Earthship Ironbank is Australia’s first council-approved Earthship, and it’s also a BnB for everyone to enjoy! The purpose of this building is to educate people about Earthship design principles and let them experience off-grid living in a self-sufficient home.
Because it’s the first of its kind to be approved in Australia, this project also demonstrates radical new construction methods, such as the use of earth-filled car tyres (without concrete footings!) that are compliant with the National Construction Code and with council.
At Sustainable House Day you can meet the designer and owner-builder, Dr Martin Freney, whose PhD thesis investigated the environmental impacts of various house construction materials and off-grid living systems. What’s the most sustainable way to build your home? Dr Marty knows!
This house has a myriad of sustainability features, including:
- Earth floors (sooo sustainable – no cement)
- Ferro-cement earth-covered roof (bushfire proof)
- Earth-sheltered design using earth-filled tyre walls (super energy efficient)
- Greenhouse for food production
- Wastewater treatment
- Passive heating and cooling
- Underground earth tubes for passive heating and cooling
- Earth- and lime renders
- Tadelakt bathtub made from cans and bottles
- Off-grid renewable energy system with battery bank
- 60,000L of rainwater tanks, one of which is made out of 300 car tyres
- Bushfire sprinklers powered by batteries.
Folks, you’re gonna have to see it to believe it!
Read more about Earthship Ironbank in issue R133 of Renew magazine.
Designed and built by owner, Martin Freney, Earthship Eco Homes, to find out about workshops click here.
This house achieved a NatHERS rating of 6.3 stars using NatHERS accredited software (AccuRate). Find out how the star ratings work on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) website.