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
Dry soil has a thermal conductivity of 0.15 to 0.30. PET measures 0.24, and air 0.024. By comparison, concrete has 2.1, while aerated concrete (also known as gas concrete) ranges from 0.08 to 0.25. Mineral wool ranges from 0.032 to 0.050, and aerogel blankets from 0.013 to 0.020, which are naturally better but also significantly more expensive. For example, the cost of aerogel blankets only pays off after 32 or more years. Additionally, you could forgo load-bearing capacity by leaving out the soil and filling the PET bottles with air only, achieving extremely good insulation this way.
Unfortunately, 10,000 PET bottles require a 2,000€ deposit. However, 10,000 preform bottles from a wholesale supplier in China also cost around 500€ plus expenses for a 30-bar compressor and energy. So, the 2,000€ deposit is manageable. Now I just need to find out how long the PET bottles actually last; they would have to last at least 50 to 100 years for it to be worthwhile.
For the sake of the environment, it is better not to use PET bottles, even though they can last for more than 300 years. When they break down, all the toxic substances are released. I think it is better to wait for the CO2-based plastic made from polypropylene carbonate and polyhydroxybutyrate. This is supposed to have better properties and be more environmentally friendly.
blockhauspower9 Aug 2015 18:38I have to wonder why not all houses are built from plastic bottles since they are such a miracle material. Using them, the Berlin airport, the Elbphilharmonie, all new skyscrapers, football stadiums, and so on could be constructed at a bargain price.
Well, these things also need to be filled and compacted, which takes a lot of time. It only pays off if you do it yourself or as a group without payment. Additionally, they have to be collected. If everyone builds with them, there won’t be enough available. I also think it’s better to use PP bottles since it’s less of an issue if they remain in the concrete. If the PET bottles eventually break down, you end up with contaminated concrete.
In case anyone is still interested: I have now completely moved away from plastic bottles. It’s not worth it (deposit), it contaminates the concrete (concrete recycling), and reduces the lifespan / can cause cracks in the concrete. Nowadays, I tend to use hempcrete (above ground) and standard concrete (underground) produced with alternative energy. For thermal insulation, I then use mushroom mycelium insulation.
Similar topics