Maybe it's just me, but the industrial steel roof structure over the house is genuinely ugly. There is no integration between the house and this roof. The functional climatic solution could be done elegantly and in a more integrated way.
Another idea I've had: an A-frame house, with one side facing the sun, completely covered with solar panels. Angle of the A-frame would be based on the angle most efficient for PV panels. Angles could be asymmetric.
There's a lot of interesting work done there on sustainable buildings, and I think there are ideas there that can be applied in non-earthship buildings as well.
Eco-Shells can be put up very quickly, and are cheap and very strong. They're just a step away from a bomb shelter, actually. Fabric-covered geodesic domes are also cheap. (DIY)