New dates to be announced
This course is for anyone thinking about building their own home and anyone interested in learning
about Earthships. The blended course format will include virtual online classes and study in your own
time.
What is an Earthship?
An Earthship is a low impact building that makes use of recycled materials in its construction including over 1000 car tyres. It has passive solar heating and cooling and uses only renewable technologies. All the water used is harvested from rain-water and recycled with waste water management on site.
What will this Self-building an Earthship course cover?
We will go through how a building can use the sun instead of central heating and how to build in natural, passive ventilation. We’ll look at how it is possible to live off-grid. This includes how you can harvest and recycle water and an outline of the relative merits of micro-renewable technologies like solar, biomass, wind and hydro. We will look at what you need to think about when sourcing environmentally-friendly materials and how to avoid the most damaging materials.
This course teaches:
- What needs to be considered when building an environmentally sensitive home as well as what is involved in building an Earthship
- Basic building physics which can shed light on how all buildings work
- How a building can use the sun instead of central heating and how to build in natural, passive ventilation
- The relative merits of micro-renewable technologies like solar, biomass, wind and hydro
- How you can harvest and recycle water
- What you need to think about when sourcing environmentally-friendly materials and how to avoid the most damaging materials
Course participants will also gain the knowledge and confidence to take their ideas to the next stage. Everyone who completes the course will receive a certificate, which will be sent via email after the course.
This course will build on the good work of Mike Reynolds and focus on adapting Earthships to the UK and other European climates.
Course details
The Self-building an Earthship online course is comprised of 7 modules, each of which are a week long. The modules are:
Module 1: Introduction
Why build an Earthship? & making it happen! Finding a plot, planning permission, Building Control & finances.
Module 2: Heating & Cooling
Heating, cooling, passive solar, ventilation, insulation and airtightness.
Module 3: Materials & Interiors
Building materials, daylight, glazing, lighting & how to incorporate food in earthship design & why it matters
Module 4: Water
Rainwater harvesting, grey and black water recycling and off-grid sewage.
Module 5: Power
Solar, wind, biomass and other renewable energy systems, off-grid power and storage.
Module 6: Case Studies
Case studies of European earthships, Earthship Brighton & Earthship France.
Module 7: Design your earthship
Combine all of the elements from the modules to design your own earthship.
Each module will include:
- Watching exclusive recorded presentations
- Studying the relevant chapter of ‘Earthships in Europe’ (provided as a PDF to course participants)
- Building up a design for ‘your’ Earthship through the courses by completing a short workshop exercise contributing towards the design
- Other exercises and quizzes related to the materials
- Live Q&A Zoom session with other course participants at the end of the module. Session will last 60-90 minutes with a short break.
Each week will involve a total of 6-8 hours study.
Course schedule
Start date: Wednesday 26th January
End date: Wednesday 16th March
Module 1: 26th January, live session Wednesday 2nd February, 11:00 am
Module 2: 3rd February, live session Wednesday 9th February, 11:00 am
Module 3: 10th February, live session Wednesday 16th February, 11:00 am
Module 4: 17th February, live session Wednesday 23rd February, 11:00 am
Module 5: 24th February, live session Wednesday 2nd March, 11:00 am
Module 6: 3rd March, live session Wednesday 9th March, 11:00 am
Module 7: 10th March, live session Wednesday 16th March, 11:00 am
Zoom sessions are recorded.
Course tutors
Rebecca Sarll is the main tutor and is a qualified trainer with an MSc in Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies (Distinction) from the Centre for Alternative Technology. She has experience in straw bale and hemp lime building as well as more conventional construction methods.
Mischa Hewitt was one of the project managers of Earthship Brighton, is the author of the book Earthships in Europe, and has an MSc in Architecture: Advanced Environmental and Energy Studies (Distinction) from the Centre for Alternative Technology. He is an Energy Consultant, domestic and non-domestic energy assessor, and has worked on many new build and eco renovation projects.
Who is the course for?
This course is open to anyone aged 16 or over. It is for anyone thinking about building their own home and anyone interested in learning about earthships. It is suitable for complete beginners, as well as those who are familiar with eco-building and want to know more.
Fees
Fees include a pdf copy of Earthships in Europe.
- £266 – Sponsored/organisation rate
- £266- Individual income more than 25k/yr
- £218 – Individual income 18-25k/yr
- £170 – Individual income less than 18k/yr
- £122 – Individual, concessionary rate (check eligibility)*
* Concessionary places are limited. If places are not available check back two weeks before the course/event as more may be available then.
We endeavour to make our courses and events affordable to all. Unfortunately, we do not receive any external funding for most of these and rely on large amounts of voluntary input.
See the cancellations and refunds policy.
Paying for your place
If you have completed the booking process but you haven’t received a confirmation email from us please contact us to check your booking has gone through.
If you are booking within two weeks of the event, or the event is nearly full, you will not have the option to pay by cheque or BACS. Instead, you will need to pay immediately using a credit/debit card or PayPal.
Be certain that you understand ALL the information on this page, then:
New Dates to be announced