» Natalie and Daryl’s Earthship Inspired House

Natalie and Daryl’s Earthship Inspired House

We wanted a modest home that represented our desire to live a healthy and environmentally conscious lifestyle. Our home is designed to the highest energy efficiency and thermal performance standards, from the orientation and layout, to the construction system and material selections.

We wanted to demonstrate you could build a sustainable or even off grid house on the smallest urban block.

Our intention was to construct a home of the highest quality. Not only in terms of structure and energy efficiency, but also to protect and enhance the landscape. Our key objective was to utilise the sloping block for optimum northern orientation and provide a tranquil natural environment.

Our home is earth ship inspired. A greenhouse is situated on the northern face of the house providing access to the bedrooms and bathroom. The sun heats this space, drawing the warm ceiling air through the earth berm to the south. Over time the earth berm will gradually warm to a constant temperature of 21-23 degrees C all year round. This then radiates to the internal spaces. Soil excavated was used to create an earth berm to the southern side of the house and earth bag foundations.

The home is still a work in progress with some of the off grid systems yet to be connected.

We have lived in the home for two years now and love it.

Nissan Leaf EV on display for SHD

This house achieved a NatHERS rating of 7 stars using NatHERS accredited software (Firstrate5). Find out how the star ratings work on the Nationwide House Energy Rating Scheme (NatHERS) website.

This home is supported by

Join the Nillumbik Trail on Sustainable House Day, hosted by Clean Energy Nillumbik and Nillumbik Shire Council.

Sustainability Features

ENERGY AND WATER EFFICIENT FEATURES

- Energy efficiency:
- Efficient lighting
  Efficient appliances
- Passive heating cooling:
- Cross ventilation
  Shading
  Thermal mass
- Active heating cooling:
- In floor Reticulated Water System with 12v inline water pump, Air convection and heat recovery system - in line fan and ducted pipe work though ceiling and thermal mass wall.
- Water heating:
- Gas instant hot water, intend installing a form of solar thermal heating
- Water harvesting and saving features:
- Above ground rainwater storage
  Underground rainwater storage
  Grey water system
  Low flow shower heads
  Drip irrigation
- Average water consumption per day:
- 87L per person, per day
- Underground rainwater storage type:
- 3 x concrete tanks
- Underground rainwater storage Size:
- 35,000L
- Above ground rainwater storage Type:
- Corrugated Colourbond
- Above ground rainwater storage Size
- 10,000L
- Energy Efficient Lighting
- LED lights throughout
  Natural daylight
  Skylight
- Window Protection:
- Awnings (external)
  Shade Sails
- Window Protection:
- Cedar Shutters Internal, Shade sail is seasonal, Retractable awning

SUSTAINABLE & RECYCLED MATERIALS

- Recycled and reused materials:
- Excavated earth used in earth bag footings and thermal mass, Redgum Hardwood Posts,Door Hardware,Cedar Shutters,Workshop is an up cycled site accommodation
- Sustainable materials:
- Earth bag strip footings Plywood – internal walls and cabinetry Untreated Cypress Pine structural timber Hardwood Cladding – milled from fallen timber “Earthwool” recycled glass bulk insulation batts
- Recycled and reused materials:
- Bricks
  Concrete
  Light fixtures
  Timber

INSULATION SPECIFICATIONS

- Insulation Type:
- Under-roof
  Ceiling
  Internal walls
  External walls
  Floor
- Ceiling Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Ceiling Rating:
- R6.0
- Floor Type:
- The infill concrete floor slab is insulated from outside air with 150mm wide Hardwood perimeter edge beams.
- Under Roof Insulation Type:
- Roof space blanket and Earthwool recycled glass bulk insulation batts
- Under Roof Insulation Rating:
- R1.8 space blanket installed under roof sheeting; R4.0 under the roof blanket within ceiling between roof trusses
- Internal Walls Insulation Type:
- Bulk – glass wool
- Internal Walls Insulation Rating:
- R2.7
- External Walls Rating:
- R2.7 for east and west walls, south wall mudbrick and earth berm, north wall double glazing
- External Walls Type:
- Bulk – glass wool

RENEWABLE ENERGY SPECIFICATIONS

- All-Electric Home?
- No
- Energy star rating:
- 7 Stars
- Renewable energy
- Thermal Mass, Solar PV with battery Grid Connection, behind the meter (Future)
- Average Daily Energy Consumption:
- 1.67 kWhr per person

COSTS AND COST SAVINGS

- Total cost of home when constructed:
- $247,000

HOUSE DESIGN SPECIFICATIONS

- House Size
- 70m2
- BAL Rating
- BAL – 29: Increasing levels of ember attack and ignition of debris with a heat flux of up to 29kW/m2
- Roof
- Metal (Galvanised)
- Wall Materials
- Mud brick
  Timber
- Wall Materials
- Glass
- Window and Door Types
- Double glazing
  Skylights
- Universal Design Features
- Hobless showers
  No stairs/steps
- Universal Design Features
- No levers or knobs as door handles
- Number of bedrooms
- 2
- Number of bathrooms
- 1

GARDEN AND WASTE REDUCTION

- Garden / Outdoors
- Composting
  Drip irrigation
  Edible garden
  Organic
  Permaculture
  Native plants
- Waste Reduction Practices:
- Compost all food scraps
  Recycle
  Repair

HEALTHY HOME FEATURES

- Healthy home features
- Chemical free cleaning products used
  Cross flow ventilation
  Indoor plants for air filtration
  Low VOC paints/sealer/varnish
  Natural oil sealer/finishes
  No carpets
- Healthy Home
- All wood is untreated, termimesh stainless steel physical termite barrier - no chemicals.

Natalie and Daryl’s Earthship Inspired House 2019

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Natalie and Daryl’s Earthship Inspired House

Sustainability Features

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