Difference between revisions of "Earthships"

Latest revision as of 18:47, 5 July 2012

Earthships

Headquarters in Taos, New Mexico

Introduction

With population explosion, climate change, and our dwindling resources; it is as important as ever to focus on sustainable housing design. That is what Michael Reynolds has set out to accomplish over the last forty years. He has developed thru trial and error housing plans which are completely self-sufficient. These homes produce their own electricity, create their own heating and cooling, capture and harvest their own water, maintain their own sewage treatment, have food production, and are made entirely of recycled materials. Earthships could be the answer to some of our looming problems. These homes are affordable, long lasting and popping up all over the world.

Orientation

Michael has run into some legality throughout his career, but has still remained successful thru determination. He has adapted and continues to be successful at what he does because he can see the larger picture, the opportunity for everyone to live a carbon neutral lifestyle while preserving our planet for future generations.

Organization

After Michael graduated from college in 1969, he was on a mission to build sustainable housing. He started this movement all by himself and eventually got his friends involved. From there it just took off, and people from all over the country and eventually the world were coming to Taos to marvel at the earthships. Today they offer classes to individuals who wish to learn how to build earthships, and also sell building plans of successful home designs.

Engagement

This intelligent form of building has striked the interest of all kinds, especially those living in underdeveloped countries without many natural resources. Michael and his gang have been to Spain, India, England, Guatemala, Scotland and this year will be building in Africa. They are teaching locals how to build sustainability, which hopefully will take off like a wild fire all around the world.

Intelligence

Earthships are an example of carbon neutral living and innovation. Michael has been thinking civically intelligent when designing these fully sustainable homes. He has helped save trees, preserves valuable water, and has helped keep fossil fuels out of the atmosphere. If more people were to think more civically intelligent we would be able to hopefully reverse global warming and save the planet we live on.

Products and Projects

Michael continues to spread the word of sustainable living while traveling to other country’s to educate others. He has been able to dedicate land in New Mexico for further testing and discoveries in sustainable living, and continues to be a figure of inspiration for those hoping to lessen their carbon footprint. Michael has started a school for Earthship Biotecture, where individuals can earn a degree in Earthship design.

Resources

There is a website where you can purchase books and different information pertaining to building and maintaining an earthship. You can visit their website at http://earthship.org/ to obtain more information.

Conclusion

As we continue to strip our natural resources it is important to teach the principles of sustainability to our future generations. This can be achieved by leading thru example and encouraging everyone to do their part in preserving resources. As we continue to learn more about systems, it is evident that an earthship is a system. It will house us, keep us warm in the winter, and keep us cool in the summer, supply our water and sewer and food. We as a species will need more sustainable options available to us as in the future we will not have many other options. As Michael Reynolds said “housing must return to the group of the individual”.

Five identifiable patterns

The Good Life (3) The individuals who can see the potential in Earthships are hoping for a better life. There is a shared vision of what the world could look like, as well what it takes to get to that point.

Social Responsibility (8) As a collective, we have the responsibility to preserve our planet for future generations. As individuals, we need to work together responsibly to fix the problems that we face today.

Dematerialization (18) Earthships are built with recycled material; tires, plastic and glass bottles, cans and any other miscellaneous products they can find at the local garbage dump. Michael Reynolds is focusing his building strategy in repurposing our man-made materials so they can once again be used.

Sustainable Design (22) With biotecture, we can create sustainable homes while putting no impact on the planet.

Earth’s Vital Signs (26) Thru sustainable housing systems we can limit the amount of pollution we are putting on our planet. We are better apt to recognize the earths health when we are not contributing to its destruction.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ==Earthships==
-=Taos, New Mexico=
+==Headquarters in Taos, New Mexico==
-=Analysis=
+===Introduction===
-These homes are in a subdivision west of town, where every home is off the grid and catches their own rainwater. There are no utilities out here – no power lines, no wells, no gas lines – the homes have propane tanks for cooking with, they use solar or wind energy to power the entire house, from the water filtration system to the television set, and every drop of water in the house is from the cisterns that are part of the home’s design. There is even internet access from a WAN network from the earthship offices. You can use electricity and take showers just like you do at home. You are not hooked into any city utilities, but it doesn’t feel any different than at home. What a great feeling that must be to have no bills!
-The reason that they can be off grid without worrying about things like heat in the winter is because earthships use thermal mass to store and retain heat from the sun all day. The heat comes back into the house at night, keeping the temperature inside the home at around 65 even in the dead of winter – without heat.
+With population explosion, climate change, and our dwindling resources; it is as important as ever to focus on sustainable housing design. That is what Michael Reynolds has set out to accomplish over the last forty years. He has developed thru trial and error housing plans which are completely self-sufficient. These homes produce their own electricity, create their own heating and cooling, capture and harvest their own water, maintain their own sewage treatment, have food production, and are made entirely of recycled materials. Earthships could be the answer to some of our looming problems. These homes are affordable, long lasting and popping up all over the world.
-The windows are situated to take full advantage of the winter sun, which is low in the sky and can penetrate all the way to the back of the home, hitting the thermal wall. In the summer, the sun is higher in the sky and only comes in the windows a few feet – enough to hit the interior planters. This keeps it cool in the summer, without AC, as the cool earth temp stays constant even if it is hot outside. There is a planting bed inside the house that allows you to grow herbs, flowers, bananas – anything you want.
+===Orientation===
-The back and side walls are made from old tires packed full of dirt and covered with adobe plaster, and are buried about 4 feet into the earth, where the earth’s core temp stays the same day and night in all seasons.
+Michael has run into some legality throughout his career, but has still remained successful thru determination. He has adapted and continues to be successful at what he does because he can see the larger picture, the opportunity for everyone to live a carbon neutral lifestyle while preserving our planet for future generations.
-As for how you can make 3,000 gallon cisterns last as long as they need to out there in the desert, the water in earthships is actually used 4 times. First off, the water is caught in the cisterns coming off the roof, and the fresh water is filtered heavily and used conventionally for showering and drinking water. That really is the only time that “new” water is ever used in the house, which makes total sense. Once you use it for drinking or showering, the water gets filtered again naturally inside the interior planters (called botanical cells) and sent back to be used in the toilet – after all, why use fresh clean “virgin” water just to flush a toilet? Once the toilet is flushed, the water is sent outside the home, where the liquid is used to fertilize the outdoor planting area and the solids are put into a conventional septic tank. And no, the house doesn’t stink, the water doesn’t taste funny, and everything works just like a normal house – you wouldn’t even know the difference unless someone told you. It is quite amazing.
-=Conclusion=
+===Organization===
-These homes make so much sense today, with water and energy shortages, groundwater and river pollution, and wasteful homes being built all over the world. Using tires and dirt to make exterior walls, bottles and cans and mud to make interior walls, and a small amount of wood to frame out the windows and doors, the houses have not only a minimal impact on housing supplies, but also has a tiny footprint on the earth itself – water from the sky, energy from the wind or sun, and a self-enclosed and maintained sewage treatment plant.
-=Patterns=
+After Michael graduated from college in 1969, he was on a mission to build sustainable housing. He started this movement all by himself and eventually got his friends involved. From there it just took off, and people from all over the country and eventually the world were coming to Taos to marvel at the earthships. Today they offer classes to individuals who wish to learn how to build earthships, and also sell building plans of successful home designs.
-I believe "The Good Life" is a good example of what these individuals are seeking out to achieve. They want to live the good life, while doing as little as possible impact to the planet as possible. The individuals in this community are promoting a share vision of the way we could be living, while also promoting sustainably. Another pattern I see in this group is "Dematerialization". The materials used to build the homes are all recycled or from the earth directly (dirt). There is nothing wasted, and it keeps more garbage out of the landfills. "Sustainable Design" is also a pattern seen clearly here. These homes are sustainable, and are using the earths physical resources, material cycles, and biological processes to make a structurally sound domain.
+===Engagement===
+This intelligent form of building has striked the interest of all kinds, especially those living in underdeveloped countries without many natural resources. Michael and his gang have been to Spain, India, England, Guatemala, Scotland and this year will be building in Africa. They are teaching locals how to build sustainability, which hopefully will take off like a wild fire all around the world.
+===Intelligence===
+Earthships are an example of carbon neutral living and innovation. Michael has been thinking civically intelligent when designing these fully sustainable homes. He has helped save trees, preserves valuable water, and has helped keep fossil fuels out of the atmosphere. If more people were to think more civically intelligent we would be able to hopefully reverse global warming and save the planet we live on.
+===Products and Projects===
+Michael continues to spread the word of sustainable living while traveling to other country’s to educate others. He has been able to dedicate land in New Mexico for further testing and discoveries in sustainable living, and continues to be a figure of inspiration for those hoping to lessen their carbon footprint. Michael has started a school for Earthship Biotecture, where individuals can earn a degree in Earthship design.
+===Resources===
+There is a website where you can purchase books and different information pertaining to building and maintaining an earthship. You can visit their website at http://earthship.org/ to obtain more information.
+===Conclusion===
+As we continue to strip our natural resources it is important to teach the principles of sustainability to our future generations. This can be achieved by leading thru example and encouraging everyone to do their part in preserving resources. As we continue to learn more about systems, it is evident that an earthship is a system. It will house us, keep us warm in the winter, and keep us cool in the summer, supply our water and sewer and food. We as a species will need more sustainable options available to us as in the future we will not have many other options.  As Michael Reynolds said “housing must return to the group of the individual”.
+===Five identifiable patterns===
+The Good Life (3)
+The individuals who can see the potential in Earthships are hoping for a better life. There is a shared vision of what the world could look like, as well what it takes to get to that point.
+Social Responsibility (8)
+As a collective, we have the responsibility to preserve our planet for future generations. As individuals, we need to work together responsibly to fix the problems that we face today.
+Dematerialization (18)
+Earthships are built with recycled material; tires, plastic and glass bottles, cans and any other miscellaneous products they can find at the local garbage dump. Michael Reynolds is focusing his building strategy in repurposing our man-made materials so they can once again be used.
+Sustainable Design (22)
+With biotecture, we can create sustainable homes while putting no impact on the planet.
+Earth’s Vital Signs (26)
+Thru sustainable housing systems we can limit the amount of pollution we are putting on our planet. We are better apt to recognize the earths health when we are not contributing to its destruction.
+[[Category:Case Study]]