“How to make an earthship from earthbags? A South African friend of mine asked me to design an earthbag house for him for his site in Portugal.
I made a plan for him with domes around an open space covered with a flat roof with a glasshouse, big terraces, covered in the hills. Each dome has its own program: living room, kitchen, study room, bedrooms, bathroom etc. situated around the open place with greenery. The whole complex must be self-sufficient with sun panels, filtered rainwater and black water, natural ventilation and natural heating.”
Hi there,
I am also planning on building an earthbag house in Portugal, however I have no idea how much it would cost. Do you know how much money I need, on average, to build a house like this?
I would really appreciate your answer, it’s really difficult to find relevant info.
Best wishes
As for materials costs, these vary from place to place and choices that you might make, so it is hard to estimate. In general most plans can be built for no more than the average cost per square meter that is common in your area, something that you can find out from a local realtor, contractor, or banker perhaps. If you do much of the work yourself, this can make a big difference, and how good you are at finding deals on materials is a factor. So it all depends…
Hi Owen,
Thank you for your post!
I am looking to build an earthship in Portugal and wanted to know if your friend went ahead with everything and what were the permits requirements like?
Do I need a regular building permit? can I build without like a yurt?
Appreciate your help, thanks in advance!
Guy
I found this on the Internet and reposted the story because it was earthbag related. You’ll have to contact them for details.
Depends on the jurisdiction your lot is located in. There are 18 districts of Portugal, each (at least I’m assuming) akin to a county in the United States, Canada ,New Wales, Ireland and United Kingdom. And each of these districts probably has its own permitting requirements for construction.
Love that this is completely self-sufficient design-wow. I am in Spain and would like to know if your friend is looking for help I have only worked on small cob sites. Thank you.
Like this a lot….each dome self contained yet connected.
Search our blog for other earthbag earthships using the search engine on the right side of the page. Earthbags, especially tubes, are faster than rammed earth in tires. If in doubt just do a simple test and see for yourself.