But, I want an Earthship-type house so badly it hurts. I have spent countless hours researching them on the 'net, dreaming up ways it could work, doing my own modifications in my head... I have it all worked out.
Except for how to afford it.
That's a bit of a sticking point, really. As you might well imagine.
But, since this is a blog about all my innermost dreams and fears, here are some links for stuff that are Earthship-y and would be useful in and/or around an Earthship.
A rocket stove mass heater
(more efficient than a regular wood stove, so therefore great for frigid Canadian winters)
The Earthship homesite
A video showcasing how they're built
In my head, you could make a strawbale wall on the interior south-facing wall in between the outer, solar-collecting windows and the interior of the house. The exterior windows would keep rain off the strawbales and therefore avoid the CMHC's problem report showing the outcomes of mold in our humid summer weather (most prevalent on the north sides of houses where the sun never heats them up). There would be many windows in the interior strawbale wall to let in light (especially in the winter when the angle of the sun is lower), and the wall would help keep heat in during the winter, and keep heat out during the summer. Add to that a rocket stove/bench in the living room (vented to the outside) and everything would be peachy
Plus, a root cellar in the earth bank (with a door on the north-ish wall to keep it cool and damp), and a strawbale/earthship henhouse on the other side to keep the cluckers happy. They'd be chilly in the winter, but never freeze. And they survive that sort of existence just fine.
It would work. It would so totally work.
Unfortunately, my husband is married to his bicycle, and likes to commute to work. It's a noble, sustainable idea. But. Earthships can only be built in the country, not in the city. This is a Pushme-Pullyu sort of argument/discussion/angst session that we've been having over the years.
Also. He can't live without his coffee shops. Another thing you don't find out in the country.
He'd be happy in a downtown condo, riding his bike everywhere and drinking coffee in cute little coffee bars with sarcastic baristas. I hate traffic noise, and am getting seriously fed-up with society in general and neighbours in particular. My favourite thing in the world is silence and green spaces...
And, we can't afford to build one right now, and might never in the future.
*sigh*
What to do?
keep on dreaming, scheming and planning, times can change if enough people push together. Other than that, some homes I've been looking into for sw Ontario are large solar mass homes, many of the materials are easily locally sourced and in some parts,commonly seen in citys (one less permit hurdle) and they are far less permeable than straw bales (a joy to us allergy sufferers). There are many ways to build a dream, live small and dream big and you never know what could happen.
ReplyDeleteAw. Thanks (: I'm certainly trying to do the best I can. Passive solar does help quite a bit, and our co-op townhouse was built with that in mind, with large, south-facing windows. We pay a lot less in the winter for heat (especially if I remember to close the blinds at night). I've also successfully nurtured a lemon tree in that window... Fun with plants!
DeleteAny place that we get when we eventually move from here will have good, south-facing windows, or at least be modifiable for passive solar. And a large yard. That's a must.