Sustainable Architecture: Setting Sail In An Ecological 'Earthship'

"Could sustainable architecture address pollution, climate change and resource depletion by helping us build self-sufficient, off-grid, housing from "waste", including vehicle tires and metal drinks containers?"

Architect, Michael Reynolds of Taos, New Mexico, has experimented with radical house designs, and construction techniques over the past three and half decades to design an energy-efficient home using "natural building" methods. These houses, which Reynolds calls "Earthships" are essentially independent of external utilities and waste disposal. In addition, they provide shelter for many decades, possibly even centuries, regardless of what happens to the infrastructure that is essential to the operation of a typical home in the developed world by incorporating passive heating and cooling, water catchment and sewage treatment, renewable energy, and even food production. In result of these "earthships" allowing precious resources to be used more efficiently, effectively and durably has resulted in greater financial independence for the owner-occupiers of his houses.

However, because they rely on a technological society for the production of the vehicle tires and aluminum can bricks from which they are constructed and the high-tech components such as solar panels, electronics, pumps, tanks, glass and cement that allow them to go off-grid, "earthships" are still locked into potentially unsustainable systems. Also, this high-tech equipment is very costly.

These new housing designs are yet another envirnomentally sustainable invention to help better our depleted environment. Although these "earthships" contrsuctions are not very economically idealistic as of now, but in the long run these structures will help to keep our earth's natural resources plentiful for others uses and instead of being wasted. I think with some economic refiniment in prices and more easily accessible building materials these "earthships" will be a great improvement to our earth.

By, Alyssa Grigg

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091013105631.htm