I had an idea that I had to try and map out in cad. I had the thought of using my greenhouse design and making it into an affordable Tiny Home/Passive Solar Hoop House/Earthship Cabin. The hoops would be made from 3/4" steel tubing. The whole cabin would be wrapped in plastic, and the back section within the earth would be wrapped in 45mil Pond liner. What would be the issues with something like this?
Seems like a good idea, but I would rather use glass over plastic. I know this is more work, but how often would you have to replace the plastic due to UV radiation? Also I don't want to breathe any gick from the plastic degrading.
"We will never be truly healthy, satisfied, or fulfilled if we live apart and alienated from the environment from which we evolved." -Stephen Kellert
Justin Gerardot wrote:Seems like a good idea, but I would rather use glass over plastic. I know this is more work, but how often would you have to replace the plastic due to UV radiation? Also I don't want to breathe any gick from the plastic degrading.
True, the plastic would last 4-8 years. I could cover the back of the cabin in corrugated steel or aluminum, and put glass on the front like this.
I think I like the second layout better anyway. On any sunny day, the greenhouse portion will get over 80 and possibly 100 degrees, even in winter. In summer you probably want to limit the solar gain. Be sure to include lots of ventilation, ideally inlet vents down low and exit vents up high. Those seem to work better than just having windows on each end at the same height.
"Hundreds of years from now it will not matter what my bank account was, the sort of house I lived in or the type of car I drove... But the world may be different because I did something so bafflingly crazy that it becomes a tourist destination"
I would consider an earth tube as the inlet for summer cooling. You will be moving dirt anyways, might as well get more use out of the rental. I agree with Mike, the second version looks better.
"We will never be truly healthy, satisfied, or fulfilled if we live apart and alienated from the environment from which we evolved." -Stephen Kellert
Looks great, have you considered the structural needs. I encourage you to build it first and quickly with plastic, work out the issues you find on the way, then finish it with glass someday.. Anyone hear of using plants, deep rooting plants, as geothermal loops?
oh, one more thing i should mention
i changed my plans from steel support to wood support to lessen the transfer of cold from outside and through the double(i am thinking triple) layers
That's my roommate. He's kinda weird, but he always pays his half of the rent. And he gave me this tiny ad: