Earth-Children: More on Earthships

Source: greenheadmoss.org.uk

Source: http://www.greenhomebuilding.com/earthship.htm

Source: http://inspirationgreen.com/glassbottlewalls.html

Source: Wikipedia

Source: vector1media.com

What is an earthship?

An Earthship is an alternative method of building. An earthship is often created out of recycled materials such as tyres. Although it has become a type of passive solar house made of natural and recycled materials. Earthships also usually incorporate their own special natural ventilation

Earthships are now also formally designed and marketed by several companies such as Earthship Biotecture of Taos, New Mexico.

They are still generally made of earth-filled tyres and thermal mass construction naturally regulates indoor temperature. They also usually have their own special natural ventilation system.

Earthships are generally Off-the-grid homes, minimizing their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels.

Earthships are built to utilize the available local resources, especially energy from the sun. For example, windows on sun-facing walls admit lighting and heating, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. The thick, dense inner walls provide thermal mass that naturally regulates the interior temperature during both cold and hot outside temperatures.

Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco.

The roof of an Earthship is heavily insulated – often with earth or adobe – for added energy efficiency.

History

The Earthship, as it exists today, began to take shape in the 1970s.

Mike Reynolds, founder of Earthship Biotecture, a company that specializes in designing and building Earthships, wanted to create a home that would do three things; first, it would be sustainable architecture, using material indigenous to the entire planet as well as recycled materials wherever possible. Second, the homes would rely on natural energy sources and be independent from the “grid”, therefore being less susceptible to natural disasters and free from the electrical and water lines that Reynolds considered unsightly and wasteful. Finally, it would be economically feasible for the average person with no specialized construction skills to be able to create.