Life in harmony with the outside world, our planet, is no longer a distant fantasy. It comes closer and closer to being real. And one of the tendencies that allows this fantasy to become a reality is the homes of the Earthship brand. It is an eco-friendly, self-sustaining home designed to adapt perfectly to the environment.
These houses are built with natural and recycled materials. They are also "resource passive", they do not depend on conventional infrastructure and do not consume the resources of our planet.
The history of "Earthship"
In 1978, Michael Reynolds, an architect, designed this type of house, using recyclable waste to create a self-sufficient and sustainable home.
The Earthship prototypes were developed by experimenting with different design forms, materials, and construction methods. However, later it turned out that during construction it is possible to work with natural materials.
Currently, the company Earthship Biotecture of Taos (EBT) in New Mexico, led by Michael Reynolds, develops this particular type of housing.
Natural adaptability
Earthship houses are constructed to function autonomously. Although they are built from so-called "junk" materials, but today, this "junk" has finally become the center of attention. It addresses the question regarding recycling and reusing these materials and giving them a "second life".
EBT gives the second life to materials such as glass bottles, cans, earth, straw, adobe, and old tires. Thermal mass is used to create a naturally controlled temperature inside the building.
Each element can be recycled, and there is no need to use excess non-renewable resources for its operation.
The Earthship project has revolutionized the construction of houses, especially because they can be adapted to any conditions, climate, and landscape. Similar projects have already been exported to other parts of the world and implemented successfully. Since the standard structure of these facilities can be changed according to the needs of potential residents.
Six Key Elements of a Harmonious Life
As mentioned, the specific selection of building materials is one of the main factors that contribute significantly to the creation of these eco-houses. Along with the architectural plan and the final design of buildings, last but not least, are six essential elements that EBT considers fundamental to a balanced and harmonious life.
- The first and the most important is food. This is achieved by planting gardens next to each house, considering the architecture and the surrounding landscape.
- The second is energy and its sustainable generation in an environmentally friendly and safe manner.
- The third is access to clean water. Earthship has several special filtering systems for that.
- The fourth is space connected to the house construction as a whole. And this goes hand in hand with the fifth point.
- The fifth is waste disposal. This residential unit allows you to get rid of organic waste (for example, for cultivating land for gardens) and reuse inorganic waste.
- Sixth is waste cleaning. It is carried out by a powerful filtration and recycling system.