Dear EarthTalk I've heard of extremely environmentally friendly homes and communities called "Earthships" popping up across the U.S. What are they exactly?
—Kelsey Kuehn, Kirtland, Ohio

An Earthship is a kind of passive solar home—or community of homes—typically made of natural and recycled materials such as old tires and recycled cans. Such homes make use of non-polluting renewable energy sources and smart design to meet most if not all heating, cooling and power needs. The term Earthship, coined by self-proclaimed “biotect” Mike Reynolds, is derived from the homes being in and of the Earth—that is, constructed responsibly out of earthen materials and built into the ground. It also refers to living in a ship, which requires inhabitants to be autonomous from outside help (such as a power grid).

The concept has spread well beyond from its roots in the desert surrounding Taos, New Mexico. Besides being the headquarters for Reynolds’ Earthship Biotecture business, the Taos area is also home to several Earthship communities which generate their own power without contributing to the atmosphere's growing carbon load and make use of local recycled materials to minimize resource use.

Construction materials in Earthship homes vary according to what particular recycled items are plentiful and useful in a given locale. The New Mexico versions usually consist of exterior walls made from earth-filled tires stacked like bricks and covered in stucco or adobe. These thick outer walls employ “thermal mass construction” to naturally regulate indoor temperatures. Wintertime heating is provided primarily by the Earthship’s layout and orientation, with windows on the sunny sides of the building letting in light and heat. A properly constructed Earthship can maintain a comfortable indoor air temperature with plentiful natural ventilation all year-round with little or no help from power-hungry heating or cooling equipment.

According to the website Greenhomebuilding.com, some other common features in Earthship homes include: curving interior walls fleshed out with recycled cans mortared together with concrete; rooftop water catchment; reuse of so-called gray water for landscaping irrigation and plumbing; composting toilets; and other cutting-edge eco-friendly techniques and technologies.

Earthship Biotecture makes available via its website several books and videos outlining different perspectives on the Earthship concept, as well as practical information on how to build one of your own. The website also provides a wealth of information on existing Earthships and helps those interested in the concept connect with one another via a global network of builders and enthusiasts. It is also a great place to find an existing Earthship home for sale or rent. The firm also offers internships with Michael Reynolds and other leading practitioners in the emerging discipline.

Earthships can be found in most U.S. states today, though New Mexico is the leader, followed closely by Colorado. Several have sprung up in England and France as well as in South Africa, among other countries. And with more and more governments tightening up their building codes to require increased energy efficiency and smarter use of resources, Earthships are bound to become even more popular.

CONTACTS: Earthship Biotecture, www.earthship.net; Greenhomebuilding.com, www.greenhomebuilding.com.

EarthTalk is produced by E/The Environmental Magazine. SEND YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL QUESTIONS TO: EarthTalk, P.O. Box 5098, Westport, CT 06881; earthtalk@emagazine.com. Read past columns at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalk/archives.php. EarthTalk is now a book! Details and order information at: www.emagazine.com/earthtalkbook.

4 Comments

1. 1. John_Toradze 12:42 AM 1/20/10

   Biggest problem with these is cost. I know some people who built this type of home and it is quite labor intensive and transport intensive (for things like tires and straw). Once built it isn't bad, but does require some maintenance.

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2. 2. suresh10in 11:12 PM 1/20/10

   I have developed a design for exterior walls to suit tropical climates,with my team at NIIST[CSIR],TRIVANDRUM,KERALA,INDIA ,using tiles laid flat one on one and bordered with a little mortar and finally mortatred together. The designs let in air but not water during lashing rains ,nor insects. It keeps the interiors cool during summer and with sun lighting hot during winters ,which are however not so cold ,either ,in these parts of the world.

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3. 3. lakota2012 10:41 AM 1/21/10

   John_Toradze:
   "Biggest problem with these is cost."
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   Nah....the biggest problem with alternative building is rules and regulations of the UBC, since local or state building departments must put their seal of approval on something they are not familiar with.
   
   
   "I know some people who built this type of home and it is quite labor intensive and transport intensive (for things like tires and straw)."
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   Nothing like passing along second-hand information, while interjecting your own opinion of their trials and tribulations. While I certainly agree alternative building is labor-intensive, part of the joy of building your own home is that YOU do the work yourself, which means "sweat equity" saving yourself contractor labor costs as well as material costs. This is one of the major reasons the alternative building sector has grown so much in the last few decades.
   
   As far as transportation costs, America has used tires everywhere, and now most places charge for disposal. What could be more beautiful, than to recycle used tires into a permanent structure instead of the local landfill. Straw bales on the other hand can require transportation costs, especially by buying more uniform and quality contolled bales made specifically for building structures. The best bales I've ever had the pleasure to use for building came from the Navajo Reservation, which were tight, uniform and very strong -- and the cost was reflected in a better product which also required less labor. This is no different than materials in a typical stick-framed home, since dimensional lumber has only gotten worse in recent years due to milling younger trees. Our old-growth forests have been gone for years, which is another reason why OSB is primarily used over plywood.
   
   
   "Once built it isn't bad, but does require some maintenance."
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   I challenge you to show me just one home that does not require maintenance. Even though Earthships are relatively new, I've seen 100-year old straw bale homes in great shape. The 50+ R-value of straw bale building is quite exceptional, and if the roof is insulated to those wall standards, very little heating and cooling is required, especially if passive solar is used on the south walls. Earthships on the other hand are just like adobe, and it is the thermal mass instead of insulation that keeps them warmer and cooler than conventional building methods, especially if built into a hillside or bermed.
   
   

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4. 4. detabb47 05:15 PM 7/27/10

   Do you need tires for your Earthship? Call 615-474-6583. We are in Gallatin, Tennessee, near Nashville. Take as many as you like.

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