In 2014, we started collecting information from Earthship
owners, builders, and renters in an online survey. The questions we asked were:
- Have you owned, rented, or built an Earthship?
- What is the Zip Code of your Earthship? (We collect this for climate analysis)
- Was your Earthship designed or built by Earthship Biotecture?
- In what year was your Earthship finished?
- If you built your Earthship, how long did it take you to build it?
- How long have you lived in or did you live in your Earthship?
- Do you still own or rent your Earthship?
- If you do not still own or rent your Earthship, why did you sell it or move?
- Is/was your Earthship a standard or custom design?
- Did you purchase drawings? If so, how much did they cost?
- What was the cost to build your Earthship? Does this include your own time?
- Is your Earthship oriented due south?
- If your Earthship has slanted glass, does it tend to overheat in the buffer zone/greenhouse? If yes, what is too hot by your standards?
- If your Earthship overheats, is it doing so year round or certain months only?
- Does your Earthship have the buffer zone/greenhouse separated from the body of the house by windows and doors?
- If the buffer zone/greenhouse is separated by windows and doors, are they pre-fabricated exterior grade doors and windows or custom made doors and windows?
- Do you use custom diagonal shades on your slanted front windows?
- If you look out from your slanted windows, is the ground higher than the floor you are standing on?
- Did you have any issues with the aluminum cans in your build during construction or after completion?
- Do you know how many tires you used?
- Did you have any issues with the tires in your build during construction or after completion?
- Did you have any issues with the glass bottle walls in your build during construction or after completion?
- What type of finishes did you use on your wall?
- Do you have pets? Have they had any impact on your use of the home?
- Does your Earthship utilize a cistern or is it connected to city water? Is it an open cistern or closed?
- Does your roof work like a teacup (have a V in it for water collection) or is it a shed roof draining to one side of the house?
- Do you utilize a solar electric system?
- Are the planting beds at or below the ground level?
- Are you able to grow all the vegetables you would like in your Earthship?
- Do you have any pest issues in your Earthship?
- Are you using composting or flush toilets?
- Are there any issues with your systems?
- Does your septic include an exterior blackwater recharge area?
- Do you find your earth-bermed rooms in the habitable area to be cold or dark?
- Are your rooms on multiple levels? Has that ever not worked for you? (i.e. have you had trouble while on crutches or in a wheelchair, tripped, etc.?)
- Are you as satisfied with the Earthship today as when you moved in or decided to build it?
- Do you feel like you got a great deal on your Earthship?
- Would you like to be made aware as new questions get asked, or as we collect the data from these surveys and share it? Read: Would you like to be added to our mailing list?
- Is there more you would like to share? Do you have ideas you think would make them better or tweaks that you used successfully that you want to pass on?
Asking these questions allowed us to collect and analyze
the data on the Earthships, including climate data, without assuming that we knew what the
outcome would be. This gave us access to unbiased information which we used to
build upon the foundations of our research.
if you would like to submit your answers for the survey, please add to the conversation HERE.
