My project is currently still purely theoretical. I am very interested in the construction methods mentioned in the title, and my design is a hybrid of these. The entire house will be built using PET and/or glass bottles, a construction method that makes the house not only extremely cost-effective but also very strong. The south side will feature the main entrance and windows, along with a kind of greenhouse extension. The rest of the house will be covered with earth if the plot is large enough. If not, the exterior walls will also be enclosed with a similar greenhouse structure. If a rooftop terrace is permitted by the building permit/planning permission, the upper floor will be accessible from the outside over a hill and later covered with a greenhouse-style construction. If a pitched roof is mandatory, glass bottles will be integrated into the walls, along with many or large windows on the upper floor, and glass tiles on the roof. If neither a hill nor a rooftop terrace is allowed or possible, I will try to find a different plot. If this also fails, the small house will simply be placed inside a greenhouse.
The foundation and basement are also planned to be built with PET bottles. I believe that stones/gravel, reinforcement mesh, PET bottles, and waterproof cement should be sufficient. However, I definitely need expert advice here, as the foundation is ultimately the most important part of the house. The interior will be equipped using various Earthship techniques to save and recycle energy and water.
As much as possible will be built by myself, including casting the glass roof tiles. I have a lot of time but very little money. Greenhouse attachments and extensions will be added gradually only after the house is habitable. I am also considering protecting the greenhouse glass against hail, either with a protective film or by using thick, self-cast glass tiles.
Solar panels and a spiral wind turbine for electricity generation are also of interest but are rather marginal. Energy storage is still very poor. So far, the only practical storage method seems to be electrolyzing water to store hydrogen in a large underground pressure tank, then converting it back to electricity via a fuel cell. Hydrogen storage in gels is also interesting but still in its infancy. I find batteries completely unsuitable as a storage medium—without them, self-sufficiency in electricity would be pointless.
I will design everything using CAD software, but first, I want to gather all the important data and hear some opinions.
I am very grateful for any suggestions and tips.
Planning restrictions/limitations
Plot size: 80 - 100 sqm (861 - 1,076 sq ft) or larger (dependent on price)
Slope: irrelevant
Floor area ratio: no plot available yet
Site coverage ratio: no plot available yet
Building envelope, building line and boundary: no plot available yet
Edge development: unlikely
Parking spaces: bicycles will be stored inside on the wall; no car
Number of floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor accessible—no attic
Roof type: flat and accessible or pitched roof with glass tiles
Style: eco-friendly small self-build house
Orientation: windows facing south, all other sides covered with earth or greenhouse
Maximum height limits: 3-4 meters (10-13 feet)
Other requirements
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: eco-modern, rooftop terrace, hill house
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, age: 1 person, age 33
Room needs on ground and upper floor: flexible
Office, family use or home office?: no
Overnight guests per year: no dedicated room
Open or closed architecture: mixed form?
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 1
Fireplace: possible
Music/sound wall: no full wall
Balcony, rooftop terrace: rooftop terrace
Garage, carport: no
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: yes, the house will be a mix of house, kitchen garden, and greenhouse
Other wishes, special features, daily routine
House design
Who designed it: various architects + myself
Do-it-yourself: yes
What is particularly appealing? Cost, energy efficiency, plants
What is not appealing? That will become clear once it is finished
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: 10,000-20,000 (own research)
Personal budget limit for house including fixtures: excluding fixtures 25,000 (fixtures will be made by myself or are already available)
Preferred heating system: passive
If you had to give up certain details or extensions
- What can you do without: basement if the building footprint is sufficient, rooftop terrace if not allowed due to planning restrictions
- What you cannot do without: the custom, eclectic design; if I cannot design or decide it myself, I don’t want to build it
The foundation and basement are also planned to be built with PET bottles. I believe that stones/gravel, reinforcement mesh, PET bottles, and waterproof cement should be sufficient. However, I definitely need expert advice here, as the foundation is ultimately the most important part of the house. The interior will be equipped using various Earthship techniques to save and recycle energy and water.
As much as possible will be built by myself, including casting the glass roof tiles. I have a lot of time but very little money. Greenhouse attachments and extensions will be added gradually only after the house is habitable. I am also considering protecting the greenhouse glass against hail, either with a protective film or by using thick, self-cast glass tiles.
Solar panels and a spiral wind turbine for electricity generation are also of interest but are rather marginal. Energy storage is still very poor. So far, the only practical storage method seems to be electrolyzing water to store hydrogen in a large underground pressure tank, then converting it back to electricity via a fuel cell. Hydrogen storage in gels is also interesting but still in its infancy. I find batteries completely unsuitable as a storage medium—without them, self-sufficiency in electricity would be pointless.
I will design everything using CAD software, but first, I want to gather all the important data and hear some opinions.
I am very grateful for any suggestions and tips.
Planning restrictions/limitations
Plot size: 80 - 100 sqm (861 - 1,076 sq ft) or larger (dependent on price)
Slope: irrelevant
Floor area ratio: no plot available yet
Site coverage ratio: no plot available yet
Building envelope, building line and boundary: no plot available yet
Edge development: unlikely
Parking spaces: bicycles will be stored inside on the wall; no car
Number of floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor accessible—no attic
Roof type: flat and accessible or pitched roof with glass tiles
Style: eco-friendly small self-build house
Orientation: windows facing south, all other sides covered with earth or greenhouse
Maximum height limits: 3-4 meters (10-13 feet)
Other requirements
Client requirements
Style, roof type, building type: eco-modern, rooftop terrace, hill house
Basement, floors: basement, ground floor, upper floor
Number of occupants, age: 1 person, age 33
Room needs on ground and upper floor: flexible
Office, family use or home office?: no
Overnight guests per year: no dedicated room
Open or closed architecture: mixed form?
Conservative or modern construction: modern
Open kitchen, kitchen island: open kitchen
Number of dining seats: 1
Fireplace: possible
Music/sound wall: no full wall
Balcony, rooftop terrace: rooftop terrace
Garage, carport: no
Kitchen garden, greenhouse: yes, the house will be a mix of house, kitchen garden, and greenhouse
Other wishes, special features, daily routine
House design
Who designed it: various architects + myself
Do-it-yourself: yes
What is particularly appealing? Cost, energy efficiency, plants
What is not appealing? That will become clear once it is finished
Cost estimate according to architect/planner: 10,000-20,000 (own research)
Personal budget limit for house including fixtures: excluding fixtures 25,000 (fixtures will be made by myself or are already available)
Preferred heating system: passive
If you had to give up certain details or extensions
- What can you do without: basement if the building footprint is sufficient, rooftop terrace if not allowed due to planning restrictions
- What you cannot do without: the custom, eclectic design; if I cannot design or decide it myself, I don’t want to build it
Koempy schrieb:
And he did it and ended up in the green forum.I am so happy.
Hello,
unfortunately the quoting function didn’t work with partial sentences, but I’m not going to reread all the confusing stuff either.
So here is a summary from me as a construction layperson:
Crazy ideas can have good potential for realization.
In this case, I don’t think so at all, because you – even as a layperson in construction, as you say – forget or don’t know many points and apparently just ignore them.
- Land and notary costs (there are no plots of land that are only 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) for 10 €/sqm (about $10/sq ft))
- Zoning plan / building regulations (rules for the construction project)
- Development costs (water connection, temporary construction power)
- Additional construction costs, material costs, equipment costs, transport costs!
- Association: bookkeeping requirements, organization
- Permits, energy saving regulations, requirements
- Costs for technical installations, inspection by licensed professional, electrical distribution box, toilet bowl, shower (running water). I won’t even start on comfort items like internet, stove, and external power from here
Also, you contradict yourself with your timeline: sometimes you say you’ll be done in 1 ½ years, then you imagine it will take 10 years...
I’m telling you: no money, no progress!
And if you have €200,000 saved, it will still fail because of the requirements.
Okay, I’m enjoying a glass of wine now 🙂
unfortunately the quoting function didn’t work with partial sentences, but I’m not going to reread all the confusing stuff either.
So here is a summary from me as a construction layperson:
Crazy ideas can have good potential for realization.
In this case, I don’t think so at all, because you – even as a layperson in construction, as you say – forget or don’t know many points and apparently just ignore them.
- Land and notary costs (there are no plots of land that are only 100 sqm (1,076 sq ft) for 10 €/sqm (about $10/sq ft))
- Zoning plan / building regulations (rules for the construction project)
- Development costs (water connection, temporary construction power)
- Additional construction costs, material costs, equipment costs, transport costs!
- Association: bookkeeping requirements, organization
- Permits, energy saving regulations, requirements
- Costs for technical installations, inspection by licensed professional, electrical distribution box, toilet bowl, shower (running water). I won’t even start on comfort items like internet, stove, and external power from here
Also, you contradict yourself with your timeline: sometimes you say you’ll be done in 1 ½ years, then you imagine it will take 10 years...
I’m telling you: no money, no progress!
And if you have €200,000 saved, it will still fail because of the requirements.
Okay, I’m enjoying a glass of wine now 🙂
T
toxicmolotof7 Aug 2015 21:01I also know why he will finance the project himself... because no bank is willing to support it.
Maybe crowdfunding will get you further, as there are plenty of enthusiasts who can easily contribute 10 euros (about 11 dollars). And you don’t even have to pay the money back because of the idea. But they probably want to see more than just a few wild ideas.
Maybe crowdfunding will get you further, as there are plenty of enthusiasts who can easily contribute 10 euros (about 11 dollars). And you don’t even have to pay the money back because of the idea. But they probably want to see more than just a few wild ideas.
I would only consider crowdfunding once I have an absolutely foolproof plan. Let’s see what the more detailed calculations show.
@ypg (Edit: Oh, I almost posted a link—sorry, I had to look it up myself on Immo Scout. Just check out some plots in the East; you will definitely find something. Although it’s in the middle of nowhere, it’s €10 per square meter (about $10 per square meter) ;P I’ve even seen free plots in the East. Even here in Hesse, you can find a small plot for a few thousand euros, and the development costs are already included. The 10 years thing wasn’t really serious; that would mean I could only lay 2-3 bricks per day. Like I said, I already own the interior fittings. Material costs aren’t very high if everything is done yourself. Transport costs, on the other hand, could be a real problem. I completely forgot about them X_X, especially if I don’t have anything nearby to collect from. The most expensive equipment is the excavator, at €500–1000 (about $540–1080). Depending on what you find in the soil on the plot, you can save some money. Clay or peat, for example, would be a real jackpot. Even if I do a rough calculation and round up extremely, I don’t come close to €25,000 (about $27,000). If I hire someone to do the foundation, €10,000 (about $10,800) is gone right away. Even if I use reinforced concrete and insulate with aerogel mats, fulfilling all requirements and whatever else, and it costs around €50,000 (about $54,000), the small cabin will never cost anywhere near €200,000 (about $216,000).
However, I have read a lot of negative feedback about the Earthship concept. Used tires, for example, don’t work at all. Wet soil doesn’t seem to provide good insulation performance here in Europe. PET bottles absolutely must be dry inside. So, just stuffing them with soil is unfortunately not an option. Plus, that €0.20 (about $0.22) cost per bottle makes them less appealing. They only really make sense if they achieve the advertised insulation performance. I definitely need to test the insulation effect of PET bottles in a small experiment. Sand seems to insulate very well with a value of 0.7. I definitely want to test the PET bottle insulation effect in a small experiment as well. Sand, however, seems to insulate very well at 0.7.
I’m also considering, if I can get natural stone for free somewhere, to pack the stones into a mesh like with retaining walls and fill the rest with bentonite. Natural stone has poor insulation performance, but with the greenhouse effect around it, maybe that’s not so bad.
P.S. Is it actually true that posting links leads to a ban? Or was that just a joke during sign-up? The link function is still available after all.
@ypg (Edit: Oh, I almost posted a link—sorry, I had to look it up myself on Immo Scout. Just check out some plots in the East; you will definitely find something. Although it’s in the middle of nowhere, it’s €10 per square meter (about $10 per square meter) ;P I’ve even seen free plots in the East. Even here in Hesse, you can find a small plot for a few thousand euros, and the development costs are already included. The 10 years thing wasn’t really serious; that would mean I could only lay 2-3 bricks per day. Like I said, I already own the interior fittings. Material costs aren’t very high if everything is done yourself. Transport costs, on the other hand, could be a real problem. I completely forgot about them X_X, especially if I don’t have anything nearby to collect from. The most expensive equipment is the excavator, at €500–1000 (about $540–1080). Depending on what you find in the soil on the plot, you can save some money. Clay or peat, for example, would be a real jackpot. Even if I do a rough calculation and round up extremely, I don’t come close to €25,000 (about $27,000). If I hire someone to do the foundation, €10,000 (about $10,800) is gone right away. Even if I use reinforced concrete and insulate with aerogel mats, fulfilling all requirements and whatever else, and it costs around €50,000 (about $54,000), the small cabin will never cost anywhere near €200,000 (about $216,000).
However, I have read a lot of negative feedback about the Earthship concept. Used tires, for example, don’t work at all. Wet soil doesn’t seem to provide good insulation performance here in Europe. PET bottles absolutely must be dry inside. So, just stuffing them with soil is unfortunately not an option. Plus, that €0.20 (about $0.22) cost per bottle makes them less appealing. They only really make sense if they achieve the advertised insulation performance. I definitely need to test the insulation effect of PET bottles in a small experiment. Sand seems to insulate very well with a value of 0.7. I definitely want to test the PET bottle insulation effect in a small experiment as well. Sand, however, seems to insulate very well at 0.7.
I’m also considering, if I can get natural stone for free somewhere, to pack the stones into a mesh like with retaining walls and fill the rest with bentonite. Natural stone has poor insulation performance, but with the greenhouse effect around it, maybe that’s not so bad.
P.S. Is it actually true that posting links leads to a ban? Or was that just a joke during sign-up? The link function is still available after all.
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