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You can be energy-free, free from mechanical climate control systems with a truly sustainable zero-energy home design.
Our site is packed with plenty of free information, so please take the time to read this passive solar chapter and all of its detail pages (left click on any image).
Learn why high thermal mass HTM dry stack, concrete block (or poured-in-place concrete wall) construction is a much better answer than excessive insulation (high R value) air-tight construction for any climate.
Conventional stick framing, log homes, strawbale, autoclaved aerated concrete and especially insulated concrete forms ("ICF's") are simply not feasible, passive solar, sustainable design materials because they don't effectively store and release energy.
For truly sustainable passive solar construction, the building material of choice is high thermal mass.
Please note that sustainable, passive solar, alternative housing doesn't have to mean alternative materials.
We prefer to use poured-in-place concrete walls or better yet, concrete blocks for easy "do-it-yourself" dry stack block walls (no mortar) with surface bonding cement.
If anything, an HTM is more commercial than residential in its construction details.
Commercial details cut building costs by ten to twenty percent (or more) as compared to conventional stick framed homes.
In every part of the world, corner markets, garages, gas stations and warehouses are built with concrete and block for good reasons: economy, durability, longevity and ease of maintenance.
In some parts of the country, like Clearwater, Florida, nearly every home is block to avoid temites, rot and storms.
What they found is that high thermal mass homes excel at keeping air conditioning bills lower, too.
The "fly-wheel" effect of air conditioning a block home is confortable radiant cooling at its best.
Radiant cooling (and heating) is more comfortable because you store cooling (or heating) energy in the walls and floor, too, not just the stale air inside the home.
Sustainable design, passive solar housing refers to the lack of mechanical devices needed to operate your climate control systems. In colder climates, HTMs are pointed due south, directly towards the free heating energy of the sun. Passive solar gain "re-charges" the home's huge thermal mass. Think of it as a giant flywheel or battery effect - one that is easy to keep stable. In warmer climates, HTMs are oriented more towards the northern exposure with night-time breezes supplying the home's cooling energy. Shade cloth covered trellises above the glass lower solar gain in the summer, creating cooler micro-climates alongside the home. Lowering a home's humidity is the one task not feasible with "passive" non-electric systems. If your personal comfort level dictates it, de-humidification equipment or at least fans to keep the air moving should be factored into hot and humid climate designs. For endless reviews and great articles on mechanical household systems, please give the nationally syndicated columnist James Dulley a visit: http://www.dulley.com.
Passive solar heat gain or cooling breezes must be quickly absorbed and released, as needed later, to be effective. This is why the sustainable design key for HTMs is construction of floors and walls with high thermal mass materials.
When a home's walls and floor do not store & release energy ("K" value), the constant radiant heat loss between the warm occupants and these cooler surfaces creates a sensation of cold in an otherwise comfortably warm room.
Materials such as strawbales, rubber tires, wood, carpet, logs, ICFs, autoclaved aerated concrete and drywall, all effectively resist heat loss ("R" value), but they have very low energy storage capabilities (K value).
Strawbales just don't store any heat!
Sure, they insulate well, but in a passive solar home you need to store energy.
Strawbales would make fine insulation wrapped around an HTM, but don't use them for the walls' actual building material.
When heat is stored only in the home's furnishings and a thin coat of stucco, expensive mechanical solutions like radiant in-floor heating or a central forced air system become necessary.
Simplicity is the key to sustainable design.
We're not selling any high-tech solar gizmos here, HTMs have no "moving parts" in their HVAC system to break down, so you never have to call your friend the plumber to fix the heat pump or whole house humidifier.
We believe in a very low-tech approach to making your family comfortable.
Click any picture in our sustainable design, passive solar free eBook for a detail page
HTM images is packed with smaller photos, easier to load on slower dialup connections
Any definition of "sustainable design" should include the word Healthy and there are three keys to a healthy home: ventilate, ventilate and ventilate!
Conventional passive solar architecture relies upon air tight, high insulation construction to produce "energy efficient" homes and businesses.
This is just plain wrong if you expect to have a healthy home environment.
In order to attain the kind of energy efficiency they claim, conventional architects must seal your home up tight as a zip lock baggie.
If you ventilate (let the heated or cooled air escape) in an air tight, high insulation home, you lose all your comfort.
High thermal mass building materials allow the heating and cooling effect to be stored within the home's walls and floor (radiant).
This allows you to vent the inside air of an HTM without "losing" all your heating or air conditioning comfort.
Fresh air is vital to the health of your home.
That's why you can never have too much solar gain - you can always vent more in the winter and shade in the summer.
Beware of clever marketing schemes featuring unique alternative building methods.
They are simply selling you with phrases like: "sustainable design", "energy efficient", "passive solar" and my favorite: "green building".
To truly understand all aspects of sustainable design takes years of practical construction experience combined with clinical study and an open mind.
To recognize a bad idea is much easier, but you have to look from every angle.
Such is the nature of marketing - there is always a poorly informed audience readily available to buy whatever you are selling.
When examined from the indoor air quality perspective, many sustainable design schemes make very little, if any, sense.
For instance, there are companies still peddling the long-dead 1970's concept of an envelope home.
Envelope homes allowed heated/cooled air to loop around the structure between two walls - a home within a home, so to speak.
A cavity between inner and outer exterior walls is left open (like a giant ventilation duct) to draft passive solar heated air through.
Envelope homes are an extremely bad idea from the perspective of indoor air quality - there is absolutely no method available to clean/sterilize this open duct area between walls.
Mold, mildew and the occasional dead mouse renders an envelope home the distinction of being a very bad idea indeed.
Envelope homes that use fiberglass insulation are even worse!
Why breathe air into your lungs loaded with tiny fibers that can make your skin itch?
Don't build with strawbales, tires, strawjet, logs, autoclaved aerated concrete or ICFs and then expect it to be passive solar!
Concrete is the best material for many reasons, but foam foundation blocks (ICFs) such as Rastra®, Faswall®, Tech-Block®, and Conform® were simply not designed for passive solar homes.
The main problem with interlocking extruded polystyrene ("EPS") foam foundation blocks ("ICF"s) and Faswall® wood and concrete blocks is that the insulation is on both sides of the wall.
Insulating the exterior of your foundation wall is good thinking, but insulating the interior of the wall simply prevents the release of any heat which has been stored within the concrete.
Why pay for all that concrete and ICFs then never get a chance to "use" the heat storage?
The basic principle of sustainable, passive solar heating/cooling is that the house AND the ground around it stores heat all summer and releases it all winter (passive solar radiant heating).
You need to look at the home itself as a means to store heat.
The analogy of a battery is often used to describe the way an HTM high thermal mass home functions: storing energy (heat) when it is available, using it later, when it's needed.
Please note that we are not talking about storing enough heat to get through a couple of days without any sunlight; this is seasonal passive solar heat storage!
As you continue to read my online free book, please keep in mind that I am not selling a product here.
We do not make a "trick" thing you can buy to build your new home - we want to help you decide the lesser of evils.
And maybe help change the face of residential architecture in the process.
The last twenty years have been promising - the next twenty years are hopeful.
A common misconception is that autoclaved aerated concrete, strawbale and log homes have large thermal masses.
This is simply not true.
They have very low thermal masses as compared to concrete.
Thermal mass is a relative measure of an object's ability to store heat, "K" value.
The complete inability of strawbales and logs to store heat is what makes them such a poor choice for a passive solar home or an attached greenhouse!
People and plants alike are much healthier in a consistent, radiant heat rich, naturally lighted, AND WELL VENTED environment.
If your home is not storing the heat brought in through the windows quickly enough, temperatures rapidly become too high for your comfort and will eventually kill your plants.
That's why you'll never see an attached greenhouse like this on a strawbale home.
Airtight homes are bad enough to begin with, but straw, wood, and paper are fuels that promote black mold growth in moist, unvented locations.
Cracks in the strawbale plaster open the wall's interior to indoor air humidity.
Meanwhile, a surface bonded block wall is waterproof, can be further sealed with non-porous latex paint, and provides no fuel to promote exotic growths that could affect your indoor air quality.
Natural plasters are always an option for the concrete wall's finish coat, too, but keep in mind that they do not have the ability to create a non-porous, waterproof coating.
Building a home is full of important design choices.
Don't let your passion for the environment cloud your decisions.
Strawbales are often used by clients for insulation outside of their homes.
There is nothing wrong with stacking them around the exterior, under eaves, to help insulate.
Using strawbales for a permanent interior wall building material has endless problems, though:
This bears repeating: strawbales are an option worth considering for INSULATION outside the home (stacking them around the exterior under eaves), but using strawbales for a permanent interior wall building material is not a bright idea in a passive solar home. Designs lacking thermal mass are simply not able to store passive solar energy properly.
High speed internet connection? Click here for a bigger file with larger images: interior photos
we are adding some short movies and larger, higher definition images soon!
Autoclaved aerated concrete ("AAC") blocks are a recent marketing development and nothing but ploy to capture more of your money with a unique product.
Autoclaved aerated concrete, according to their website, consists of "mostly air".
Please don't fall for their marketing ploys.
You can not "have your cake and eat it too".
Building materials are either high thermal mass or not.
They either have insulating qualties or they have energy storage qualities.
Autoclaved aerated concrete pretends to offer both to lure the passive solar design market.
Autoclaved aerated concrete blocks were developed to cut shipping costs, allowing for a block that could be delivered at minimal cost around the country.
If you want a truly sustainable design passive solar home - choose high thermal mass conventional concrete, not flimsy lightweight products.
Your local block yard or concrete batch plant will appreciate keeping your money locally and you will have a much, much stronger home.
Autoclaved aerated concrete can not be mostly air and still be as strong as solid concrete and have the same thermal mass - it just doesn't happen.
HTMs are not all that different from conventional homes, so please don't expect to find extreme cost savings in materials.
You save on the labor, which is 2/3 of the cost of any home.
Earthships (using recycled tires for your walls) are obviously less expensive in terms of materials, but any savings is quickly overshadowed by the increased labor.
That happy glow from recycling tires will be of little consolation to your sore back after ramming hundreds of wheelbarrows full of dirt into those endless radials.
Trust me, there is a wealth of information to be found in Michael Reynolds' Earthship series of books, but think carefully before you decide to build with alternative materials. Selling an "alternative" home can be very difficult: the type of family that would like to own a house made out of strawbales or car tires is also the type that would rather build it themselves.
You need to hit a happy medium between environmental idealism and common sense when choosing your home's building materials.
Building with concrete block or poured-in-place walls is tried and true commercial style construction, which saves money and produces a much more "conventional" structure.
Face the facts: resale values are lower and mortgages are a lot more difficult to get for homes made out of tires, bales of straw, cob, rammed earth or papercrete blocks.
A home and the land it sits on is a HUGE investment; recycled tires, papercrete, cob, rammed earth and strawbales can be a VERY tough sell!
The economic reality is that despite what we all wish, the $30 a square foot home is not worth much on the open market, so it's of little consequence that it was cheap to build.
HTM home designs typically entail concrete block walls.
This choice of material ensures a much better resale value by being a lot more "conventional" in the eyes of your banker and those pesky real estate agents.
Just how much an HTM costs to build is an elusive question.
The number of variables is staggering - kind of like asking how much does a car cost without knowing the make or model.
As a general note though, if you do most of the work yourself, $50 a square foot, or less, is certainly possible.
Embodied energy in the building materials is a growing philosophical concern for environmentalists worried about the impact of a particular design.
While it is true that poured-in-place concrete and concrete block walls may have higher initial embodied energy (energy it takes to mine, manufacture and ship the product) than other "alternative" building materials, you really must look at the big picture.
Embodied energy is a moot point when the finished house is more sustainable, has an indoor garden (not possible in a high-R design), is more comfortable and has a much healthier interior air environment because it is being vented more aggressively
Energy savings over the extremely long lifetime of a poured concrete or concrete block home more than make up for the initial embodied energy of the material being used.
We share a deep sense of environmental concern, but we don't let idealism and fuzzy figures cloud our judgment - step back a moment and examine all the factors with an unbiased eye.
Embodied energy statistics (like any fabricated number) should be taken with a grain of salt or at least actively debated over a tasty iceberg lettuce salad shipped cross-country in the middle of winter.
Take the long view and we trust you will agree with us that the embodied energy investment in a concrete home is well worth.
The most do-it-yourself friendly and economically sensible, wall building method we've found is concrete block dry-stacking, wherein you surface bond concrete masonary units ("CMU"s) for the home's walls.
Dry-stack (left click the link below for tech specs) is a high thermal mass construction technique wherein CMU walls are assembled without mortar (only the first course is bedded in grout to establish plumb and level for the wall).
These CMU blocks need not be of any special design; they don't interlock.
Please beware of clever marketing schemes selling trick dry stack blocks - common concrete block works just as good.
You simply stack the concrete blocks in a running bond pattern and then parge both sides with a single layer of fiber reinforced, surface bonding cement ("structural stucco").
Applied 1/8" thick (minimum) to both sides, surface bonding cements have strengths that are superior to conventionally mortared block walls and they look a lot better too (no grout lines)!
Understand that grout between blocks is NOT an adhesive - grout is simply a leveling agent and actually weakens a wall (notice where a block wall cracks - the grout line).
Grout between mortarted blocks is a weakness - it is only done to keep a wall plumb and level.
This easy to apply, water resistant, one coat structural stucco (surface bonding cement) comes in tintable white or gray, making a finish coat or painting optional.
It may help to think of surface bonding cement as a "fiberglass" reinforced coating - very strong and very waterproof.
The surface bonding cement's polyester fibers interlock to form a VERY strong wall.
Once your concrete block walls have been bonded, one hollow vertical core every four feet (or less, if specified by the engineer) is filled with ready-mix concrete and a #5 rebar for an exceptionally strong heat storage mass at a low cost.
Empty cores are normally filled with concrete, sand or other material for additional thermal mass - there is no good reason to leave cores empty or filled with insulation.
Please note that poured-in-place concrete walls are just as effective (when waterproofed properly), but your average person does not have the materials and skills needed to form up and pour concrete walls.
Dry stack block detail page: click here for surface bonding specs and photos
Worried about mold, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, fire and termites? When you compare dry stack block to other materials, remember the three little pigs!
Dry stack block walls are worlds stronger and much more durable than any stick framed or strawbale home.
In addition to being fireproof, surface bonded walls are waterproof and they resist air and sound penetration better than other types of construction materials.
Plus, the walls are absolutely termite and rot proof!
One coat application of surface bonding cement provides both structural strength and textured finish with integral color capability that can even eliminate the need for painting.
The economic strengths of dry laid block begin with the inherent properties of concrete block and the fact that block can be dry stacked 70% faster than laid in mortar.
Surface bonded cement block walls have greater flexural and racking strengths than conventional mortar construction, too!
HTM design counsultation packages are perfect for homeowner/builders because we include toll-free telephone, fax, and e-mail advice and links to help you before, during, and after construction.
The most economical route to owning a new home is to build it yourself.
Since HTM passive solar home designs require no prior drywall, bricklaying, framing or siding skills, the average person can build their own walls without the assistance of these expensive subcontractors.
Throughout design and construction, we are here to answer questions and offer creative advice.
Please note that solid, poured in place, concrete or mortared block walls are just as effective, but the cost of hiring contractors to build the forms, pour the walls, and then return to strip the forms can be prohibitively expensive for most people.
We are well versed in helping clients build in a very economical way, specializing in a "low-tech" approach which is both simple and effective.
We have experimented with a great many techniques and know all too well what doesn't work.
This knowledge is what sets us apart from the competition.
We are builders, not just architects with a theoretical "dream" and we're not some large, impersonal, mail order company either.
We are family owned and operated, taking great pride in offering a level of service our competitors simply cannot deliver.
We are here for you after the sale.
Here's a few sample solar home layouts: click here for several basic HTM floorplans
HTMs need to be custom adapted to function in your climate and on your property.
In colder locations, your HTM is orientated as close to true (not magnetic) south as possible (within 15 degrees is best) and the exterior walls are heavily insulated to allow retention of heat over the longer periods of winter conditions.
This exterior insulation typically entails attaching layers of extruded polystyrene (EPS - blue/pink board) styrofoam insulation and then covering it with stucco, stone, or siding.
In extreme climates (very hot or cold), the building can be earth-bermed to provide additional insulation and protection from the elements.
Our HTM passive solar home design can and will work anywhere!
The same basic principles that apply to storage of heat apply to storage of cooling capability.
Walk into one of the old Federal court buildings made out of soild granite blocks in the middle of a hot summer and you will know what we are talking about.
Modern details like perimeter "wing" insulation keep your home's entire heat-sink dry and at a consistent temperature.
The true beauty of an HTM passive solar home lies in its simplicity of form working with function: what a concept!
Please note that an HTM is not always bermed: buried into a hillside (walkout basement).
Underground house designs are always an option with an HTM, but most people opt for the conventional, above ground appearance.
The same choice applies to sloped glass, but bear in mind that vertical glass does not supply nearly as much solar gain.
TheNaturalHome.com's HTM design model is basically "adobe" architecture that has withstood the test of time because it works, simply and naturally.
We suggest substituting concrete block for adobe since block is more readily available throughout the country and are better suited to local building codes and engineering needs.
Once the first row is set in mortar on the footers, the walls take shape pretty fast since the rest of the blocks are dry-stacked (no mortar between the blocks).
Surface bonding cement is trowled onto both sides of the concrete block walls, tooled into various stucco textures, and often left as the one-coat, finished product on the inside (no drywall here).
Exterior walls are insulated and given a cosmetic coat of stucco, siding, or whatever treatment is necessary to allow an HTM to blend into its neighborhood.
If you want to use conventional mortared block walls or poured-in-place concrete, go right ahead, we're with you all the way.
It's just that dry stack is worlds easier for the unskilled homeowner-builder.
You don't have to have any experience with laying block to dry stack!
You can build any type of roof you wish, even truss, but logs have a very softening effect on rectangular structures.
A lot of attention has been given to our choice of log roof beams ("purlins").
Please note that you certianly can use dimensional lumber (beams) in your roof details if you wish.
The main advantages to log purlins are availability (raw logs are more often used for firewood) and cost (look into untreated telephone poles - ones which did not meet stringent specs are a good buy).
What you notice most with purlins after the home is finished is the way round logs greatly soften the angular, linear nature of an otherwise rectangular design.
HTM roof construction: click here for the log purlin and roof deck detail page
Greenhouse style, sloped glazing brings in the solar heat and plenty of free natural light with it. Ask any gardener, you just can't grow crops behind vertical glass!
Sloped glass gives an HTM sustainable design its unconventional look, but vertical glass simply does not produce as much solar heat gain.
It is one of the main function or fashion decisions you will be faced with.
Take plenty of time to carefully consider this all-important sustainable home heating decision.
Losing heat through the glass at night is of little concern when thermal mass is so BIG and your windows have been sloped to allow at least 30% more energy in.
And there is absolutely no need to use movable or expensive "specialty" glass either!
After all, the whole concept of Low-E glass is to keep energy out!
Let all the solar energy in you can - the excess gain will allow you to ventilate more agressively in the winter.
Fresh air in the middle of a long winter is a luxury without measure for your health and general welfare.
Too much south facing glass is a design problem for earthships, strawbale, and log homes because of their relatively low thermal masses.
Soil compacted into a tire (earthships) simply does not absorb and release heat fast enough to avoid uncomfortable temperature swings, and be assured that those "solar absorbent" floor tiles in your strawbale or log home won't help much when the structure itself fails to store any heat!
HTM passive solar home designs allow you to have LOTS of south facing glass for growing crops without the harmful temperature swings common in other types of construction.
Concrete walls are extremely fast to absorb excess solar gain and release it later, when needed to moderate indoor temperatures.
The enormous thermal mass under and around the home eventually "charges" over the course of the summer, allowing this stored energy to keep the home comfortable all winter.
Insulated drapes are a common addition in cold, cloudy winter climates, but keep in mind that even on a cloudy day your home gets some solar gain, otherwise it would be dark.
In hot climates, you cool your thermal mass by installing sun shade materials along the exposed glass front.
For details on creating a cooler micro-climate outside the home with a shaded trellis, take this link: shade cloth chapter.
Please note that wing shades (pictured below) are not as common as a standard overhead trellis with shade netting.
Details on sun screen trellis material: click here for our shade cloth & custom shade tarp page
Solar technology has dreamed up numerous "ingenious" methods to capture, store, and later release excess passive solar heat gain. Be careful - don't believe everything you read - some ideas can be toxic.
Concrete blocks laid on their sides under a floor (the Solar Slab by James Kachadorian), or rock beds with fans to blow out the stored heat are classic textbook examples of what does NOT work in the real world.
These concepts look great on paper and do manage to store some heat, but they all have one major drawback: the inability to access the heat storage areas for periodic cleaning.
Some pretty scary "things" tend to grow very well in such a nice warm, dark, moist environment.
A classic example of implementing another extremely poor ventilation concept is Annualized Geo-Solar ("AGS") by Don Stephens.
The AGS design is basically an HTM, but Annualized Geo-Solar suggests using the space between ceiling and roof to vent solar heated air around the home, which is just asking for problems.
Even if off-gassing from glues and building materials (fiberglass insulation, plywood and OSB board) was not an issue, the chance of mold and mildew is.
This air transfer cavity in the roof of an AGS design is impossible to clean.
Dirt, dust and insects will eventually build up, breeding mold and mildew, creating a toxic indoor air problem.
The only circumstances under which we would feel comfortable suggesting annualized geo solar would be when the entire AGS loop is closed (sealed against air leakage) and made from a non-organic material (galvanized metal or plastic pipe).
The AGS system would still not be able to be cleaned, but at least contaminated air leakage into home would be minimalized.
Yet another example of an exceedingly poor idea is Subterranean Heating and Cooling System - SHCS.
Subterranean Heating and Cooling System ("SHCS") is NOT an innovative approach to optimized solar greenhouse heating and cooling design.
Using this approach for phase-change heat exchange is a sure fire recipe for indoor air poisoning.
You can not clean four inch diameter corrugated, perforated, filter sock covered flexible polyethylene drainage tubing (commonly called ADS - Advanced Drainage System or "PE").
Mold, mildew and mice will eventually find a nice warm, moist home in corrugated pipe and you have no chance of removal.
Ventilation air being pulled through these Subterranean Heating and Cooling System ("SHCS") pipes will be tainted at best, toxic at worst.
We would never suggest SHCS for a greenhouse, let alone a residential home.
One very smart idea? The classic attached greenhouse has always been a wise option for any home of any construction style anywhere in the world.
Whether remodeling a 300 year old colonial or correcting a conventional passive solar home mistake, an attached greenhouse along the south side is a winning proposition.
A well insulated home "senses" outdoor temperature through the weakest points - doors and windows - and passive solar homes have a lot of glass.
By moderating the temperature immediately outside with an attached greenhouse you create a very favorable micro-climate next to glass/wall and your home does not experience such wide temperature swings (night/day and summer/winter).
Buffering with a second layer of glass (double frontface) naturally drops your solar gain potential in the winter months, thus lowering your ability to ventilate as aggressively, but it is often a good trade-off when you are dealing with a low thermal mass passive solar home having a tough time absorbing energy as it arrives.
The double frontface design is always an option - it just tends to ruin the view from inside the home.
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Interior water (and heat) storage with fiberglass tanks is a stylish option to the classic water in 55 gallon drum method.
click here for heat storage tube detail page |
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What is the most cost effective, ecologically sound, completely sustainable, easy to convert, non-electric, zero-energy, radiant passive solar design concept?
Socks.
The body senses heating/cooling needs at the ankles and wrists.
Rub an ice cube between your wrists in the desert and suddenly the heat stroke is 'gone' ... put on a pair of wool socks and miraculously you're not freezing to death in your LazyBoy.
In practice, this is why radiant in-floor heat tubing is so popular - it works.
Another solid idea is planning for return air. Earthtubing is simply thin wall PVC plastic pipe encircling your foundation, tempering fresh air as it naturally drafts inside the home.
Earthtubing functions as the "path of least resistance": earthtubes allow outside ventilation air to naturally temper as it flows along a series of plastic "sewer" pipes, warming or cooling as the season may require.
In homes that must have a dust\allergen-free environment, fresh ventilation air can be filtered and the sealed, smooth wall pipes periodically cleaned.
Try that trick with a rock storage bed or concrete block Solar Slab channels under a concrete floor!
Conventional homes are typically High R value and "airtight", so all of the heating and cooling effect is stored within the air temperature (convection).
If you let the air escape, you lose all your comfort.
High thermal mass building materials allow the heating and cooling effect to be stored within the home's walls and floor (radiant).
This allows you to vent the inside air of an HTM without "losing" all your heating or air conditioning comfort.
Fresh air is vital to the health of a home - that bears repeating ... fresh air equals healthy home.
That's why you can never have too much solar gain - you can always vent more in the winter and shade in the summer.
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Please note that earthtube technology is not geothermal heat pumping. Earthtubes are sustainable, non-electric, passive heating and cooling systems. Unlike geothermal heat pumps, earthtubes do not involve any exotic machinery or special type of pipe that we are trying to sell you. The technique is decidedly low-tech: cleaning, for instance, simply involves pulling a bleach or disinfectant solution soaked towel through the plastic pipes. Compared to rectangular metal heating and cooling ductwork, earthtubes are very easy to keep clean. Be careful with Earthtube details, though ... while architects are warming-up to the idea, they are making very elementary mistakes, like using large concrete (cement) pipe that is impossible to clean. The Adolo Leopold Legacy Center earthtubing details are a classic example of very poor design that relies entirely upon mechanical means to attempt to clean the air coming out of the tempering tubes. click here for Earthtube detail page |
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Passive solar cooling is a bit of an oxymoron, at best, but there is one sure fire method to cool in any climate with minimal energy.
The same in-floor radiant heating tubes used in every other house on the block can also be used for cooling.
Simply pump cold well water (or river water) through your system of "geothermal" pipes embedded in the slab.
The radiant cooling effect makes higher room air temperatures feel much, much cooler since your ankles are chilled by the cold water running through the concrete floor.
Sustainable rural homes often feature large cisterns, orchards, gardens and ponds, so there is always a use for the water - it isn't wasted energy or natural resources.
Lacking a purpose for the water you are pumping through the floor tubing, you can always send it back down into groundwater with a drywell leaching pit or pipe back into river.
Free air conditioning!
This passive radiant cooling effect is energy-free when diverting a small stream or spring.
Architects will hopefully "discover" these complex zero-energy secrets of mine ... and the world is more than welcome to it - keep it simple folks.
Low tech, passive solar heating and cooling techniques work, naturally.
The peace of mind you'll have in your own truly sustainable design is the hardest dividend to put a price tag on, but try.
HTMs are economically sensible, easily constructed, ecologically sensitive, healthy, natural homes that are not only energy efficient, but actually energy independent* (capable of storing heat and regulating the indoor environment without any expensive repair-prone, mechanical systems).
We are not merely talking about storing heat for a few days here, this is seasonal passive solar heat storage with no "moving parts".
HTMs are more than functional though, they "breathe" through their earthtubes and have a fresh, "living" presence which is a world apart from stuffy, confining, conventional housing.
Solar radiant heat is a very gentle source of warmth that is infinitely more comfortable than forced air.
The HTM pictured throughout this site, was tested at about 8600 foot elevation in a very nasty 10,000+ heating degree day climate:
degree-day explanation link.
The passive ability of an HTM to stay comfortably warm in the winter and cool in the summer, is easily managed in any climate.
Please note that extremes of climate or personal taste may necessitate climate control systems.
For example: 1) de-humidifiers are highly recommended for hot, humid areas and 2) Iceland, with 6 month long, dark winters is not the perfect spot for a passive solar home.
Insulated drapes are a common addition in cold, cloudy winter climates, but keep in mind that even on a cloudy day your home gets some solar gain, otherwise it would be dark.
In hot climates, you cool your thermal mass by installing sun shade materials along the exposed glass front (see next detail page).
Creating a cooler micro-climate outside the home with a shaded trellis is the ultimate low-tech passive solar cooling technique.
Tested at 8600 foot elevation in the Colorado Rockies: hot or cold, HTMs perform
Alternative building styles do not have to be "new".
We haven't "re-invented the wheel".
HTMs are more conventional commercial construction than "alternative".
What we have done though, is create a nice tight little package which solves a lot of sustainable design and basic architectural problems for you and your subcontractors.
One of the main difficulties with "alternative" housing has always been that "alternative" quickly translated into "new".
New to a subcontractor usually means expensive with lots of grumbling about difficult to find materials and unfamiliar construction details.
That's exactly why TheNaturalHome.com's HTM passive solar home consultation is custom applied with a PRACTICAL approach to make your job as general contractor a lot easier.
Residential (stick framing) construction typically entails wood framed walls which are drilled full of holes by the plumber and electrician and then covered with drywall.
Every contractor covers the previous one's mistakes until finally the trim carpenter comes in to make it all look, well, finished.
One of the largest construction savings that an HTM passive solar home affords is the ability to construct aesthetically pleasing, economical, heat storing, dry stack, concrete block walls with a crew of only one or more UNSKILLED laborers.
If you combine these construction savings with the continual energy dividend our passive solar home offers, you'll soon see why TheNaturalHome.com's consultation is such a great value for you AND the environment.
HTM house plans are less expensive to build than a conventional stick framed house because the average person can quickly master dry stack concrete block.
We would never dream of suggesting that someone who has never done any framing or drywalling attempt to build a conventional stick framed home.
These are skills that take lots of practice to become proficient at.
Dry stack concrete block is, however, relatively simple to master.
Once the walls are up, the roof is all that's left.
This is but one reason that an HTM will save you a lot of money versus conventional stick framing, but the real savings comes every month with your power bill and peace of mind.
What you wrap the outside of the house in has little or no bearing on function
stone, wood, straw, or aluminum siding to stucco: click here for exterior detail page
Technology is constantly evolving, but beware of high-tech answers to low-tech problems. Simple usually costs less, works better, and always lasts longer.
That's why HTMs are typically designed to be as simple and self-sustaining as possible.
Complicated mechanical heating and cooling systems are a burden on more than just your pocketbook.
Artificial temperature control systems directly affect the natural "feel" of a home.
Abundant sunlight and electricity-free, radiant, passive solar heat feels right, is easy to maintain, and allows an HTM to have smaller photovoltaic (PV), wind, and/or hydroelectric systems.
By the way, here is a priceless piece of advice - if you install photovoltaic panels, install them on a rack in the yard NEVER on your roof.
Roofs are made for protecting your house.
Drilling holes in your roof to attach solar panels is a bad idea and never trust a salesman who suggests it.
Plus, who wants to climb up on the roof to remove snow and ice?
With an adjustable rack in the yard, you can track the sun seasonally for more power AND avoid costly roofing repairs down the road.
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The most common earth home construction and design error is leaving a home's foundation uninsulated and the surrounding earth not waterproofed. Wet earth in contact with your foundation will act as a giant heat sink, constantly pulling energy away from the home. This single design error can be extremely costly in terms of losing heat or cooling potential. Believe me, there's a lot more to proper foundation design than just installing a French drain. Shallow footer design (frost-protected shallow foundations), such as this monolithic slab foundation design, are much improved with as little as two feet of perimeter wing insulation. |
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Interior planterbeds are a central element of our HTM earth home design.
Sloped glass is the only natural way to grow crops in the winter.
We have tomatoes producing inside this HTM twelve months of the year at an 8700 foot elevation in the Rockies!
Indoor planterbeds (heat storage) and the ability to grow crops year-round in extreme climates is the hallmark of our sustainable design.
The 2800 square footer pictured throughout this web site sets high atop the continental divide in Colorado and maintains comfortable year-round growing temperatures.
As a side note, fig trees are excellent plants for interior planterbeds.
They are insect resistant, prune and grow easily, and produce delicious specialty fruit year-round.
Interior planterbeds perform many functions besides being just a great hobby.
The staggering volume of wet earth in these planterbeds holds an amazing amount of heat!
This is the heart of high thermal mass housing: heat storage.
Please note that we have gone to above ground planterbeds (the one in this picture is below grade) to store even more heat in our newest designs.
Above grade planterbeds are much more economical to build and a lot easier to maintain from a kneeling postion or wheel chair.
Planterbeds are an important feature: click here for passive irrigation system detail page
With full floor to ceiling glass, the view is endless.
A key to winter function is allowing passive solar heat gain and natural light to penetrate deep into every room.
The front (south) 'hallway' combines with the planterbed to create a very open, airy feeling throughout an HTM.
While it is certainly possible to box-in an HTM to create smaller rooms, we suggest waiting until you are more familiar with the home.
Rooms can easily be divided after the home has been completed - additional interior partition walls would be non-bearing (framed, drapes, accordion walls and movable partitions are options).
The main thing to keep in mind is that the sustainable, energy independent nature of your passive solar heating and cooling "system" is affected by cutting the home up into smaller boxed-in rooms.
You are in effect turning the HTM design into a conventional home.
True, it will still function worlds better than any stick framed home, but it may need some supplimental energy to heat these interior rooms that passive solar energy has been prevented from entering directly.
Living area and kitchen functions are often shared by the front entry room.
The general lack of doorways and windows on three sides makes a basic HTM extremely adaptable to underground home and fully bermed layouts.
You are, of course, free to design your HTM completely above ground with doors and windows on all four exterior walls, but by concentrating all of the glass and entry/exits along the south wall, you simplify and speed construction.
This pragmatic approach saves a lot of time and plenty of money on building costs, while maximizing thermal mass and making it easier to create a more air tight, sustainable structure.
Middle stalls/bays are left open for use as dining room/office/recreation areas.
Wall treatments are not limited, but most clients do tend to avoid drywall.
Stucco, latex paint and natural plasters are the most common finish coats for surface bonding cement (dry stack construction).
Wood walls, like those shown here, add add a lot of warmth, balancing an otherwise linear, stone room.
Presenting all four design elements (Earth, Air, Fire & Water) in every area is optimal.
Floor treatments are the most varied of all building materials, and anything goes in an HTM, but form needs to follow function for the most sustainable design.
For instance, dark tile along the front hallway would absorb more solar gain and do it faster, but lighter colors (as shown) reflect more ambient light back into the home.
In most rooms, the immense amount of thermal mass allows you to choose carpet or hardwood floors with little drop in overall performance.
Bathrooms are the most under-utilized area in any home design.
Utility rooms, storage areas and bathrooms are typically arranged along the rear (north) wall with clerestory windows supplying plenty of natural light.
Larger bathrooms invite reflection and the Water element makes for a great meditation area (with or without a little waterfall).
When placed in the flow across back of home, bathrooms can serve multiple duties with a little extra space: laundry sorting, reading area, yoga mat, time out, massage chair, nursery/changing station or potted plant counter.
This room can become an active area, versus passive where the bathroom is more of a dead-end closet.
Master suites are typically an end room for the sake of privacy.
Concrete block is used for noise control walls along interstates ... it will work even better in your bedroom.
As with any design question, the answer is always yes, it is possible, but at what functional cost.
You need to define what you expect in order to get what you want out of anything.
Bedroom preferences are the most varied of any room: total dark and quiet, early riser with the sun in your eyes at dawn, late sleeper who likes fresh air, or perhaps someone who wanders to the bathroom too much in the dark?
Water tubes, glass block walls, drapes and moveable partitions can be installed for additional privacy and a door can always be added to the hallway.
These are all personal taste issues that are hashed out during the design stage.
We work closely with our clients to personalize floorplans and site layouts - they must agree with your lifestyle and family needs.
TheNaturalHome.com's years of sustainable design and earth home construction experience combines with the personal knowledge gained from living in HTMs, to offer you the finest in customer service.
We advertise prices on a great many sustainable design home systems throughout this site, all others are individually conceived, custom designed, and shipped directly from the manufacturer direct to your job site.
We have made a great many industry contacts over the years.
Save yourself A LOT of time and money by letting us do the research, make the calls, check the quality, and secure the best price for you on a great many sustainable design products.
This personal shopper service is available for a 15% sales commission, as part of every personal consultation package.
For instance, cistern tanks are a common addition to sustainable home designs, but beware of the pitfalls.
Without proper care, cisterns can be unhealthy - you must treat irrigation cisterns entirely different from household potable water storage tanks (cistern).
We suggest using white or yellow "virgin" poly tanks, not black, and always install manhole riser(s) to the surface for ease of inspection, cleaning, aerating, and filling.
Black plastic (HDPE high density polyethylene) tends to create a foul plastic smell & odd flavor to the water.
Black tanks tend to age more gracefully in direct sunlight, but they are not your first choice for a buried cistern tank.
Fiberglass is relatively brittle as it ages, making it susceptible to cracking from underground pressures - especially when empty.
Plus, the fiber and resin deteriorate eventually, releasing chemicals and particles into the tank water.
Concrete has the advantage of being the strongest when empty (a consideration with underground tanks), but would you drink out of a concrete cup and never wash it?
Lining the interior is key to keeping water fresh (no mold) and sealing the exterior preserves long-term structural integrity.
Always aerate your larger household use tanks or they will go "sour" and all the filtration in the world will not make it taste very potable.
Size your storage considering average rainfall, size of collection area, your personal needs, and availability of trucked-in replacement water.
Two inches of rain on a square foot of roof is one gallon of water.
With a 1600 square foot roof, that translates to 3200 gallon catchment with a four inch average rainfall per month.
Average domestic water usage is 50 gallons per person per day, with some conservation and minimal outdoor usage.
That example would require +/- 3600 gallons of cistern capacity or three 1200 gallon tanks (a common tank size that fits in a pickup truck bed).
One for potable water (aerated and filtered), one for household washing water, and one cistern tank for planterbed watering and backup to household tank, in case of drought.
Take extra care researching plans for your independent home design and supply systems - a sustainable structure makes homesteading and/or operating on alternative energy systems much easier.
Conventional architects and designers often know very little about rural living, let alone homesteading concerns and sustainable earth home style design in general.
We do not retail any photovoltaic PV systems or related electrical generation and storage systems (wind, water, etc), but we try to touch upon nearly everything else for our clients.
Referrals to local contractors, engineers, blueprinters, designers, consultants, architects, and material suppliers is not possible, sorry.
TheNaturalHome.com has been working for over twenty years educating building professionals and spreading basic HTM concepts to as many humans as possible.
High thermal mass, radiant heating and cooling design basics have the potential to massively reduce our carbon footprint.
Getting as many people as possible comfortable with HTM construction is very important to us and is our mission statement, if you will.
Our policy of not giving professional referrals helps spread this low-technology and protects us from negative personal experiences and mistaken impressions from errors made by another person.
To illustrate with a true story ... my best friend was having truck problems, so I referred him.
We have for many years taken our fleet vehicles to what I consider the finest mechanic in the area.
My friend Bob barely spoke to me for months as a result of that referral.
He (in his opinion) got "hosed" by our mechanic to the tune of $2000.
Our mechanic did us a special favor replacing Bob's blown motor, in two days time, with a hand-picked rebuilt engine.
Bob was unhappy, as was the mechanic I had to take out for dinner and drinks to calm down.
Block (mortared or surface bonded SBC) and poured-in-place concrete homes and businesses can be found in every town in the world.
That's what makes an HTM so economical and functionally sensible - the common commercial style of block or poured-in-place concrete construction.
Your local Quick Stop grocery/gas store was block built for the sake of economy, durabilty, low maintenance, and strength.
Add exterior insulation (for heating and cooling retention) and a coat of surface bonding cement (structural stucco) for waterproofing, strength and beauty, throw in a little passive solar design (maybe some shade cloth), and you have an HTM.
Any local contractor, engineer, architect, and blueprinter should be more than capable of working on the project - nothing really "alternative" about it other than passive sustainable function with design items like wing insulation.
You take what free solar gain there is available in your area (sloped glass supplies up to 30 percent more) and supplement the rest, just like any other home.
We trust this free eBook has been helpful.
Good luck with your project!
initial design consultation with packet $75*
Questions? Concerns? order an initial consultation to discuss your project
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$75* initial design consultation
After reviewing the material, we encourage you to drop us an email with your questions. Whether concerning HTMs specifically or passive solar in general, our initial consultation will address your concerns. |
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don't want any consultation? DVD only for $9*
we include a free copy of the website on CD, but no phone or email time
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$9* DVD only
One hour long video on universal DVD format |
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First half hour walks you through the sustainable design, HTM passive solar earthhome featured on our website. While not a How-To video, the second half does include detailed Infiltrator chamber leach field septic system installation and Sun-Mar composting toilet footage. |
in-house consultation and HTM home tour $495*
personal seminar and plan review - experience HTM comfort first-hand
We spend an entire afternoon giving your family a personal tour, viewing photos, examining blueprints, comparing construction, pointing out details, handling materials & tools, and answering your questions and concerns.
You are highly encouraged to bring photos, a detailed survey of your property, local codes, and floorplan ideas for review and consultation.
If you have a contractor, blueprinter, and/or engineer on board already for the project, they are welcome to attend with you.
Carefree indoor planterbeds create a very unique, open, airy, inviting feel - it's a healthy, natural atmosphere that only living with plants can generate.
This free eBook you are reading provides a great deal of information and images; a seminar/visit can really put it all into perspective.
Plus, we supply one free hour of follow-up consultation as part of the $495 package to help solidify your house plans after the seminar.
And discuss the possibility of retaining us for flat-fee, ongoing, personal whole-house consultation services.
Denver International Airport is a 90 mile straight-shot East of here on Interstate I-70, so the drive is civilized.
And there is plenty to see and do while you're here: Vail, Breckenridge, Keystone, Arapahoe Basin, Loveland, and Copper Mountain ski/golf resorts are all within a half hour drive of Silverthorne, Colorado.
Typically scheduled on Saturdays after ten o'clock, please email for an appointment date: natural@colorado.net
Please note that one of our primary concerns is for your privacy.
We never release client information to anyone for any reason.
This privacy policy extends to "are there any of your HTM homes in our area" requests.
TheNaturalHome.com has always promised never to subject a client to an invasion of privacy.
We trust you can appreciate the burden of unexpected telephone calls and drive-by visits from strangers.
HTM consultation, planning, and red-lining service
only available to select clients after personal in-house plan review
For twenty years, we have worked with homeowner/builders to create truly sustainable homes - not just energy efficient, but as very nearly zero-energy independent as humanly possible.
I stopped taking new clients last year to concentrate on expanding this free website eBook and developing it into a printed guide/textbook with more general/detailed information.
Truly, we expected conventional construction wisdom to evolve faster ... adapting to more pragmatic passive solar sustainable, healthy building technology.
It hasn't.
HTMs are more 'commercial' in nature than 'residential' or 'alternative', making for a much simpler, more cost-effective, durable, and functional home, but the details still seem to elude most clients, contractors, engineers, and inspectors (even with plans in hand).
My consultation service was originally intended to focus on the holistic/overall concept of HTM, not the "nuts and bolts" day-to-day construction methods, answering repeated questions about what type of screws to use, or caulk to purchase.
A "How to Build a House" book was never my ambition, but it will certainly allow us to consult more in-depth with clients on the big-picture.
Hopefully, we can get back to personalizing HTMs again sometime soon for the general public, not just designing them for clients.
As soon as we are sure of schedule and pricing, this website page will be updated with details.
We sincerely apologize for any incovenience, but a variety of factors makes predicting when impossible at the present time.
Until then, we will only be offering personal on-going consultation to select clients after an in-house seminar (as per above).
Sacrificing personal monetary gain over the years, our ultimate goal has always been to spread the HTM design concept to as many people and places as possible.
To realize that goal, we have always preferred to work with new architects, engineers, and blueprinters on every project.
As a result, we do not offer referrals to previously used professionals and would, unfortunately, not have any suggestions on who to approach for design work while I am on sabattical.
Any local contractor is more than capable of working on the project as there is absolutely nothing "alternative" about it really.
Poured-in-place, mortared block, or surface bonded homes and businesses are not unique; they can be found in every town in the world.
Common commercial construction details are what makes an HTM so economical and functionally sensible.
Your local 7-11 was slab-on-grade and block wall built with for the sake of economy, durability, low maintenance, and strength.
Add sloped glass for maximum solar gain, solid thermal mass walls, wing protected thermal ground contact, fully insulated exterior for energy retention, and shade cloth for cooling in the summer ... and voilà, you have an HTM.
With a project as large and complex as a new home, it's extremely easy to save more money than you spend on a good consultant.
Building a home is the greatest investment of time, energy, and money most of us will ever make.
Having an experienced ally give you a relatively unbiased answer to your questions is priceless.
For a one-time flat-fee (currently $2995), we work closely with clients on block layout and floorplan while consulting on every aspect of design and construction.
Over the years, we have invested a great deal of time and plenty of our own money in testing different building techniques and materials.
This experience shows in all aspects of our design consultation: function, economy, flow, ease of construction, natural lighting, personal and public space definition, accessibility, and etc.
After you have your blueprints drafted, we will carefully red-line them with notes, suggestions and corrections.
Hopefully, we can head off costly errors before they become a permanent part of your new home design.
Please note that our flat-fee consultation service has never included custom blueprinting, engineering or load calculations.
Custom drafting and structural engineering services are best supplied by locally licensed professionals.
Hire people familiar with your area's regulations who can physically visit the site to inspect soil and materials.
Passive solar, sustainable home designs have a great many details not common to conventional residential construction - that's where we come in.
After you sign up, we supply four sets of sample HTM blueprints to share with your drafter, contractor and/or engineer, along with in-depth construction study notes and sample building materials.
Should there be any questions along the way (and there will be plenty), we're here for you at 800-563-9720 and by e-mail: natural@colorado.net.
We'll normally respond with a sketch and/or a written answer within 24 hours (weekends, holidays and occasional vacations excluded).
If we don't have at least a couple of answers for your question, we'll do some research and get back with you as soon as possible.
New ideas and fresh perspective are always of interest to us.
Here is a short biography page: whoweare.htm, as way of personal introduction and our standard contract is online at: Terms of Service Agreement.
Three must-have passive solar heating & cooling books
along with one greywater recycling guide for your library
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buy all 3 books
$85* via Book Rate Mail
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All three of these wonderful reference texts are recommended for a complete understanding of passive heating and cooling, alternative building techniques, composting toilets and greywater recycling systems.
Buy all three for one low price:
free copy of the DVD Home Tour Video - $9 value |
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The Natural House
This 468 page paperback takes the reader on a tour of thirteen natural home building methods, including straw bale, rammed earth, cordwood, cob, adobe, earth-bags, papercrete, Earthships, stone, and log.
You'll learn how these homes are built, how much they cost, and the pros and cons of each.
Sustainable home components are discussed in detail with chapters devoted to passive solar heating, cooling, cisterns, greywater, composting, and septic systems.
A resource guide at the end of every chapter offers a wealth of information.
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$37* via free Book Rate Mail |
left click this secured server link button
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The Solar House
This 274 page paperback is an excellent reference even if the author does misspell my name!
While heat from sunlight and ventilation from breezes is free for the taking, few modern architects or builders really understand the principles involved.
Chiras sets the record straight on the vast potential for passive heating and cooling.
Acknowledging the good intentions of misguided solar designers in the past, he highlights certain egregious errors and shows how to avoid them.
In methodical detail he provides contemporary home builders with all of the necessary tools for successful solar design.
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$30* via free Book Rate Mail |
left click this secured server link button
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Create An Oasis with Greywater
The revised and 145 page greatly expanded fifth edition of Art Ludwig's heavily illustrated book outlines numerous basic greywater recycling systems and serves as an excellent primer for anyone interested in building their own "septic" system.
Discussions include greywater filtration, pumps, leach fields, plant selection, soils, and basic plumbing.
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buy all 3 books
$85* via Book Rate Mail
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All three of these wonderful reference texts are recommended for a complete understanding of passive heating and cooling, alternative building techniques, composting toilets and greywater recycling systems.
Buy all three for one low price:
free copy of the DVD Home Tour Video - $9 value |
Hot links to our main website chapters:
|Passive Solar Design|
|Shade Cloth|
|Gas Refrigerators|
|Stainless Steel Appliances|
|Solar Products|
|Septic Systems|
|Composting Toilets|
|Greywater Recycling|
|Drywell Kits|
|Site Map|
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Who's TheNaturalHome.com?
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Phone: 800-563-9720
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PRIVACY STATEMENT - We will never release your name, contact information or purchase history to anyone!
The use of this internet site and purchase of Architerra Enterprises, Inc. (d.b.a. TheNaturalHome.com) products and services are governed by this Terms of Service Agreement and Disclaimer.
By using this internet site, you acknowledge that you have read this Terms of Service Agreement and Disclaimer and that you accept and will be bound by the terms thereof.
Copyright © 1998 - 2007 by Architerra Enterprises, Inc. All rights are reserved, please.