Design of Earthship for Climate Conditions in Macedonia

Abstract

The Earthship, as a sustainable nearly zero house, built of natural and recycled materials, represents one of the solutions for the numerous environmental issues. A specific location is chosen by the Lake Ohrid in Macedonia. The house is designed for a single family, with dimensions and materials selected according to recommendations in the literature. It is not connected to the public infrastructural network, reducing its dependence on public services and the use of fossil fuels. It is built of natural and recycled materials, having thermal solar heating and cooling, collection and storage of rain water, controlled wastewater treatment, power from sun or wind and food self-production. Static and dynamic analysis has been performed and stability in this highly seismic region is confirmed, followed by the analysis of the energy efficiency and bill of quantities. This design meets the passive house criteria and the planned investment is considerably lower in comparison to a passive house built of “standard” building materials. The potential benefits of this designed Earthship might have an impact in the future building construction and architecture in Macedonia, especially for suburbs. They might help raise people’s awareness of the benefits of sustainable architecture: reduction of the greenhouse gas emission, saving fresh water reserves by harvesting rainwater and reusing it as grey water, controlling the micro climate of the suburban areas by using energy efficient materials and choosing the right location for building.