The Principles
- Thermal Mass: Thick walls of earth-packed tires keep temperatures stable year-round.
- Passive Solar: Large south-facing glass (in the Northern Hemisphere; adapted for SA) captures free heat.
- Water Harvesting: Rainwater collected from the roof, filtered for drinking, and greywater recycled for plants.
- Food Production: Integrated greenhouse grows food year-round.
- Renewable Energy: Solar and wind power for complete off-grid living.
- Recycled Materials: Tires, bottles, cans — turning waste into beautiful, durable homes.
Why Hout Bay?
The 22.3 hectare Overkloof property is the single largest remaining untouched piece of land in Hout Bay. North-facing, with views of Table Mountain’s forested slopes, cascading ravines, and the ocean — it already has four houses and infrastructure. Perfect for a model Earthship community that inspires the whole of South Africa and beyond.
Existing Earthships in South Africa
There have been early experiments — near Hermanus in the 1990s and projects in Orania and Cape Town townships using tyres and bottles. We want to bring professional, certified Earthship knowledge home and scale it beautifully on this mountain.
