OF CSD-12, H.E. BØRGE BRENDE, MINISTER OF THE ENVIRONMENT,
NORWAY, APRIL 2004
“The international community has set itself ambitious goals for sustainable development. The CSD
must help ensure that these commitments are delivered upon. We have no time to lose when it
comes to transforming global commitments into action at the local and regional levels. As newly
elected chair of the CSD, I will make it a priority to uphold the political momentum from
Johannesburg in the areas of water, sanitation and human settlements, to which the Commission
has decided to devote most of its attention over the next two years. Progress in these areas will help
reach goals in other important areas such as health, education, gender equality and biodiversity as
well as poverty eradication. ”
HABITAT AGENDA - PREAMBLE
“The sooner communities, local governments and partnerships among the public, private and
community sectors join efforts to create comprehensive, bold and innovative strategies for shelter
and human settlements, the better the prospects will be for the safety, health and well-being of
people and the brighter the outlook for solutions to global environment and social problems.”
“Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development, including adequate shelter
for all and sustainable human settlements, and they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in
harmony with nature.”
AGENDA 21 HUMAN SETTLEMENT OBJECTIVE 7.4.
“The overall human settlement objective is to improve the social, economic and environmental quality
of human settlements and the living and working environments of all people, in particular the urban
and rural poor. Such improvement should be based on technical cooperation activities, partnerships
among the public, private and community sectors and participation in the decision-making process by
community groups and special interest groups such as women, indigenous people, the elderly and the
disabled...”
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European level The European Commission's proposal for a European Union Sustainable Development Strategy was adopted by the Commission on the 15th May 2002 and focuses upon six trends that EU policy must address, including climate change, increasing pressure on vital natural resources, poverty and social exclusion, congestion and pollution, potential threats to public health. Integration of environmental concerns into the policy-making of the EU is ongoing, with strategies for many areas under development. The Global, European, UK and Scottish policies, strategies and targets relating to climate change, energy-efficiency, renewable energy, sustainable communities & development, and affordable housing are relevant to the Earthship concept. UK level In May 1999 the Government published A better quality of life: a strategy for sustainable development for the UK*. This brings the environment, social progress and the economy alongside each other at the heart of policy making. (*Cm 4345, The Stationery Office, London, ISBN 0-10-143452-9).
The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) is an independent UK advisory body addressing energy and climate change as part of their work programme and has developed a detailed input into the Government‟s Energy White Paper process and reports jointly to Tony Blair and the leaders of the devolved administrations in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.” Their work programme on Energy Efficiency and Renewables is most relevant to the Earthship concept.
Scottish level The Scottish Framework for Climate Change sets out Scotland‟s response to the worldwide call for action. Along with the UK government and the other devolved governments, the Executive is
WHY DO WE NEED SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT? Because the need for development is as
great as ever, but future development cannot simply follow the model of the past.
This is true for the world as a whole, and for every community in this country. www.sustainable-development.gov.uk
SDC PAPER “FORGING AN ENERGY POLICY FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT:
A PAPER FOR THE ENERGY POLICY REVIEW OF THE UK GOVERNMENT”
“Both Government data and economy-environment modelling suggest that the UK can make the
transition to a low-carbon economy using a combination of energy efficiency measures and
renewables which, over twenty years, will yield net benefits rather than costs to the economy.”
“Energy efficiency: increasing energy efficiency could greatly reduce the challenge of supplying
enough low-carbon energy to cut emissions by 60% by 2050.”
HABITAT AGENDA – COMMITMENTS, A: SHELTER FOR ALL
40. WE FURTHER COMMIT OURSELVES TO THE OBJECTIVES OF:
(f) Promoting locally available, appropriate, affordable, safe, efficient and environmentally sound
construction methods and technologies in all countries…at the local, national, regional and
subregional levels that emphasise optimal use of local human resources and encourage energy-
saving methods that are protective of human health;
(h) Increasing the supply of affordable housing, including through encouraging and promoting
affordable home ownership and increasing the supply of affordable rental, communal, cooperative
and other housing through partnerships among public, private and community initiatives, creating and
promoting market-based incentives while giving due respect to the rights and obligations of both
tenants and owners;
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outlining a strategic, far-reaching programme that will, amongst other aims, deliver the UK‟s and Scotland‟s legally binding target under the Kyoto Protocol.
With regard to Scottish Executive policies on housing, the Executive says in its introduction to Housing on its website: “The Executive aims to deliver good quality, sustainable and affordable housing, with appropriate housing management and support services. In addition, it is addressing the problem of fuel poverty.” The Scottish Executive goes on to acknowledge the need for more affordable housing and has policies on social housing, affordable homes and energy-efficient homes as well as rural issues. Concerning sustainable development, the Executive states their intentions very clearly, “We want a Scotland that delivers sustainable development; that puts environmental concerns at the heart of public policy and secures environmental justice for all of Scotland's communities. A number of groups contribute to this, from the Sustainable Development Directorate (part of the Environment Group), to external organisations such as Forward Scotland and the Sustainable Scotland Network.” Moreover, the Executive acknowledges that, “…we need to have priority areas and measurable targets to enable us to assess our progress in creating a more sustainable Scotland. And we must continually review how our policies reflect our ability to achieve these targets.” (authors‟ emphasis) Many of the Executive‟s Sustainable Development Directorate‟s Sustainable Indicators are areas where Earthship housing and community projects can help to deliver targets. The following indicators are most relevant:
Waste: recycling, landfilled
Climate change
Air quality
Energy: consumed, renewable
Home life
Fuel poverty
Social concern
Volunteering
There are many other organisations promoting sustainability issues in Scotland, such as Forward Scotland, the Scottish Renewables Forum and the Scottish Sustainable Development Forum, to name a few. Scottish Local Authority Level The Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) comprises members from all Scottish local authorities, responsible for promoting sustainable development programmes in their areas - previously under the name Local Agenda 21. It works closely with the Scottish Executive. In addition, These global, UK-wide and national policies, initiatives, commitments and strategies should logically flow down to a local level via Local Government. This is gradually happening and the prioritisation of the provision of affordable housing in key policy and implementation documents such as Local Housing Strategies, Local Plans, Structure Plans and Development Plans.
From the SCOTTISH FRAMEWORK FOR CLIMATE CHANGE
“The Scottish Executive want to work in partnership with everyone in Scotland, the UK
Government and the European Union in developing climate change policies, which will enable
Scotland to play its full part in tackling the problem of climate change. We are also keen that
Scotland takes advantage of the opportunities to provide warmer, more comfortable homes…”
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However, whilst some provision is made for meeting basic energy efficiency levels; “affordable” housing is not generally linked with “sustainable” or “low impact” housing. This has not been researched thoroughly but informal talks with officers have shown this to be the case. Conclusion The urgent need for action to reduce carbon emissions is recognised on a global, national and local level by policy makers and NGOs alike. It is also recognised, and perhaps obvious, that whilst the United Nations and its member governments formulate policy, these policies have to be implemented locally in partnership with community organisations and individuals. However, whilst high ideals are found in the visions, policies and strategies at the higher level of the UN and national government, it is the authors‟ opinion that these ideals are watered down by the time they are interpreted at a local government level. To illustrate this point, try to find the following words in your Local Authority Development Plan: “Human beings are at the centre of concerns for sustainable development, including adequate shelter for all and sustainable human settlements, and they are entitled to a healthy and productive life in harmony with nature.” * This is intended as an observation and a call to bring these values into delivering sustainable communities at a local level. The author groups of this report feel that the Earthship concept together with sound ecological and social management plans or agreements creates fertile ground for the seeding and flourishing of sustainable communities that reflect the highest ideals, as well as the most basic values, that have been agreed on an international level. To achieve this, close cooperation between Local and regional government, housing bodies and the community sector is needed. It is hoped that the implementation of an Earthship-based Zero Waste Zero Energy Community would achieve this cooperation and act as a model of sustainable community building for future projects to learn from and to replicate. * Excerpt from the preamble to the UN document, the Habitat Agenda
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Appendix 3 Earthship Design & Adaptations for Scotland The Earthship concept is demonstrated in many different designs all around the world, determined by people‟s tastes, budgets, the climate and planning criteria. Regardless of the design the fundamental principles remain the same: Thermal mass; Passive solar gain; The utilisation of locally available and waste materials wherever possible; And autonomous water, sewage and power systems; After considering designs across the globe research was carried out into what would work best in the Scottish climate. Climatic adaptations were incorporated into the proposed design and then implemented during construction of Earthship Fife. The “U” layout described above in Section 2.2 was considered most suitable, as opposed to, for example, the “nest”, which is now also commonly built as it tends to be less expensive, although it does require better building skills than when building the “U” due to the squarer rooms. The “U” design is the most suitable design for Scotland for ease of build, economics, and reassuring local engineers of the concept‟s structural integrity. The original design for Earthship Fife was to have a squarer back wall but the structural engineer insisted for structural reassurance that we enhance the curve, creating more of a “U” shape. The main climatic/locality design adaptations that were made to Earthship Fife were as follows: Vertical glass on the front which guarantees that the low winter sun reaches the back wall of
the building without reflection losses; A second "layer" of glass inside the building was added and acts as a buffer and regulates the
temperature in the main room, creating a double glazed conservatory corridor at the front of the building; (see Photo below)
A "thermal wrap" was installed around the building of insulation and a waterproof membrane to protect the building from dampness and help regulate the inside temperature;
Traditional stone facings were built on the front of the building to demonstrate the aesthetically pleasing potential of Earthships and show that the way the building is faced can fit in with the local architecture and location; (see Photo below)
Earthship Fife interior showing the “double-glazed” corridor
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Front view of Earthship Fife showing the attractive stone facing In terms of overall requirements for site conditions and location the ideal site for an Earthship in the northern hemisphere is a south facing slight slope. Earthship Fife faces 12-15 degrees east of south to take advantage of the early morning sun. It is possible to build free-standing Earthships in Scotland but the more mass you "give" the building the more energy efficient the building will be. It is also possible to wrap a free-standing building with straw bales, which don‟t provide additional thermal mass but will still contribute highly to an energy-efficient building. The extent to which Earthship Fife is buried can be seen in the Photo below. Here we can see the building from behind on the west side. Once the final roof material was in place the north, east and west sides of the building were buried up to roof level. Due to the steepness of the west and east sides, the soil doesn't quite reach the top of the "wings" but the aim is to achieve as much burial as possible to create more mass for the building. The more mass that buries the building, the more heat storage capacity of the building. Any burial done outside of the thermal wrap is obviously not counted as mass for the building but will have insulation value.
Back view of Earthship Fife showing the extent of the burial There is obviously a point beyond which more mass would make no difference to the temperature because the heat generated in the building would be unable to reach the depth of mass. The mass "owned" (within the thermal wrap) by Earthship Fife is 1-2 metres around the north, west and east sides. The roof of Earthship Fife is designed to catchwater and is heavily insulated to prevent heat loss. The basic principle follows a flat roof design with a “kick up” valley for the water collection using trusses and plywood decking. The architect‟s specifications were followed to insulate above and below the roof decking, which resulted in a hybrid warm and cold roof design. The warm roof is created by the 4 inches (100 centimetres) of rigid insulation on top of the decking - a flat roof design that is commonly used - and the cold roof is created by the 12 inches (300 centimetres) of
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Thermafleece (sheep‟s wool) insulation above the ceiling. The latter is the more accepted method for pitch roofs in Scotland. Both Building Control, and local builders and architects consider the hybrid roof design used in Earthship Fife complex and unnecessary. The feeling is that either the warm or cold roof method should have been used to reduce the possibility of interstitial condensation. One of the precautions we took to avoid the risk of interstitial condensation was to install an extra vapour barrier between the sheep‟s wool insulation and the ceiling itself. This is in addition to the vapour barrier normally placed on the roof decking under the rigid insulation. The floor of the Earthship is not insulated in order to benefit from the earth‟s natural thermal constant described in Section 2.2 above. With regard to the building‟s performance it has now gone through 2 Scottish winters and although a formal monitoring system has not yet started it is evident from the use the building has had through the construction period and whilst conducting group visits and tours that people feel warm in the building in low winter temperatures. The design of the building has withstood water and damp penetration through the 2 winters it has been sealed. Building Methods The building techniques applied whilst building Earthship Fife were the 3 standard Earthship building techniques - can wall masonry, earth rammed tyre pounding and adobe plastering. The experience illustrated to us that these 3 techniques could all be carried out by people with no prior building skills. Can wall masonry demonstrates the reuse of a waste product as a valuable building material. Aluminium cans are light "bricks" that can be laid with cement. In comparison to concrete walls they reduce the amount of cement required in non-load bearing walls and can be used to create an unique and attractive interior feature. The honeycomb effect of the can work adds strength to the walls. Earth rammed tyre pounding also demonstrates the utilisation of waste as a resource. The tyres are used as they are when building Earthships no modification is necessary. The only energy required is the physical labour of the pounder. Pounding tyres is not easy, but it is considered by many to be rewarding. There are not many building methods, if any, that can be learnt so quickly by unskilled people. No foundation is necessary for a tyre wall; the undisturbed ground of the site is used instead. This was approved by the structural engineer in the case of Earthship Fife. Earth plastering is also a physically demanding job but again easily taught and most of the materials are readily available at any site where there is earth. The mix is sand, earth, and chopped straw. In Scotland in the winter months the plaster was taking 2-3 weeks to dry off enough to apply the next coat. In the dampest months we experienced the growth of mould on the walls and seeds started growing in places where there was poor air flow or no sun. We also consistently found small insects like centipedes in these areas. Once dry we brushed the mould off and applied the next coat. The mould didn't persist in these situations. It is clearly preferable however not to plaster in the winter months when the climate is at its dampest and coolest.
Interior can wall in Earthship Fife
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Building Materials Table 2 below lists the main building materials used in building Earthship Fife, trade names are denoted in italics and reclaimed or recycled materials are listed as such. The categories are not exactly the same as conventional quantity surveying categories for the building elements but categorises sections according to what fits this building project best. A description of what each category comprises is as follows: Excavation & Earthworks This category covers excavating the site with an excavator, preparing the site for building work and moving earth and bulky materials around the site where needed. Wall Construction & Finishes This category includes tyre wall structure, external backfill and thermal wrap around the building. Also includes internal wall work of packing out and plastering. Painting and decoration are also taken account of in this building element category. Roof Construction & Finishes This category covers the entire roof structure from the finished external layer through to the internal ceiling finish. It also includes roof domes and vents. It covers the main ceiling in the “U” and the ceiling in the greenhouse area that houses the greywater bed. Floor Construction & Finishes This category covers the entire floor structure from the undisturbed compacted floor foundation to the floor tile finish. It covers the main floor in the “U” and the floor covering around the greywater bed in the greenhouse. Windows & Doors This category includes the external glazing units and door for the building, as well as the internal glazed wall and door that separate the “U” from the greenhouse area. The timber reflects the fact that the windows were not already made but the frames were made by SCI volunteers and installed as separate units. It also includes facing timber. Internal Works This simply covers the fittings used to create the kitchen area in the “U” and the toilet. External Works This category includes facing the wings with stone masonry, which also involved insulating them, capping them and pointing them. It also covers finishes on the building such as sheet metal drip edges. Path and access work have also been included in this category. Miscellaneous/hardware The numerous materials that were used in more than one category! Autonomous systems This category comprises all 3 of the autonomous systems – power, water and sewage. The power system includes all the renewable energy equipment that makes up the demonstration hybrid system. The water system covers both water catchment and the greywater system. As well as the blackwater beds the sewage system also includes the building of the greenhouse structure that covers one of the beds.
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Table 1 Building Materials
Building Element Main Materials Used What for?
Excavation & Earthworks
Plant Hire: 3 tonne excavator & dumper
Excavating the site and moving earth around the site
Wall Construction & Finishes
Used car tyres Holding rammed earth; wall structure; thermal mass; also acts as a foundation
Recycled cardboard pieces
Holding soil in tyre
Earth Backfilling battered earth walls; filling the tyres
50mm Foamglas Buried rigid insulation in thermal wrap
25mm Voltex Buried waterproof membrane on outside of insulation in thermal wrap
Recycled aluminium and steel cans
Packing out tyre walls to even them out for plastering; reduces amount of cement and earth plaster needed; non-load-bearing walls; filling in odd-shaped gaps between the tyre wing walls and the front face
Adobe plaster Packing out and plastering tyre walls
Milled clay Finishing plaster work on interior walls
Natural paints Painting interior walls
Roof Construction & Finishes
Polycarbonate roof domes
Ventilation & light
EPDM Waterproof membrane as finishing layer on roof
Gradient Corklok Insulation on roof
Corovan building paper
Breathable membrane as vapour barrier
Exterior grade plywood
Roof decking
Roof trusses Roof supports
Steel rods Attaching headers/bearing plates to tyres
Scottish larch (timber) Roof headers/bearing plates
Thermafleece insulation (sheep‟s wool)
Insulation in ceiling
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Reclaimed red pine (timber)
Ceiling finish
Marine ply Greenhouse ceiling finish
Roof vents Extractor fan outlets and vent for blackwater drain
Enviragraf Clear Varnish
Fire resistance finish for ceiling
Floor Construction & Finishes
500mm compacted soil
Undisturbed earth for floor foundation
Recycled150mm sand blinded compacted Type 1 hardcore
Floor foundation
25mm Voltex Waterproof membrane
100mm Limecrete slab
Floor
50mm sand/lime screed
Bedding for floor tiles
Tile cement Tile adhesive
20mm floor tiles Floor finish
Paving slabs Floor finish in greenhouse
Windows & Doors Double glazed units Double glazing
Meranti hardwood timber
Window frames & facings
Single pane external doors
External door and door from greenhouse to main room
Draft proofing Draft proofing for doors
Silicon glazing Sealing windows
Wood preservative Preserving window frames & facings
External Works Ballast Path hardcore
Building sand Path work
Cement Concrete capping on wings at front of building
Cement waterproofer & retarder
Waterproofing cement in wings
Timber Path edging
Sheet metal Metal moulding for drip edge on roof
Crown Dryferm Cavity Insulation in wings
Reclaimed Whinstone Stone masonry facings on wings
Internal Works Reclaimed kitchen units
Kitchen units
Reclaimed toilet & wash hand basin
Toilet & wash hand basin
Reclaimed teak tops Kitchen & toilet tops
Reclaimed door Toilet door
Miscellaneous/Hardware Concrete lintels Support under low tyre wall for sewage pipe
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Reclaimed timber Various building work
Recycled building sand
Earth plastering & tyre pounding
Recycled cement sand
Making concrete
Trojan pulverised fuel ash cement
Can wall laying, wings and miscellaneous cement work
Metal lath Reinforcement where necessary in tyre walls, cement work and adobe plastering
Various hardware – nails, screw etc
Various joinery and building work
Visqueen DPM Various timber protection & waterproofing
Timber preservatives & finishes
Timber protection
Tools Various tasks
Autonomous systems
Power Wind turbine & equip. Generating electricity
Solar panels & equip. Generating electricity
Hydro turbine & equip. Generating electricity
Control equipment Converting power from DC to AC
Battery bank Storing DC power
Wiring materials Electrical wiring
Water Catchment & Greywater System
Reclaimed water tank Storing water
Pea gravel Filtering debris from roof
Plumbing materials Plumbing water supply
Water Organising Module
Pumping & filtering water supply
Pressure tank “Storing” water pressure
Hot water cylinder Storing hot water
Rubber liner Lining greywater bed
Recycled gravel Layering in greywater bed to allow bacterial process
Recycled sand Layering in grey water bed to allow bacterial process
Soil Layering in greywater bed to allow bacterial process
Reclaimed plastic container & some plumbing parts
Grease & particle filter for catching particles before greywater enters the greywater bed
Activated charcoal Filtering and reducing smells in the greywater
Sphagnum moss Filtering and purifying the greywater
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Recycled plastic bottles
To create voids to increase circulation in the overflow observation/overflow towers
Sewage Reclaimed plastic drums
Infiltrator to separate solids and allow the breaking down process to take place
25 mm Voltex Lining botanical cells/blackwater beds & infiltrator shelf
Used tyres Observation/overflow towers
Recycled plastic bottles
To create voids to increase circulation in the overflow observation/overflow towers
Recycled gravel Layering in blackwater bed to allow bacterial process
Recycled sand Layering in blackwater bed to allow bacterial process
Soil Layering in blackwater bed to allow bacterial process
Plumbing materials Plumbing to blackwater beds and from bed 1 to bed 2
Timber Greenhouse structure for blackwater bed
Reclaimed double glazed units
Greenhouse structure for blackwater bed
Polycarb roofing sheets
Greenhouse structure for blackwater bed
Reclaimed guttering Greenhouse structure for blackwater bed
The project manager of Earthship Fife, who had had no previous experience of building projects, was responsible for acquiring and purchasing the materials for the project. At that time SCI did not have a Site Manager, whose job it would normally be to ensure all the materials were on site when required. The approach taken by the project manager was to use ecological alternatives as much as possible and as far as the material budget allowed and also secure materials and products as sponsorship in kind, i.e. free of charge or at a reduced rate. Table 2 below lists the ecological materials used and makes comparisons with conventional materials in terms of costs and time issues that may be considered.
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Table 2 Ecological Materials
Ecological Materials Used
Description Replacing Conventional materials
Cost difference if known
Points to Consider
Used tyres Used car tyres Bricks, stone, breeze blocks
Very high savings! Building projects “disposing” of tyres in this responsible manner receive payment from the tyre disposal company
Labour/building time will be more than in a conventional building method but methods are quickly learnt by unskilled people
Earth & cardboard for tyre ramming & backfill
Earth from site & recycled cardboard
N/A Free materials Labour/building time will be more than in a conventional building method but methods are quickly learnt by unskilled people
Foamglas Carbonised Insulation produced from 66% recycled glass
Any polyurethane insulation that can perform and last in a buried situation
£700 for 60 square metres of Foamglas; SCI received a large charity discount from Pittsburgh Coming (UK) Ltd
Free of harmful substances, not attacked by rodents or at risk of decay
Voltex 2 layers of geotextile “matting” sandwiching sodium bentonite granules which are impermeable
Plastic waterproof membranes
Voltex is much more expensive than plastic membranes, approximately 10 times the price; All Voltex for Earthship Fife was sponsored by CETCO Ltd.
Very robust heavy material to use on site
Recycled steel & aluminium cans
Used drinks cans Reducing use of cement
Free materials Skills of can wall masonry easily learnt
Adobe plaster Soil, sand, straw and water
Cement plaster Free materials Labour/building time will be more than in a conventional building method but methods are quickly learnt by unskilled people
Natural paint Non chemical paints
Chemical paints Natural paints are on average twice as much as chemical paints
Healthier for people using it and for the building
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Gradient Corklok
Composite insulation using 20% cork and 80% urethane foam
Any rigid urethane insulation with acceptable heat loss value for roofs
All Gradient Corklok for Earthship Fife was sponsored by Gradient Insulations (UK) Ltd
Gradient Corklok is CFC/HCFC free
Reclaimed timber
Reclaimed timber Reducing use of virgin timber resources
Reclaimed timber can be available very cheaply
More time is required to de-nail and prepare the timber
Sustainably grown Scottish timber
Scottish larch Supporting sustainable timber management
- Not always available at a cost acceptable to your budget
Thermafleece Sheep‟s wool insulation
Fibre glass insulation
Thermafleece is approximately 3 times more expensive than conventional fibreglass insulation. SCI received a large charity discount from Second Nature UK Ltd
A renewable resource that is healthy to use and is naturally breathable. Its life expectancy is in excess of 50 years and it recyclable at the end of its life
Limecrete A lime-concrete mix
Reducing use of cement
Costs depend on what lime is used – NHL5 is only slightly more expensive than cement. All NHL5 for Earthship Fife was sponsored by Masons Mortar Ltd
The production of lime results in fewer C02 emissions than the production of concrete
Recycled aggregates
Concrete sand, building sand, hardcore, gravel
Reducing use of virgin materials
Aggregates vary depending on type, transportation costs and suppliers; All aggregates for Earthship Fife was sponsored by Encore Environmental
Mostly by-products of various manufacturing processes
Reclaimed Whinstone
Whinstone for wall building
Reducing use of virgin materials
- Transportation costs and distances may counteract the low embodied energy figures of using
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recycled material
Reclaimed kitchen and toilet fixtures
Kitchen & toilet fixtures
Reducing use of virgin materials and intercepting landfill waste
- -
Reclaimed water tank, plastic drums etc
Various drums and containers customised for use as tanks, filters etc
Reducing use of virgin materials and intercepting landfill waste
- Transportation costs and distances may counteract the low embodied energy figures of using reclaimed materials
There are many factors to consider when sourcing building materials – budget, suitability of material for the specific use, local availability versus distance travelled, and Building Control requirements. Material sourcing for Earthship Fife presented many challenges due to the non-conventional building design and the fact SCI was building something for the first time with no local example to follow. Ideals at the start of the project were forced to compromise by practicalities. However, overall, the building does use a high level of reclaimed and recycled materials, locally available materials and in its operational lifetime the building almost completely eradicates fossil-fuel derived energy consumption.
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Appendix 4 Earthships and Labour Earthships are generally perceived to be labour intensive due to their very physical building methods, i.e. tyre pounding and packing out between the tyres with concrete and adobe. Calculating how labour intensive they actually are through the assessment of Earthship Fife is very difficult given that we used, almost entirely, unskilled voluntary labour. The learning curves and the repetition of instructions, not to mention the less intensive work approach that comes with volunteering, all contributed to a lengthy volunteer work programme. Volunteers did however learn a lot as the Earthship building techniques are very forgiving. In SCI‟s experience the perception that Earthships are labour intensive has some truth in it but would hastily add that no building project should be underestimated as far as time goes - self build in particular would seem to take more time than people anticipate. It is worth noting however that methods that are more labour intensive are generally less technical and less impacting on the environment. The initial building phase of Earthship Fife was carried out by a team of 10 experienced Earthship builders from Solar Survival Architects in New Mexico to transfer skills to 10 people from Scotland and England in the building methods. This meant that 20 people worked on the building during the initial building phase for 8 days. The amount of work completed in that time was as follows: Construction of the tyre walls – pounding some 616 tyres, backfilling and installing the thermal
and waterproof wrap, burying the building with soil; Putting the roof on – bearing plates trusses, plywood decking, rigid insulation and rubber
membrane; Pack out of tyre walls inside – start of packing out with cement and cans, as well as adobe in
places; Window frames at front of building – built frames for windows and door; Can wall masonry on front east wing – about 50 % complete. The total number of construction hours for the initial building phase is estimated at 976 hours. Some of this time was spent in observation and learning for the trainees, and conversely, in the case of the experienced American building crew, their time was spent working intensively due to the time pressure of an 8-day demonstration project. In terms of efficiency, comparable to a non-training building situation these hours could be reduced by a third to 650, or 18.5 35-hour working weeks for one person. The second phase to complete the building spanned 2 years over weekends using voluntary labour, contributed by unskilled people in the main. In total approximately 230 people volunteered during that time. During that period the work included everything to complete the building inside and out, such as: -
Further tyre work to build an external store cupboard (approximately 50 tyres) and a retaining wall for the blackwater bed/autonomous sewage system greenhouse (approximately 50 tyres);
Completion of the roof – some installation of the EPDM rubber membrane, including complicated joins and seams around water channel and battery box;
Pack out of tyre walls inside – completion of packing out with cement and cans, entire adobe plaster throughout building and a clay plaster finish;
Installation of windows and doors, both on external face and interior greenhouse (6 large windows and 3 doors in total);
Can wall masonry work – completion of external wings on east and west side of building, 4 interior partition walls for toilet, and 2 small interior partition areas;
Construction of battery box, skylight boxes, and roof vents on roof; Stone facing walls on front wings and a low stone wall under front of building; Installation of reclaimed timber ceiling, including preparation of wood and treatment; Installation of autonomous systems - greywater recycling system, blackwater sewage,
renewable energy power system and water catchment roof system;
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Installation of insulation in ceiling; Installation of floor and floor coverings; Plumbing and electrical systems Landscaping around building including garden areas for blackwater system; Construction of blackwater system timber frame greenhouse Fitting of kitchen and toilet areas, shelving and storage areas; Painting, staining and finishing decor
At the end of this work phase, as described above, the building was finished. The total number of construction1 hours to complete the building is estimated at 3000 hours. A significant proportion of this time was spent in observation and learning for the volunteers. None of these person hours were performed by skilled builders. Two of the regular volunteers had competent DIY skills and 2 of the less regular volunteers were tradesmen (in plumbing and stone masonry). With a large pool of unskilled volunteers time was inevitably spent learning how to use basic tools, and experimenting with the building tasks and methods presented to them. On several occasions tasks had to be redone due to unacceptable standards or failure to achieve desired results. Although this "lost" the project building hours the aim of the project was for people to learn and be empowered by their own efforts. If the total number of construction hours are converted, including both the initial building phase above and the second phase up to completion it is a total of the equivalent of one and a half years work for a single person building an Earthship the size of Earthship Fife (31.5 m2 /315ft2 in size). It is not necessary to convert this investment of time into a monetary figure as the ethos of the Earthship concept is a lot about people being empowered to do it themselves, no matter how long it takes. For people not wanting to build their own Earthship the potential labour cost, using Earthship Fife as an example, could be around £20 – 24,000. However, it is clear that until an Earthship is built by competent or skilled builders in a “commercial” way that type of cost won‟t be known for a UK Earthship. (See section 5.1 for further estimates of build costs)
EARTHSHIPS - AN ESTIMATE OF COSTS IN A COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION Many potential time-saving techniques were devised as a result of building Earthship Fife. These include:
Mixing bath loads of adobe plaster instead of small amounts at a time, it doesn't go off (but can smell a bit) so can be left unused with no problem (this is only really suitable for large work parties);
Have a container or workshop next to the building site to reduce running around for the forgotten tools – there are always many of them no matter how hard you try;
Machine all reclaimed ceiling timber to achieve uniform timbers for easier installation; Have windows made up by a glazing company as opposed to making the window frames
ourselves; Always test patch plaster mixes before doing large areas, in case they don't work and have
to be redone; Excavate greywater bed with excavator at time of initial site excavation if possible to save
digging out by hand (the risk of disturbing soil that will be built on must be checked first and blackwater drainage would have to be installed under the greywater bed);
1Twenty five percent of the overall hours recorded have been deducted to allow for the fact that the unskilled
volunteer workforce can not be as efficient with their time as a workforce skilled in building.
EARTHSHIPS - AN ESTIMATE OF COSTS IN A COMMERCIAL CONSTRUCTION
30% Labour;
30% Materials
18% Systems
12% Subcontractors
Source: www.earthship.org 10% Profit
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Fill plastic bottles in greywater bed and blackwater bed with water instead of sand -the bottles are used instead of round rocks and allow increased circulation in inflow and outflow areas (being aware that any leakage will result in collapsed bottles much sooner than if they had sand in them);
Earthships Moray's experimentation with spray rendering techniques using lime may prove helpful to reducing time spent on earth plastering interior tyre walls;
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Appendix 5 Earthship Autonomous Systems Earthship Fife is not connected to any mains services and meets all its power, water and sewage requirements from renewable energy, rainwater catchment and a self-contained sewage system. The costs involved in providing Earthship Fife with the autonomous systems are covered in Section 4.4 above and the legal issues surrounding them, as well as a brief explanation of each system, is given below. Power When choosing the best site for Earthship Fife the renewable energy potential was taken into account and fortunately a site was found with potential wind, hydro, and solar power to provide primary sources of renewable energy. The hybrid system built into Earthship Fife was designed and purchased in Scotland by Element Engineering and comprises the following major components:
A 300W PV (photovoltaic) system made up of four BP275F monocrystalline 75 watt solar panels - anticipated annual output is 255kWh;
A 4-inch 2-nozzle Turgo Runner Stream Engine Hydro Turbine - anticipated annual output is 1314kWh;
A Proven WT600 600 watt wind turbine with a hub height of 5.5 metres - anticipated annual output is 1000kWh;
A 24-volt battery bank, comprising twelve 2 volt deep cycle lead acid cells;
A 2.3kW Studer inverter that converts the power from DC to AC;
The only legal issue connected to the power system was the requirement of a planning permit for the wind turbine. This was granted without any problems. Water Earthship Fife has an autonomous water system and is not plumbed into a mains water system and gets all its water supply requirements from rainwater and snow melt. The water is stored in a buried tank next to the building and filtered and pumped through what is known as a WOM, or Water Organising Module. The water is used in total 4 times – firstly as clean drinking or washing quality water, secondly it taken up by the plants in a greywater bed, the remainder of which is used to flush the toilet. The waters fourth and final use is in the blackwater beds where it is again feeding and watering plants as a by product of treating the sewage waste. The 2 authorities involved with the water system were Building Control (BC) and the Local Authority Environmental Services. BC had no issues with this type of system at all. The drinking water was tested by Environmental Services at the time of completing Earthship Fife, at which time the plumbing and filtering system had only been in use for a short while. The water however had been collected in the water tank for well over a year. The results of the tests showed faecal contamination of the water, believed to be caused by bird droppings that had collected at either the bottom of the water tank, or amongst the pea gravel, which the water passes through in the top of the water tank. Sewage Sewage is referred to in the Earthship as blackwater, which is the waste from the toilet only. All other wastewater is known as greywater, which is the waste from sinks and the shower. Earthship Fife is not connected to a mains sewage system and does not have a septic tank. All the solids and waste water from the toilet is treated by natural processes and is consumed and evaporated by plants in contained botanical cells that are lined to prevent seepage into the external environment.
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The botanical cells are completely sealed from the surrounding soil and do not have an outflow into the environment unlike septic tanks or reed beds. The size of the botanical cells needs to be based on the number of occupants in the house, or the level of anticipated use if it is a public building. The system used in Earthship Fife follows the basic principles of separating the incoming sewage in an infiltrator and allowing slow seepage through layers of gravel, sand and soil where the plants take up the small particles of nutrients. Solids remain in the infiltrator until they have decayed sufficiently through a wetting and drying-out process to become liquid. The solids are wetted every time the toilet flush enters the infiltrator. A timber greenhouse covers one of the botanical cells in the sewage system built for Earthship Fife - a Scottish climatic adaptation to the standard system used in New Mexican Earthships, where due to the low levels of precipitation, the blackwater beds are uncovered. Both Building Control and SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) accept the blackwater system. BC had no concerns over it in the instance of Earthship Fife and therefore no problems are expected with future buildings. Their criterion at the start of the application process was that as long as a sewage system that works could be demonstrated it would be accepted. SEPA were invited out to see the system during the construction phase. They approved of what they saw, making particular reference to the superiority of the system above other methods of treatment, such a reed beds, septic tanks and bio discs, due to its contained approach. In other words, they were in favour of the fact that the system was designed to prevent any sewage entering the external environment. Environmental Services were also consulted over the issue of growing edible plants in the blackwater beds. At the time of their visit they had no knowledge of any guidelines and suggested that as long as the plant produce was not being sold to the public there were no issues to consider from a legal point of view.
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HOW DOES THE EARTHSHIP CONCEPT CONTRIBUTE TOWARDS
THE CREATION OF A SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY?
The Earthship is a highly energy-efficient, low-impact housing concept. As can be seen in section 2.1, it is consistent
with wider global, national and regional sustainable housing, energy, development and community policy objectives.
There are many aspects of the Earthship concept that make it ideal for the creation of a sustainable community:
•Low-tech construction methods allow for participatory self-build and owner-builder involvement, which reduces
costs and encourages groups of people to work together to help build and maintain each others’ homes as well as
shared community facilities.
•Highly energy efficient and self-sufficient design reduces running costs and stress on finances while increasing the
standard of living - setting the scene for a healthy and happy community with more time to develop closer
relationships with the world around them, nature and people.
•There is no infrastructure (roads, power, water supply, etc.) needed to begin an Earthship development. All that is
needed are simple earth paths for a digger/dumper to be able to travel on. The housing can be built using the
renewable energy systems that the occupier is going to use once the Earthship is built i.e. using the wind generator
to create electricity for power tools, etc. This reduces the overall costs, time and stress of getting a community
started and is very different to conventional housing developments.
•Energy generation through the use of renewable sources reduces dependence on the ever-dwindling supply of
fossil fuels and reduces carbon emissions
•The recycling of greywater allows water to be re-used safely and because plants are integral to the system, allows
for indoor food production all year round.
•The separation of greywater and blackwater and the installation of low-flush toilets means that water consumption
for flushing away human waste is drastically reduced and it is still possible to enjoy the convenience of a flushing
toilet.
•Low-impact design integrates more with the environment, giving the residents of the Earthship community a sense
of pride and common purpose in their sustainable lifestyle. It also helps residents to live closer to the earth while
maintaining modern comforts.
•The Earthship is a very aesthetically pleasing home to live in. Beautiful surroundings can change the way we see
the world, the way we behave and interact with others.
•The Earthship offers the opportunity for training and developing new skills within a community, making that
community more sustainable.
•Often young people or families leave the areas in which they have grown up. There are many reasons, one of
which is often for lack of innovation or housing in their community. The Earthship as an exciting innovation in the
community may attract younger families to stay in the areas where they have a sense of belonging, and where they
can make an important contribution to the sustainability and viability of a community or area.
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Appendix 6 Earthships as Affordable Eco Housing This section outlines the results of Earthships Moray‟s (ESM) meetings/ongoing contact with:
The Moray Council – Planners, Housing Programmes Manager, Local Housing Strategy Manager
Albyn Housing Association and meetings concerning the ZWAZE Earthship housing development proposal SCI had with:
Kingdom Housing Association (Telephone conversation)
Discussion with North East Fife planners, County Buildings, Cupar.
Discussion with Perth Planners, Pullar House, Perth. ESM‟s ongoing dialogue with The Moray Council Since early 2002, ESM has had contact with The Moray Council (TMC) regarding a number of areas, including funding and the development of an Earthship community facility. All that will be covered briefly here, however, is the contact the group has had with TMC regarding Earthship housing within Moray. Spring 2003 In early 2003, Susan Kemp met the Chief Planning Officer, and another Planning Officer. The purpose of the meeting was to introduce the Earthship concept and to establish if and where might be an appropriate place to build them in Moray. The concept was met with some scepticism but ESM were also given encouragement and a lot of helpful suggestions. The Chief Planning Officer informed ESM that the Planning Department would look most favourably on a small Earthship development that was “tagged on” sensitively to an existing rural settlement. He went on to suggest that ESM try to find a possible site by looking for one in the Local Plan. The ESM committee duly pored over the Local Plan and found a number of possible sites of interest. The group mainly showed interest in the Forres area, as that‟s where most of ESM membership is based. February 2004 TMC was not contacted again on the matter of an Earthship housing site until February 2004. This was for a number of reasons. Susan Kemp contacted the Housing Programmes Manager by telephone and he agreed to ESM sending him correspondence that explained the Earthship concept and how fit into the strategies and policies of TMC as well as asking specific questions about a specific housing site in the Forres Local Plan. A few phone calls ensued. Susan Kemp reported the results of the Albyn Housing Society and the Housing Programmes Manager mentioned that Communities Scotland (CS) would have to approve the idea of an Earthship development and would likely have to allocate extra funding if the project were to go ahead in the next 3 years. He agreed to take up the matter with CS. Meeting with TMC, Elgin 29 July 2004 Susan Kemp met with the Housing Programmes Manager and the Local Housing Strategy Manager with the purpose of introducing Earthships and to explore the idea of a small pilot project as outlined in the AHS/ESM meeting. The Local Housing Strategy Manager was very positive and pointed out that they do have a big priority for affordable housing and that an affordable Earthship self-build project could contribute towards that aim as well as demonstrating new technologies, which was another aim set out in TMC Local Housing Strategy. It was agreed that the project should be small but that an extra couple of Earthship homes (privately built) could be built in addition to the Albyn Earthship project if it were to go ahead. TMC had a lot of concerns about planning and building regulations, which have now been answered in this report as well as the “Earthship Toolkit, Your Guide to a Zero Waste, Zero Energy Future”. Other ideas were mooted, such as piggybacking a small Earthship development onto new housing developments. the Housing Programmes Manager pointed out that the drawback of this idea is that the Earthship developers would pay the market value of the land and that the only way an affordable Earthship
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housing development would receive land at a low price from TMC is if the Earthship concept had political backing within the Council. TMC agreed to put Earthships on the agenda at their forthcoming meeting with CS. The result of that was that CS needed more details before making a comment. At the time of writing this report, ESM has yet to contact them due to other pressures. Earthships Moray meeting with Albyn Housing Society, 28 May 2004 Earthships Moray contacted AHS with a view to discussing the possibility of an affordable self-build Earthship housing development in Moray with Albyn Housing Society as the developer. The response from AHS was generally positive but conditional with many issues yet to be resolved in order to assess the likelihood of AHS taking on the project. It was agreed that AHS would explore the possibility in more detail once Earthships Moray had found committed self-builders and a possible site for the project. (please see the Appendices for the full meeting report) SCI‟s meeting with Kingdom Housing Association (KHA), 14 April 2004 SCI had sent the draft ZWAZE proposal to KHA with a view to assessing their interest in acting as a developer for a Zero Waste Zero Energy Earthship housing development. KHA has two strands: a conventional Housing Association as a social housing provider and Kingdom Initiatives, which acts as a developer for the private and green housing sector. The response from the Association‟s Development Manager, during a telephone conversation with SCI, was largely positive and he mentioned a new build site near Anstruther as a possible piggyback site for an Earthship ZWAZE site. Just like Albyn Housing Society and The Moray Council, however, the Development Manager‟s advice was for SCI to check with Communities Scotland (CS) if they would support the ZWAZE proposal. If CS were willing to back a pilot ZWAZE project, he suggested that KHA could provide backup advice and administration for the project which would be funded through CS. The resulting conversation with Communities Scotland led to CS advising SCI to communicate with Fife Council Housing Services in Glenrothes. SCI‟s discussion with North East Fife planners, Cupar, 6 April 2004 The purpose of the informal meeting was to discuss the potential for a sustainable community within Fife using the ZWAZE Community Proposal - April 2004 Draft edition. SCI met with a Fife Council Planner in the Development Services department with co-responsibility for the long term allocation of plans and policies, and at the time of the meeting was co-creating the Local Plan for North East Fife. She was very helpful to SCI and made a number of recommendations to the group, including a suggestion to look at the all the Local Plans for Fife and where and who else to go to find a possible site. Again, this mirrors ESM‟s experience in Moray. The Planner pointed out the stringent policy guidelines in Fife and amongst many other helpful recommendations and suggested that SCI put a firm proposal together and request that the Council to set aside an area for the development. She saw no barriers to getting permission for the project if the site were in a designated building area as set in the Local Plan. SCI found this to be a helpful and positive meeting and found out that the ZWAZE proposal fit a lot of Fife‟s Development in the Countryside Criteria. She offered her time and advice should SCI need it in the future and further suggested that SCI draw up a firm proposal and present it to Housing and Development services, who might consider a partnership working with SCI. (Please see Appendices for full report) SCI‟s discussion with Perth Planners, Pullar House, Perth, 6th April 2004 This meeting was set up by SCI to discuss the possibility of a ZWAZE development in Perth and Kinross. This was a very positive meeting with quite specific areas being mentioned as suitable for a ZWAZE Earthship development. Perth and Kinross planners were very keen on the idea of a creating a sustainable community within highland Perthshire, particularly north and west from Aberfeldy, where the planners have a more relaxed view on housing applications in the countryside. This is due to depopulation and an ageing population so they are trying to encourage settlement in the area. In addition, the communities in the Aberfeldy region are already interested in environmental issues and would be supportive of a sustainable development.. The planners also recommended speaking to WWF about the BIF scheme – Breadalbane Initiative for Farm Forestry.
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The Council liked many aspects of the ZWAZE proposal, particularly the idea of the land on which the houses being built being held by a Community Trust, rather than individuals. They also liked the educational, public and environmental benefits demonstrating low impact living and were keen to see public access and other activities such as coppicing/ local food production, etc on site. They are also currently developing a sustainable construction policy, so they are keen to have demonstration sites for alternative construction principals.
EARTHSHIPS MORAY (ESM) MEETING WITH ALBYN HOUSING SOCIETY (AHS) Held: Forres Community Resource Centre, 18 Tolbooth Street, Forres Date: 28 May 2004, 10.30am Present: ESM: Susan Kemp, Project Development Manager; Jude da Silva, Committee Member. AHS: Donald Lockhart, Development Manager; Callum MacCauley, Director. Purpose of meeting: To discuss the possibility of a self-build Earthship housing development in Moray in partnership with AHS Susan Kemp gave a laptop Power Point presentation about Earthships as affordable social housing. The presentation content was used a talking point to discuss points and for both groups to ask each other questions. In the same way, Donald Lockhart spoke about AHS and its present programme of building sustainably sound housing, a notable example being the planned Aviemore development which will conform to British Research Establishment‟s Eco-homes “Best Standard” and boast a Biomass district heating scheme. AHS confirmed that the Association had strong sustainable policies; however, they felt that the Earthship might be too radical for the client group and that any new design or concept was a risk for their private, as well as public funders. In principle, though, AHS were committed to innovation and sustainability and were keen to explore the possibility of being involved in an affordable Earthship housing development. Therefore, if they were to go ahead with a project of this nature, the following conditions would have to be present:
1. To minimise risk, the project would be a small pilot project, of say, not more than 4 houses. 2. It would have to be a self-build project made up of committed builders. 3. ESM would have to find the committed builders, who had to be in housing need. 4. ESM would have to identify a possible site. 5. The project would be subject to Communities Scotland, the AHS Board of Directors, and
AHS‟s private funders‟, approval and/or funding. Susan Kemp suggested the following and it was not ruled out as a possibility:
1. That the project was split into 50% shared ownership (2 low income families/individuals eligible for sweat equity and a right to occupy) and 50% full ownership (2 modest income families/individuals eligible for a Rural Home Ownership Grant (RHOG) sweat equity, and a mortgage.
Furthermore, there were several issues that had yet to be resolved:
1. The issue of whether the self-builders could self-select for the scheme, or whether Moray Council allocation policies for social housing would have to be followed.
2. Whether or not AHS could operate the RHOG scheme in Moray 3. Finding a Building Society or bank who would provide a part-mortgage for the full home
ownership Earthships as there has not been a previous sale of an Earthship in the UK. (Donald Lockhart suggested, however, that the Scottish Building Society was supportive of self-build projects and had better rates than the Ecology Building Society).
4. The role of Community Self Build Scotland, if any. 5. The issue of competent Project Management and concern over the reliability of the self-
builders to complete the project on budget and to a certain timeframe.
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It was agreed that ESM should contact AHS once ESM had found the committed self-builders and a possible site for the affordable Earthship housing development.
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Discussion with Perth Planners, Pullar House, Perth. Meeting : Informal meeting to discuss the potential for a sustainable community within the Perthshire area using the ZWAZE Community Proposal, April 2004 Draft edition. Place: Pullar House, Perth Date: Tuesday 6th April 2004 Time: 3pm Those Present: Brian Forsyth, Planning Officer, 01738 475 389 Doug Flint, Environmental Strategy Officer, 01738 476 491 Graham Esson Planning Officer Strategic Policy 01738 475 383 (structure plan) Joeann Cantillon SCI 01337 860 991
Perth and Kinross planners were very keen on the idea of a creating a sustainable community within highland Perthshire. In the areas of highland Perthshire, specifically North and West from Aberfeldy, the planners have a more relaxed view on housing applications in the countryside. These are areas of population decline and/or aging populations, so they have a more flexible approach to encourage more people to live in the area. They especially mentioned Glenshee and the western highlands. Aberfeldy was also mentioned as a suitable area, as the communities in the Aberfeldy region are already interested in environmental issues and would be supportive of a sustainable development. There would possibly be fewer restrictions from local landowners. They recommended speaking to WWF about the BIF scheme – Breadalbane Initiative for Farm Forestry. Policy In terms of the Countryside Land Use Policy, you must show that there „is a need rather than a desire to live in the countryside‟, and even though the proposal might be contradictory to this, they were keen to emphasise that it doesn‟t preclude it – basically if they believe there was a good reason for this community they wouldn‟t let policy come in the way, especially in the areas with a more permissive policy framework. Support is being given to measures for integrated rural innovation, see Sustainable Economic Policy 3 below, from the Perth and Kinross Structure Plan, 13th June 2003.
Sustainable Economy Policy 3 Support will be given to measures which promote an integrated flexible and Innovative approach to rural development which encompass economic, social and environmental considerations and which:
maintain or enhance local employment opportunities
promote diversification
help sustain viable rural communities and services
introduce new technologies to rural areas (including information and telecommunications technology and renewable energy schemes)
They are currently encouraging farmers to diversify, building chalets for holiday lets etc. and suggested we approach local farmers for land, on the basis that some farmers will not be allowed to build traditional houses on their land, but the council are open to the idea of building low impact housing. Again they suggested WWF as a contact for suitable landowners. The council specifically do not want isolated commuter houses.
35
Land
1) They believed buying a brown-field site would probably not be the best approach for a community because we would be competing with the rest of the market place in terms of cost.
2) They recommended approaching farmers whose land would not be considered for main stream housing
3) If we can highlight potential council sites then they may be able to release them below the market value, because of the other benefits to the council – environmental, social and economic.
4) Contact Perth Housing Association who will have a list of areas with great housing pressure and then come back to them.
Next When we get to the planning stage they will need
an environmental appraisal and economic appraisal o for example the Earthship at Fife has been monitored and it shows, water
usage of X, electricity usage of Y, etc over a year – therefore will produce a saving of Z.
give an indication of the ecological footprint – life cycle analysis – o if the scheme is to produce and sell locally, show how this would result in a
reduction of food miles etc. o quantify the ecological benefits
Councillors will be interested in what it looks like - the government policy is to have designs rooted in the local environment.
Indicate how much public access/ demonstration access would be allowed
36
Questions 1.A. Do planning applications get put through „functional‟ and „financial‟ tests? Yes. But, the Housing in the Countryside Policy need not be an obstacle. They used to go to the department of agriculture/ consultants to establish whether the levels of income derived and the nature of the activity would justify the venture. They don‟t do that any more in the case of one or two houses and it probably would not be necessary in this case. 1B – If so, how does the ZWAZE proposal fair when tested? please give specific points on where it appears favourable and where it doesn‟t
like the idea of a Trust and the permanency it implies
like the environmental aspects,
providing businesses and local employment
especially the educational aspect and demonstration of low impact living
they are currently developing sustainable construction policy – so they are keen to have demonstration sites for alternative construction principals.
public and environmental benefits.
They are interested in activities – coppicing/ local food production etc. 2. Would the LA be interested in developing a partnership with SCI to implement the ZWAZE project?
Make a case for the type of partnership required and what the council could bring to it.
Land use policy is not an obstruction and they are keen to promote sustainable developments, but cannot be seen to be giving land away for free.
If we highlight potential sites – they might be able to release them below the market value – because of the other benefits to the council – state environmental, social and economic benefits for a specific site, and can then go to Estates dept. and see what can be done.
3. Do they know of any precedents of a LA- Community group partnership?
BIF – WWF and Breadalbane Initiative for Farm Forestry
Fairfield – housing co-operative with Perth LA 4. Is there LA land available for the project that could be legally transferred to a community housing trust? If we can concentrate on an area, they will investigate what is available 5. What would the LA advise SCI to do to take this proposal forward?
Firm up the plans.
Approach farmers – they may have land that would not be considered for main stream housing but ok for us – in certain locations mainstream housing will not happen.
Speak to BIF – WWF Aberfeldy – will have ideas of which landowners are supporting them.
37
Discussion with North East Fife Planners, County Buildings, Cupar. Meeting : Informal meeting to discuss the potential for a sustainable community within Fife using the ZWAZE Community Proposal - April 2004 Draft edition. Place: County Buildings, Cupar Date: Tuesday 6th April 2004 Time: 10am Those Present: Cathy Kinnear Planner – Plans Projects 01334 412 103 (local and structure plan) Joeann Cantillon SCI 01337 860 991
Had a meeting with Cathy Kinnear as a known contact, she was a good person to speak to for an overall chat about the proposal and was able to provide a number of contacts, and gave some good recommendations. Cathy and Jenny Racionzer are in the Development Services department and are responsible for the long term allocation of plans and policies, they are currently creating the Local plan for North East Fife. They will be able to advise if an area is suitable for what we are proposing, but it is the Development Control department who are actually responsible for looking at individual applications and saying yes or no. Policy Fife council has got one of the most rigorous sets of rules for planning in the countryside and it can be very difficult to get planning permission for building on a greenfield site. The overall structure plan determines the number of houses, which will be allowed within an area. The local plan designates land suitable for housing. There can be exceptions and if we can fulfil certain criteria, our planning can be looked at outwith this allocation. Exceptions will be allowed if building on a brownfield site within a community and providing affordable housing and special needs, even if it were extra to the number of house dictated by the Structure plan. This would be looked at within a special meeting a „departure hearing‟, because it‟s a departure from the local plan and because it fulfils aspects of Policy COU1 and COU3.
Policy COU1 – outwith the settlement limits as defined by town and village envelopes, development will only be supported where it : 1)
a) is required for rural economic activities such as agricultures, forestry, leisure or tourism
b) demonstrates a proven need for a countryside location or c) is justified by COU3 on housing development in the countryside or d) is for affordable or special needs housing in accordance with policy H2 and
2) is compatible with surrounding uses and 3) can demonstrate that neutral or positive net environmental impact will occur
Policy COU3 The development of new housing outwith the town and village envelopes defined in policy BE1 will only be supported if the proposal
a) is justified by the operational needs of agricultural/forestry operations or other rural businesses and will be located as an integral part of those businesses or
b) involves the renovation of a substantially complete building (ie external walls are complete and sound to wallhead level) last used as a house or
38
c) takes the form of an alteration or change of use of redundant non-residential buildings of traditional long-life construction which cannot otherwise be used for a rural economic purpose or
d) is for affordable or special needs housing in accord with the provisions of policy H2 Land The council will look more favourably on proposed sites in this order: Brownfield sites within a community Brownfield sites outwith a community Greenfield sites within a community Greenfield sites. Cathy did suggest, that if we find a site we like (we don‟t have to own it) to bring it forward and she will include it in the Local plan as a proposal – this will go through a lot of public consultation before being finalised and released. The deadline for proposals is the end of April, for release of the local plan in December. The proposal must not put unrealistic strain on the existing infrastructure, ie it must be near to existing public transport, schools etc. Next
Look at all the Local plans for all Fife, which are held at Fife House in Glenrothes.
Speak to Ronnie Hair at Estates about suitable land/ areas of ground.
Speak to Housing about housing needs and registered social landlords in the area.
Look at existing farms – a farmer might wish to go into rural diversification.
Decide what sort of community want to live near – o a disadvantaged rural community? o big or small?
Create a proposal /document/ plan to show o Area of ground required –
Smallest area – sustain x houses Largest area – sustain y houses Area of ground/ garden required per household Area of common agricultural ground
o Have a proposal on drainage accessibility to public transport schools etc
o State who is involved ourselves as a trust? – who owns it ? how propose to pay for it? land from council? Housing authority?
If we can get a firm proposal together, we can go to the council and they can set aside an area for our proposal. If we already know of a site, which is designated as building within the local plan, then she sees no reason why we shouldn‟t get planning permission.
39
Questions? 1.A. Do planning applications get put through „functional‟ and „financial‟ tests? Functional tests:
Rural applications fall under the Development in the Countryside Policies – but we seem to fit them all - in terms of sustainability etc. See policy COU1 and COU3 detailed above.
Financial tests: This is not a planning issue, but a development control and Legal Services issue. She knew about the Section 75 agreement which ties a building to a business, generally the house is tied to an agricultural business where there is a need to be on site, but if the business is not deemed viable then that tie may be removed.
1B – If so, how does the ZWAZE proposal fair when tested? please give specific points on where it appears favourable and where it doesn‟t
we seem to fit a lot of the Development in the Countryside Criteria – o affordable housing, special needs, brownfield site, o agriculture, tourism, o not putting a strain on existing infrastructure or utilites, wanting to be close to bus
services etc. 2. Would the LA be interested in developing a partnership with SCI to implement the ZWAZE project?
what sort of partnerships? She is happy to give advice at any time.
The Housing and Development services might be if we can bring them a proposal. 3. Do they know of any precedents of a LA- Community group partnership?
doesn‟t know but suggested contacting the following o RTPI – Royal Town Planning Institute o Caledonian University o Joseph Rowntree Trust o Vivarium o School of built environment – Heriot Watt (planning & housing)
4. Is there LA land available for the project that could be legally transferred to a community housing trust?
need to speak to Estates department. 5. What would the LA advise SCI to do to take this proposal forward?
Firm up the proposal
speak to funders – banks etc.
make a business plan
40
Jim Thompson, Development Manager Kingdom Housing Association 01383 515 388 Telephone conversation 14th April 2004, 10.45am He was very interested in the proposal and is keen to set up a meeting with us to discuss it further. There are 2 sides to Kingdom Housing Association
conventional part - housing association for special needs etc
Kingdom Initiatives – more for private sector; green housing etc. Within their green housing, they tend to incorporate 1 or 2 designs (grey water etc) as testers and then include them in their standard designs. He thought there might be scope for co-operating with us in identifying a site, or also the possibility of our development piggy backing onto one of their developments. At the moment they are looking at a 7 acre site at Anstruther as a new build development. They are now carrying out a survey, and it will have approx 50 houses but he has a concern that it is a mile away from the main sewage system. thinking back on the conversation maybe he is interested in our self-contained sewage
system? or maybe he was just highlighting that it is far from all utilities – not sure.
He did mention a community build by Canmore Housing Association in Edinburgh, where they have their houses in a horseshoe shape with reed beds in the centre for the sewage treatment – but SEPA did not approve it because eventually the waste would seep into the ground, so they made then hook up to a traditional sewage system anyway. He recommended I talk to Communities Scotland and run the idea through them and see if they would support a scheme such as ours. If we can convince Communities Scotland that the idea is feasible, they might support it and back it as a pilot project, and then KHA (Kingdom Housing Association) would provide backup and advice, administration etc for us. He thought that Communities Scotland do support community self builds (through a Housing Association) – there are Walter Segal houses being built at Cardenden with support of CS and advice from a HA. Communities Scotland Contacts June McCormack, Edinburgh 0131 479 8863 Percy Fernando, Dundee 01382 427 500 Kingdom Housing Association are already supporting a number of smaller housing associations – working with them, offering support etc. KHA can offer administration, and legal advice and can get development sites - they work closely with Fife council. They have experience of putting things through planning. KHA wouldn‟t cost us anything if Communities Scotland is backing it. June McCormack Communities Scotland Telephone conversation 11.12am
Their funds are very limited. She will look at our proposal but suggested I speak to Fife Council - David Robertson at Housing Services, Hanover House, North Street, Glenrothes.
They only help with community self builds through a housing association and then the houses belong to the housing association.
As for the Anstruther site, the planning brief is already done for that site and the developers are allocated, so we are too late for that (she said).
She didn‟t seem all that interested really – but maybe they are just rubber-stamping - if we can get the approval of Fife Council and get a Housing Association on board, then maybe they will agree to it. I did speak to a different guy at Communities Scotland a few weeks ago, when first looking at this and he was far more interested (even though he hasn‟t seen the proposal – it was just after a telephone conversation), so would probably contact him again for any other advice or information.
45
45
Appendix 8 Survey Questionnaire Covering Letter 15 June 2004 Dear Householder Earthship Communities Research Survey – Have Your Say and you may Increase Your Choice in Housing Provision South Ayrshire Council, Sustainable Communities Initiatives and Earthships Moray are working together on a research project to assess the market demand for Earthships and to identify any barriers to future Earthship development. Because the Earthship is a new concept to the UK, we have included some information about it, which you can read before completing the survey. We are sending this survey to a limited number of individuals on housing lists in every part of three councils in Scotland: South Ayrshire; Fife and Moray. We are also posting the Questionnaire on various websites on the Internet. Please use it to give your views and to help us to find out how best to support you in increasing your choice of housing. Your answers will influence the future of Earthship development in the UK and whether or not Earthships become a real choice in housing provision. I hope that you will find the time to complete and return the questionnaire in the reply paid envelope. The information you send us will be treated in the strictest of confidence. We do not have your name unless you choose to give it to us for the purpose of receiving news updates about Earthships‟ events, activities and developments. When we report the results of the survey, no individuals will be able to be identified. We will not pass any information about you as an individual to the Councils or any other organisations. We are only sending this questionnaire to a selected number of individuals on housing lists, so your response is very important. Thank you for your help. Yours Sincerely Susan Kemp Earthship Communities Research Survey Co-ordinator
46
Appendix 9 Background Information Sent Out with Questionnaire What is an Earthship? Flexible design concept perfectly suited to affordable housing provision An Earthship is an innovative type of housing design. It is a flexible design concept rather than a set design and can be adapted to any climate and situation worldwide. The concept has been developed over 30 years by US architect, Michael Reynolds and Earthships now exist all over the world. Earthships could be ideal for building affordable housing. This is because there is a large shortfall of affordable housing in the UK and Earthships are inexpensive to build. The simple building methods used also means that people can help to build the homes that they are going to live in or own. Once built, Earthships are highly energy efficient and have low running costs, keeping the home affordable. They are also low impact buildings, meaning that they have less visual effect on the environment. There is no doubt that there is a great need for houses to be built and the Earthship may the way to build them with less effect on the landscape. Uses recycled materials – cheaper to build An Earthship can be built from recycled and reclaimed material (often the walls are built using disused car tyres rammed with earth). In addition, Earthship building techniques are low-tech and easy to learn. These two factors can keep the costs of building an Earthship low while looking after the environment at the same time.
Tyre wall before plastering – Earthship Fife Self-sufficient, low running costs and eco-friendly An Earthship doesn't have to depend on mains services such as water, electricity and sewage. Electricity and back-up heating are produced from renewable energy sources such as the wind, the sun and even the heat that exists below the ground. Rainwater is collected for the water supply from the roof and stored in a tank close to the house, before going through a series of water filters and being used by the householder. Drinking water goes through extra filters to make sure that it is fit for consumption. It also has it's own in-built sewage system as well as a system to deal with and re-use greywater – the waste water produced from washing dishes, showering, etc. Once built, the Earthship has no or low utility bills.
47
Highly energy-efficient It is very energy-efficient and it is estimated to need very little back-up heating, even when built in the UK. The east, west and north parts of the building are earth-sheltered - so all you can see is the roof and the south face of the building, making less of a visual impact on the environment than conventional housing. The remaining south face of the house consists of vertical glass on the front with a second layer of glass inside the building, creating a glazed corridor conservatory area to capture the energy from the sun to warm the house. The thick walls act as a battery, storing the heat during the day and warming the air in the rooms at night. This conservatory area also acts as a corridor to access all of the rooms of the home and is used to grow plants and food all year round. Thermal blinds can be put up to hold the heat in at night and for privacy. Modular building system – saves money The rooms are usually U- shaped and a home would consist of a lot of U‟s placed next to each other, east to west. The open part of the U faces south and the long conservatory would be added to the front of the open U‟s. Earth and people-friendly construction methods An Earthship reduces the pressure on the environment by being eco and people friendly. An Earthship home has very low carbon emissions compared to conventional homes. A lot of the Earthship building techniques are easy to learn and so a lot of owners or occupiers of Earthships help to build the Earthships they live in. This makes Earthships ideal for community buildings and facilities as well as homes.
Are there any Earthships in the UK? There are currently two Earthships in the UK. The first one was built in Kinghorn, Fife in Scotland and the second in Brighton, England. Both are visitors‟ centres and community education buildings and can be visited by the public. There are no Earthship homes in the UK as yet.
Earthship Fife – under construction Brighton Earthship Where can I find more information? For information on Earthship development in Scotland and Earthship Fife: www.sci-scotland.org.uk For Earthship promotion and development work in Moray, Scotland contact Earthships Moray: [email protected] For information on Brighton Earthship and the group promoting Earthships in England: www.lowcarbon.co.uk For Earthship Biotecture‟s information-packed website on Earthships,including details about Michael Reynolds‟ books, Earthship Volume 1,2,& 3; and Comfort in Any Climate: www.earthship.org
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Appendix 10 Results and Findings - Earthship Communities Research Project Questionnaire Survey Market Demand for Earthships & Perceived Barriers
A questionnaire was distributed both in hard copy and over the Internet and placed on a number of different websites with an option to print off and send in, or in one case, to submit electronically. A total of 94 completed questionnaires were received. Of these, 35 were male and 59 were female. The questionnaire contained 17 questions and a section for adding comments, which were designed to assess the market demand for Earthships and any barriers to the future development of Earthships in general. Please see the appendices for a copy of the questionnaire. It is important to note that some responses were spoiled or unanswered and are therefore not included in the data. Questions 1 and 2 asked the respondents to indicate what their current housing situation was and whether they were on a housing waiting list at the moment. This was to ascertain if there were any links between housing situation and perception of Earthships that could influence market demand. The actual results showed that 8 were in Local Authority or Housing Association rentals, 14 were in private rented accommodation, 62 were house owners, 4 were in lodgings and 6 were in various other options such as a tied house, mobile home or living with parents.
LA or HA Rental 8
Private Rental 15
House Owner 64
Lodgings 5
Other 6
In addition, 16 respondents indicated they were on a Local Authority or Housing Association waiting list. The results and the comments showed that there was no significant difference between a particular housing situation and perception of Earthships in general. Question 3 asked the respondents to rate in order of importance from 1 to 8 a number of features relating to Earthships. The results showed that the most important feature for the majority was to be able to live in their preferred location followed equally by the ability to build your own home and to share community values with others. The least important features were little or no running costs, the ability to grow food and interestingly, to be environmentally friendly. Please see the following table and graph for a full breakdown.
Little or no running costs
6
attractive appearance 7
ability to grow food 3
more natural lifestyle 7
environmentally friendly
5
ability to build own home
19
sharing community values
15
live in your preferred location
20
Spoiled or no response
14
According to these results, the indications are that choice, ability to build your own home and to live with other like minded people who share the same community values are important points to consider when assessing the market demand for Earthships in general.
49
As question 3 showed that the most important point for most people was to live in their preferred location it is interesting to look at question 4 which asked in what location would the respondents prefer to live if all barriers were removed. The results showed that the most popular choice was to live on the outskirts of town, followed by a rural village and then to live remotely. The least popular choice after eliminating spoiled or no responses and those who were not sure was to live in the Centre of a town/city. One reason for this might be that their perception of Earthships doesn‟t fit with the idea of living centrally and again, this is an important point to consider when marketing Earthship concepts.
Central 7
Outskirts of town 30
Remote 19
Not sure 4
Rural village 25
Other 5
No Response 4
In Question 5, when asked how much choice, or say, the respondent felt they had in their housing situation in general, 50 replied “not much”. However, 29 said they felt they had “quite a lot” of choice, although the majority of these were home owners and therefore could perhaps feel they have more choice than others.
Importance Rating
024
68
1012
141618
Little
or no ru
nning c
osts
attra
ctive
appe
aran
ce
ability to
gro
w fo
od
mor
e na
tura
l life
style
enviro
nment
ally fr
iend
ly
ability to
build
own
hom
e
shar
ing
com
mun
ity val
ues
live
in y
our p
refe
rred lo
c...
Spoile
d or
no
resp
onse
Preferred Location
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Central Outskirts
of tow n
Remote Not sure Rural
village
Other No
Response
50
Quite a lot 29
Not much 50
Not sure 5
None at all 8
No Response 2
Question 6 asked participants if consideration, and how much, should be given to environmental issues within buildings. The majority, 84 out of 94 responded with yes, the issue deserved a lot of consideration, 9 said some consideration should be given and didn‟t supply an answer. Questions 7, 8 and 9 related to whether the participants would be interested in an Earthship made out of recycled and/or reclaimed materials; renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power, and also if they would consider an Earthship with its own water supply and built-in sewage system.
Would you consider an Earthship made out of recycled and/or
reclaimed materials?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Yes - looking
into possibilit ies
Yes - don't
know where to
go
Possibly if knew
more
Not sure No idea what
you're talking
about
Not an ES, but
other self builds
Not an ES or any
other self build
Would you consider renting/buying/building an Earthship that uses
renewable energy sources such as solar/wind power?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Yes -
looking into
possibilities
Yes - don't
know
w here to go
Possibly if
knew more
Not sure No idea
w hat you're
talking about
Not an ES,
but other
self builds
Not an ES or
any other
self build
Would you consider renting/buying/building an Earthship with its own
water supply from rainwater and its own built-in sewage system?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Yes - looking
into possibilities
Yes - don't
know w here to
go
Possibly if
knew more
Not sure No idea w hat
you're talking
about
Not an ES, but
other self
builds
Not an ES or
any other self
build
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Question 10 asked which of the listed statements in the graph below best applied to the respondents. The biggest response was that they would be interested in “sweat equity” which suggests that people are willing to put time and effort into building their own Earthship. The next most popular response was that they would be interested if funding was available which would indicate that one reason why “sweat equity” was a popular response is lack of capital to build the Earthship. The third most common response was that they definitely would be interested if they knew more about it. The lack of information must therefore be seen as a potential barrier to the
future development of Earthships and as such, this issue needs to be addressed. Question 11 asked if they had heard about Earthships before receiving the questionnaire. 56 replied that they had and 38 said they had not, which suggests that the survey itself has helped to increase awareness of the Earthship concept. Q11 went on to ask the participants were asked how much they knew about the cost of building an Earthship. 31 replied that they knew a little, 2 said they knew a lot and 20 said they had no knowledge at all. This also, could be a potential barrier to the future development of Earthships and is linked to the lack of information and the awareness of the general public as to the possibilities. How much do you know about the cost of building an Earthship?
Know a lot 2
Know a little 31
Not Sure 8
No knowledge at all
20
Similarly when asked how much they knew about legislation and building techniques, 39 replied that they had no knowledge at all on legislation which is an important point to consider when increasing awareness of Earthship issues. 40 respondents stated that they knew a little about building techniques. How much do you know about the legislation involved in building an Earthship?
Know a lot 1
Know a little 13
Not Sure 6
No knowledge at all
39
Which of these statements best applies?
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
Definitely
interested in ES
Might be in
renting if knew
more
Definitely in
building if
funding
available
Possibly
buying/building
if knew more
Interested with
or without
funding
Consider sweat
equity
Don't believe I
qualify for any
funding
52
How much do you know about building techniques?
Know a lot 6
Know a little 40
Not Sure 5
No knowledge at all
8
When asked in Question 12 if they would like to be kept informed about Earthship developments in certain areas, 75 replied that they wanted to be kept informed about developments in Scotland. However, in Question 13, 21 said UK and 11 said England so there is a demand for Earthship information to be more widely disseminated across the UK.
Uk 21
England 11
Scotland 75
Wales 7
N Ireland 4
Rep of Ireland 4
In response to Question 13, 78 respondents indicated that they would be willing to be put on a mailing list for Earthship information. This suggests that there is indeed a great demand for Earthships and the main barrier is lack of information, either on cost, legislation or building techniques. Question 14, dealt with at the beginning of this section dealt with gender, Question 15 with age and 16 with the number of under and over 18‟s in the household. These responses are recorded in the spreadsheet. In Question 17, the final question, “Which of the following terms you had heard of before receiving this questionnaire?”, the least known term by far was rural „Home Ownership Grant‟, which indicates the lack of information available on what funding possibilities there are. See graph below for the other terms.
Terminology
0102030405060708090
Hou
sing
Ass
ocia
tions
Social E
nterp
rise
Rur
al H
ome O
wne
rsh.
.
Com
mun
ity H
ousing
...
Com
mun
ity L
and
Trust
Com
mun
ity D
evel
op...
Hou
sing
Co-
oper
ative
Self-b
uild
Swea
t Equ
ity
Share
d owner
ship
Farm
Villa
ge
Susta
inab
le c
omm
uni...
Low c
arbon
foot
Eco-v
illage
Eco-h
ome
stan
dard
Ren
ewab
le e
nerg
y
Susta
inab
le h
ousin
g
Social L
andl
ords
Energ
y ef
ficie
ncy
Therm
al m
ass
Insu
latio
n
Cat
chwat
er
Gre
ywat
er
Black
wat
er
Low im
pact
hou
sing
53
Market Demand for Earthships & Perceived Barriers – from Secondary data Secondary Data SCI enquiries A total of 134 enquiries to SCI between 2001 – 2004 were broken down into 19 categories, which are broken down further to indicate how many of the total fall into each category, as shown below. The 134 estimated to represent a 25% of total number of enquiries has received since the organisation‟s inception. Enquiries were received from the US, Japan, India, England, Scotland, Ireland, New Zealand, Spain, the Netherlands, Norway and Argentina. As this data is qualitative, i.e. derived from comments e-mailed to SCI, it is only a rough indication of what people were enquiring about. They are arranged in descending order of level of interest shown. (Please see the Appendices for the raw data table) The facts behind the figures While the secondary data shows what enquirers to SCI were interested in knowing more about, it doesn‟t show the stress the enquiries placed on an under-funded, under-staffed organisation that was also in the middle of a pioneering building project involving hundreds of volunteers and 2 years of organising. According to Project Manager, Paula Cowie, this often resulted in sending out standard responses and often missing out on opportunities to provide real support to fledgling projects or respond well to projects which may benefit the Earthship cause in the UK and Scotland, such as academic or media projects. Whilst Earthships Moray has had far fewer recorded enquiries, they are a small community group with limited resources run by volunteers. They have found that often proposals or requests for support take up inordinate amount of time as there is only one volunteer staff member and a fluctuating number in the Committee.
Category of information sought Number of enquiries
1. General information 23
2. Seeks to visit Earthship Fife 18
3. Seeks work experience/training/volunteering opportunity 16
4. Wants to build own Earthship 16
5. Construction Costs, including labour 11
6. Planning Permission and/or Building Regulations 9
7. Seeking assistance with professional Project 9
8. Wants to initiate an Earthship community project in their area 8
9. Seeking assistance with academic /research project 8
10. Design 7
11. Wants to be kept informed of sustainable Earthship
housing development 5
12. Material Suppliers 2
13. Damp proofing 1
14. Interested in partnership working with SCI 1
Total number of SCI enquiries reviewed 134
A BREAKDOWN OF A N 25% OF ENQUIRIES TO SCI BETWEEN 2001-2004
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Appendix 11 Supportive Comments from Questionnaire Respondents
1 One of my main concerns about Earthships is getting enough ventilation to living areas and bedrooms. I like to cross ventilate my home. I also like lots of daylighting. I also think planning depts will have to change to allow more innovative types of building, such as Earthships. I do not think they'd get planning permission where I live (East Kent) at present. 2 Although I am very interested in sustainability issues as it forms part of my role as a development officer in a large housing association, my partner lacks my enthusiasm. I would like the opportunity to have some "hands on" experience and intend to visit the Brighton Earthship which is advertised on your site. Your site is extremely interesting and I intend to visit (hopefully) on the 2nd week in August. 3 No comment 4 I feel rather false ! ! ! Am not thinking of an earthship as a home - already have a tiny Barrat one with a garden, and have been busy trying to make it as environmentally friendly as possible. But, on our allotment site, where I have a plot, I think it would be a wonderful idea for our Community Hut. 5 6 Have any Earthships been built in an urban area so far in Scotland or the UK? 7 At my/our time of life owning a nice home. The only time we would consider moving is into sheltered housing for our "old age" or if one of us was living alone. I suspect that in these circumstances there would be little choice of building construction. 8 No comment 9 I definitely believe much more should be done to make housing construction etc. use more sustainable methods and materials. I like the Earthship concept but am of the opinion it will only ever be of limited application for the very keen and those looking for self-sufficiency. Other design options are more likely to become mainstream. (Q8 - Earthships would not be my first choice for an Eco home. Light would be an issue for me. I think they are an interesting example of self-sufficient unit but think they are of limited application and best for a desert climate.) (Q9 An alternative eco/sustainable construction with its own water supply and sewage system would be of more interest). 10 I live in an old, energy inefficient cottage which desperately needs upgrading. I would love to install solar panels and a wind turbine. I have no budget to tackle these issues and no building knowledge - the usual story I'm sure. I would consider moving as long as I am in a reasonable travel distance to work (Dundee University) I don't want to cause environmental damage by driving long distances. Buses and trains not an option in my current location! Please excuse hurried scribble. 11 Exciting prospect, suspect the costs of the first few in uk and getting them off the ground, no pun intended, will spiral so not the 'cheap' alternative they could be. Money is such a huge requirement for almost any shelter in
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the UK - and we no longer have the power to just go and pick our bit of land and build our log cabin of choice - malice and fear among the planners scuppered the welsh pound house, that's only ony story. 12 The potential for building Earthships seems obvious and I wonder why there seems little publicity about them - they don't figure largely in the national press. 13 I aim to include Earthships on a tri partite slope site to include a mid altitude scheme and an upland scheme. The last would aim to regenerate native trees, flora and reintroduce native faunas. I call such a site a 'combo' mainly because the human inhabitants would nurture the remainder for their own sustenance and employment. Skilled artisans could market their abilities for the 'combo' for financial income. *Fruit and nut trees would be experimentally included. 14 I would very much like to be involved in Earthships and when HERE Ltd (www.heri.com) get going it is our intention to provide you with a hydrogen generator to provide clean drinking water, hydrogen gas and electricity. HERI is the US company HERE are the UK European distributor. I would like a home as detailed in your literature so lets see what happens. 15 Not yet on the property ladder and am concerned about the increasing rise in prices and lack of affordable housing for first time buyers. Small Earthship units specifically for first time buyers near major sources of employment eg. Glasgow, Edinburgh are a must. 16 I own land at Symington that might suit this kind of development. (Q9 I already have my own Spring supply of water and treat my own sewage.) 17 I am an environmental health and safety advisor for Airbus UK and have an interest in sustainable development especially in Ayr. Currently I am looking for investment opportunities in the above field. I would appreciate if I could be kept up to date on any new developments. 18 No comment 19 Very exciting possibilities and pleased developments are continuing in rural Scotland. 20 No comment 21 The earthships look very good and we look forward to hearing more about them. How much would one cost to build. 22 This would be our ideal form of housing and we would love the opportunity to live sustainably, especially if it gave us the opportunity to be involved in the construction of our own home. It would be important to have financial assistance to achieve this. This definitely is a very important form of housing and should be implemented as soon as possible. 23 No comment 24 I am delighted to see an environmentally sensible idea such as this being proposed for South Ayrshire and in general. I believe there is a desperate need for a move towards more enviornmentally sustainable living in any way possible - now. So much benefit could come from projects such as these from the obvious through to things like empowering and raising self esteem. If
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you're looking for guinea pigs, let me know. 25 No comment 26 No comment 27 I may have to sell my present house to pay off my son who has raised a court action for money to support his life in America. I would hope to retain most of the ground barn and stable block on 2/3 Sep this should be settled in Elgin Court. 28 I am fully intending to live more ecologically and in harmony with the earth and am interested in all potential ways of doing this. My group of friends include several who are also interested and have taken steps towards doing this. The Earthships look class and sound very well designed. I'm looking to more information. 29 It would be wonderful to live in a purpose built Earthship knowing you were not wasting fossil fuels, money etc. but giving it back. Wonderful concept. 30 The idea of this type of housing is so radical to the majority of the population that I feel it needs to be introduced sensitively. I would be keen to take a holiday in such an environment. This would give many people a very good introduction to environmental living. 31 As a boy we lived with well/spring no power, candles, paraffin, open fire range. I have looked at TV with straw houses built into a bank. 32 No comment 33 No comment 34 No comment 35 No comment 36 No comment 37 Due to career change I have had to move back in with parents while studying in order to start own business so I am currently in no position to buy/rent property at all. However, hopefully when my business is up and running I will be able to realise my goal of building and living in an Earthship somewhere in the west coast of Scotland. 38 My partner and I have been interested in self build for some time. We are excited at the possibility of a small self sufficient eco friendly community and would like the opportunity to be a part of this. I have concerns about the number of new private housing developments there are and do not wish to contribute to the further destruction of the environment. We ideally would love a rural property and would be willing to undertake self build. My partner is an electrician and may be willing to undertake training for such a venture. 39 Have thought about such projects for many years. Most other eco housing I have read about to date were mostly high tech and usually very expensive and not always effective. In my view designers calculations were flawed or perhaps attention to detail at the building stage was not disciplined. 40
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It would be cheaper, it would be easier to live in if there was a nuclear attack. I used to be in the CD and ROC. I am happy to be taking part. I had a stroke 2 and half years ago and write with my left hand. 41 Privacy is particularly important to me, through safety and security are essential. If I could afford to give up work - most of my time would be spent in the garden. I would need space because I love trees and shrubs. I have been approached to sell my house to a family but can't find anywhere I like that I could afford. 42 No comment 43 No comment 44 I would be interested in building an Earthship if I could get planning consent on a south facing location. 45 I feel that a venture of this calibre, brilliant as it is, could possibly be prevented by the self-appointed gods of the local planning dept. which is devoid of imagination and lacking in innovation. May I wish you all success. 46 Given the serious implications of global warming and the way in which we live in a disposable waste producing society, any initiative to address these is to be welcomed and supported. I would certainly feel more responsible if I lived in an Earthship and was more self-sufficient and able to grow more of my own food. It would be good to have neighbours of similar attitude. Although I'm hardly a DIY person, I would be interested in helping build an Earthship if it didn't require much technical skill. 47 No comment 48 No comment 49 No comment 50 No comment 51 No comment 52 Please see the gap under Q 4. I believe the cost of the land to build any kind of house is the big drawback. Perhaps South Ayrshire Council should consider the possibility of buying something like Thornly flats farm and marking it for more eco-friendly housing before a private developer gets it and builds more expensive boxes. I'd like to be involved with any local Earthship projects though, or similar innovatives. I'd actually like to be in the business of helping people build eco friendly houses but don't know where to start and have little capital. Don't know that the banks are interested in a business plan that involves planting green beds in every house built. (Q4 A small holding near troon. Anywhere really nearby with some land to grow food and within walking/cycling distance of some shops and local facilities). 53 No comment 54 I am interested in eco friendly features. As I am possibly too old to be involved in building an Earthship is there anythging I could adapt for use in my own home? I think it's a marvellous idea and hope it will take off
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and be successful. 55 We presently live in a rural location but when we retire we want to be near good public transport. 56 No comment 57 I like all the concepts used in the Earthships. I think they would make excellent communities. I couldn't live with the lack of architectural design of windows but this is merely a design issue. All the concepts used to make these buildings less of an impact on the the planet outwith the requirement for aesthetic appeal - cannot read it. 58 I own my own home and have no plans to move, but I am interested in the concept of eco-friendly housing. If any situation changes, I might be interested in an Earthship but I am not keen on the idea of living in a "community". 59 I feel the council should use its planning powers to influence the quality of developers housing. Pressure should be applied to encourage developers to exceed building regulations (energy efficiency etc.) Green field sites should be protected from poor quality developers housing that constitutes urban sprawl. 60 I am keen to see much more stringent sustainability requirements for new build housing, and much greater emphasis on energy efficiency in older properties. Althought Earthship is an interesting and useful concept, for myself, I wish to remain in this house, whilst trying hard to have as small an environmental footprint as possible. 61 No comment 62 No comment 63 No comment 64 Good Luck 65 Thank you for converting this into online format :) 66 No comment 67 From what I have seen of the ES project, I think they are a beacon for the future. My wife and I hope to visit the official opening on August 21 and from there to see how we can contribute to what is hopefully going to be an on-going and flourishing project. We presently live in rented accommodation with a Housing Association and support the principle of renting - our view is that the selling of council properties has been a significant factor in the rat-race state of housing in the UK. 68 No comment 69 We are very interested in this and I personally would be interested in volunteering in any way where possible to gain experience and knowledge and to help the foundation. We do not feel we can afford to live in an Earthship right now and would like to know if we could be helped to achieve this in the future. 70
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No comment 71 The locations chosen for development seem to be key, access to good public transport and proximity to employment opportunities are key. E-working isn't practical for all. 72 Moving to Spain shortly and would like to build an Earthship there eventually 73 I do not live in the English speaking world so this questionnaire is not easy to fill out. Good luck. 74 no comment 75 I currently live in conventional terraced house, am gradually reducing its environmental impacts, and need to live in this area at the moment so I wouldn't be interested in moving to an Earthship right now, but maybe in the future. I would be interested to see more Earthships being built, but also, I think you should be looking at them for community buildings. 76 No comment 77 No comment 78 I've been dreaming about one day building my own eco-friendly house. It's nice to know that there are such projects going on to hopefully one day change the way we live. 79 No comment 80 I own my own home and would consider selling it to buy an Earthship. Thank you for all the valuable work you are doing to make this a future possibility for me. 81 Living in a mobile home gives me low living costs but I worry about the site being no longer available plus its in-efficiency. I would be so excited to be in a home with its own water/sewage/electric supply. I would be happy to learn to simplify living standards to adapt to what there was. I would be happy to share communal facilities. I am content to live in a very small structure little or no running costs is very attractive to me. 82 I've always been keen on ecologically friendly homes, a natural way of life, sharing values - its not easy on your own, however, in the meantime I bought a home first time buyer home subject to grant of £5000 lived in it for a while with my son who attended a Steiner school for a while. At the moment I have work in Cambridge so I'm saving with the view to perhaps going down the path of an ecology friendly home - it always seems to become a distant goal and expensive - difficult to find also group prospects or affordable group prospects. 83 Would be useful to have information in the literature about max size of rooms/buildings/ventilation/lighting and prevention of dampness from the surrounding earth. 84 Might be more interested if they were built from non-recycled materials such as stone and brick with a proven track record of durability and which can and should be of attractive construction. Your Earthship in the photo is not particularly attractive in appearance. Would be particularly interested
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in seeing houses built of stone and brick but with much greater environmental consideration: solar panels over the whole roof, wind generator grey water re use sufficient garden for some veg. growing triple glazed, serious insulation, individual surface SUDS, rainwater collection for non-potable use but towns water for potable supply and connection to public sewer if in sewered area. I feel all new houses should also have trees planted in at least the front garden. 85 I know very little about Earthships. How to build, planning permission regulations, how much it would cost to build one - but I do know that our family would benefit from living in a much simpler manner without the city constraints that surround us at present. Our home is valued at £120,000+ and we have a mortgage of approx. £40,000. We would like to off load our mortgage and still have enough for a building plot and structure - are we realistic? 86 No comment 87 No comment 88 Don't like the word Earthship - I find it offputting. It's a house not a boat. (But well done anyway). 89 No comment 90 No comment 91 No comment 92 Our location is very much at present tied to easy access to Glasgow as our youngest son attends Yorkhill 3 times a week. This has had an impact also on our earning ability and we are at present not in a good manual position to think about relocating but we do want to move. We holidayed at Findhorn some years ago and loved the environment. We have some misty technical skills asprior to my children I was an architectural technician with Irvine Development Corporation Housing Department. 93 No comment 94 No comment
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Appendix 12 ZWAZE Community Proposal
ZWAZE Community Proposal A Zero Waste and Zero Energy Community
Sustainable Communities Initiatives
First Draft - April 2004
1.0 Introduction
At the national level the Scottish Executive states its commitment to tackling climate change and reducing fossil fuel emissions. The planning system recognises that the location and design of developments, as well as the management of land use change, plays a significant part in combatting climate change. In other words, sustainable developments make a positive difference – globally. The following proposal for a Zero Waste and Zero Energy Community (ZWAZE) reflects the aims and targets of national government as far as their sustainable development policies are concerned. ZWAZE is a pioneering example of how developments inspired by community groups committed to sustainability on all levels can assist local governments to meet their LA21 targets whilst providing people with a way of living that encourages healthy communities. 2.0 Sustainable Development Sustainable developments can only make a difference if they are actually sustainable. In the view of Sustainable Communities Initiatives (SCI), the leading organisation in this proposal, such developments are characterisied by social, environmental and economic criteria. Namely: 2.1 Social Criteria
Management of the development by a Trust, Co-operative or Housing Association, to which all residents will have a legal connection;
Accessibility to land and/or housing to people in need;
Provision of public access to the countryside through education, training and recreational projects;
Integration into local community and economy;
Social inclusion projects embedded in the development that deal with poverty, employment, education, social exclusion, health and well being;
The capacity to support community regeneration in a low impact way;
No activities on the development should cause a nuisance to neighbours or the public;
Affordability and sustainability are secured through the involvement of a Housing Association or Trust who will ensure control over subsequent changes of ownership;
2.2 Environmental Criteria for a Sustainable Development
Reducing emissions through reducing the need to travel and encouraging sustainable forms of transport, such as shared transport schemes; electric vehicles powered from renewable energy and linking with existing public transport systems;
Minimisation of life cycle energy use (embodied energy in construction and on-going operational energy use);
Reducing emissions through the design of energy efficient developments, houses and community buildings;
Prudent use of natural resources and the use of waste as a resource;
Minimisation of water consumption and disposal;
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Minimisation of sewage disposal;
Minimisation of fossil-fuel driven electricity;
Autonomous infrastructure (renewable energy, water and sewage) which places no demands on existing infrastructure;
Minimisation of embodied energy in food consumed;
Enhancement of the natural environment through wildlife, permaculture, organic and biodiversity management practises;
A zero waste policy;
Low visual impact of development;
The ability to restore the land to its former condition; 2.3 Economic Criteria for a Sustainable Development
Local employment within the development that is sustainable and low impact;
Development of local trading schemes;
Creation of local businesses in e.g. crafts, rural skills, eco-tourism, eco-building; All of the above criteria have been addressed in the aims and objectives of the proposed ZWAZE Community. For more information please see Sections 3 and 4 below which introduces SCI, their vision and mission statements, and provides examples of how the above sustainable development criteria will be implemented into the ZWAZE project. 3.0 The Vision 3.1 Sustainable Communities Initiatives (SCI) SCI is a registered charity, which was set up in August 2000 to demonstrate and support initiatives that help people and the planet live in a kinder, more creative and sustainable way. From the beginning our medium was waste, used in a resourceful and empowering way, it is the tool we use to build community. Our projects bring people together to create toys, art, crafts, structures and houses out of waste. 3.2 Our Vision Statement Our vision is that of sustainable communities, both in the rural and urban context, where people have the awareness and opportunity to act on their aspirations to live in a more balanced way with themselves, each other, and the global community. Whilst a sense of community2 is rediscovered and developed the word waste becomes obsolete and waste materials are valued and utilised as a resource, leaving more of the Earth‟s resources in their natural place. 3.3 Our Mission Statement We will achieve our vision by developing a zero-waste zero energy community (ZWAZE) using the Earthship3 as the housing model. 4.0 The ZWAZE Community The Zero Waste Zero Energy Community (ZWAZE) will:
Adopt zero waste initiatives in homes, businesses and community activities to promote awareness and understanding of the need to reduce waste;
2Definition of community?
3The Earthship is an autonomous building constructed with used car tyres using principles of thermal mass
and solar gain. See www.sci-scotland.org.uk for more details
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Build community housing in an environmentally sensitive way using waste, reclaimed and local materials;
Provide infrastructure for the community that uses autonomous principles and places no demands on existing Local Authority infrastructure;
Create healthy lifestyles encompassing mind, body and spirit through holistic initiatives that produce healthy food and life enriching practises;
Set up businesses and local employment to achieve a level of economic sustainability;
Manage the land sustainably so that the natural heritage is enhanced and enjoyed for the benefit of all;
Provide an educational and supportive resource base accessible to all who wish to live more community orientated through economically, ecologically and socially sustainable ways;
4.1 ZWAZE Aims and Objectives 1 Adopt zero waste initiatives in homes, businesses and community activities to promote awareness and understanding of the need to reduce waste
Objectives
1. Compost 50% of household waste 2. Recycle 30% of household waste 3. Reuse 10% of the household waste 4. Implement REDUCE practises throughout
2 Build community housing in an environmentally sensitive way using waste, reclaimed and local materials Objectives
1. Eco-building workshops for the wider community and public at large 2. Co-operative building methods for 80% of new houses built 3. Use the Earthship as the sustainable housing model 4. Assist in the achievement of national targets pertaining to the global environmental
crisis (Co2, H2o, CH4, waste and pollution) 5. Diversion of waste from local companies and building industries to be used as building
matreials 3 Provide infrastructure for the community that uses autonomous principles and places no demands on existing Local Authority infrastructure Objectives
1. Provide renewable energy for more than 50% of the community's electricity needs 2. Create a self contained and alternative sewage treatment system for the community 3. Provide water for the community through rainwater catchment systems with no demand
on mains water supplies
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4 Create healthy lifestyles encompassing mind, body and spirit through holistic initiatives that produce healthy food and life enriching practises Objectives
1. Grow and produce local food for the community (excess sold to surrounding community)
2. Offer allotment and garden spaces to local groups and individuals with supportive gardening initiatives to help them grow their own food
3. Provide alternative health therapies through the LETS system and through a low income scheme
4. Provide programmes based around outdoor activities – gardening, crafts, creative waste workshops, confidence building courses and animal/eco therapy for disadvantaged groups, i.e. mental health sufferers, broken families, physically disabled and drug rehabilitation users
5. Provide yoga, meditation, music and arts workshops/programmes for spiritual development
5 Set up businesses and local employment to achieve a level of economic sustainability Objectives
1. Develop cottage industries 2. Develop organic gardening box schemes 3. Provide self development workshops 4. Provide alternative health services 5. Provide eco education and eco therapies programmes 6. Create fundraising initiatives e.g. ceilidhs
6 Manage the land sustainably so that the natural heritage is enhanced and enjoyed for
the benefit of all Objectives
1. Implement permaculture practises to enhance the natural environment 2. Use only organic gardening/small holding practises on the land 3. Devise a land stewardship scheme for local groups and the community to work on together 4. Plant trees 5. Create wildlife habitats 6. Create access to all paths for the public 7. Develop a programme for visiting groups and schools
7 Provide an educational and supportive resource base accessible to all who wish to live
more community orientated through economically, ecologically and socially sustainable ways
Objectives
1. Eco-building workshops and courses for the wider community and public at large 2. Workshops and courses in community building 3. Workshops and courses in healthy living and alternative health 4. Workshops and courses in alternative education methods 5. Set up an education trust to administer the resource network ad provide an effective
service to all
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5.0 Next Steps SCI is actively seeking partners to work with to develop the ZWAZE Community. The following types of partners have been identified:
A Local Authority who wishes to endorse the project;
A Housing Association who wishes to discuss a development partnership;
Funding bodies that are interested in financially supporting the development of the project;
Community groups and organisations with mutual and complimentary aims; Please contact: Paula Cowie Project Manager Sustainable Communities Initiatives Craigencalt Farm Kinghorn Fife, KY3 9YG Tel 01592 891884 [email protected] www.sci-scotland.org.uk
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Appendix 13 SCOTTISH EARTHSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT NETWORK SCOTTISH EARTHSHIP DEVELOPMENT AND SUPPORT NETWORK Draft Rationale – July 2004 There is a need for a supportive network to enable Earthships to be developed as affordable eco-homes. It is thus recommended that in conjunction with a self build eco housing project using Earthships as the Zero Waste Zero Energy model should be the establishment of a national network that would fulfil a number of aims:
Provide the basic, accessible information that most first-time enquirers to an Earthship group require. This takes the pressure off any Earthship-promoting or building project to supply that level of information and allow them to get on with the project at hand. This could be achieved through setting up an interactive website and producing literature that can be distributed by the network support staff.
Gather further information from the various Earthship groups in order to share it with members of the network.
Act as a resource and educational base for the Earthship concept in Scotland.
Develop a coherent “corporate” image for Earthship development in Scotland, thus avoiding the re-invention of the wheel at the setting up of every new group that involves Earthships and saving those groups time, effort and resources.
Support groups and individuals who are interested in pursuing an Earthship project through various stages of their projects.
Outreach and educational work to communities in Scotland.
Gain high level support and development partners for the Earthship concept across Scotland.
Pursue policy change in support of affordable ZWAZE Earthship developments.
Research and find creative ways to fund sustainable Earthship developments and projects.
Undertake, or have undertaken, research that would support all of the above.
This development and support network would not replace individual Earthship projects‟ freedom and ability to provide an information resource to enquirers, but would rather support groups to do that in a way that suits each individual project. It is envisioned that each Earthship project would be a resource centre in its own right if that group felt that were appropriate to their needs. The Network would be more than a resource base and it would seek high level support for Earthship projects as well as policy change to enable them to occur. The Development and Support network would be a discrete part of an expanded SCI as a natural progression of its activities.
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