Jake CowinEnvironmental Studies Program – SESES

Northern Arizona University

Earthship Biotecture: The Future of Sustainability

BiographyFounded by Michael

Reynolds in the 1970s.

Located in Taos NM.

Experimental Land Plot/ Community.

Projects can be found internationally.

Goals for my Internship1. Receive hands on

experience with building sustainable housing.

2. Gain knowledge of all working systems - Water, Electrical, Sewage.

3. Analyze functions and assembly of recycled materials.

Duties and Methods

Plaster walls with hawk and trowel.

Build retaining walls.

Lay flagstone.

Pound tires for foundation.

Fill water tanks to be heated by solar energy.

Thermal Heating and CoolingMaintain comfortable temperature in any climate.

“Thermal mass homes first, passive solar homes second” (earthship.com/systems).

Vegetation from greenhouse absorbs heat from sun.

Thermal Mass

Retractable Roof Vents

Ventilation Tubing

For heat: Solar energy heats the mass, it is then stored and the insulation wont let it escape.

For cool: Cool mass of the earth reacts with mass of the shelter.

Several ventilation systems are present. (See figure 1.1)

Thermal Heating and Cooling

Figure 1.1

Recycled Materials

Scrap Wood

Black Rubber Tires

Cans and Bottles

Water System

Collected through cistern.

Travels through 3 mesh filters.

Goes into WOM (Water Organizing Module)

Water SystemWOM hooked up to DC

(Direct Current)

Fresh water: used for shower, sink, and drinking.

Gray water: used for toilet, plants.

Black water: used for non edible plants, returns to soil away from house.

Figure 2.1

Electrical/Energy System

AC= Alternating Current

DC= Direct Current

Use marine deep cycle batteries.

Southward facing solar panels

Solar Combiner

Electrical/Energy SystemSolar panels go to solar combiner

Combiner goes into charge controller, hooks up to battery bank.

Charge controller acts as brain of system.

Inverter re-routes power from solar panels.

See Figure 3.1

Figure 3.1

Sewage System Gray water is collected from sink

and shower.

Runs down to far end of green house planter.

Then pumped back up into toilet.

Black water then leaves house to septic tank.

Excess water goes into botanical cell.

Septic Tank

Sewage SystemOutlaw Septic Tank.

Use 8 to 9 large tires in a eight feet deep hole.

Back fill with river rock or large debris.

Liquid naturally seeps through gaps in the tires.

Tires are kept upright through pressure.

Outlaw Septic Tank

What I’ve LearnedKnowledge of 3 feedback loop systems that make self

sufficient housing possible.

How to use recyclable materials in building procedures.

The process of thermal heating and cooling.

Phil Baseheart (Earthship Foreman)

Ian Smith (Colleague)

Randy & Lisa Cowin (Parents/Funding)

Kira Russo (Faculty Advisor)

Heidi Loehrer (Earthship Internship Coordinator)

Glen Vedera (Geologist/Uncle/Advisor)

All Earthship Co-Workers

Acknowledgments

Questions?