Earthship

Earthship is a built-form and set of building practices conceived by Michael Reynolds to create low‑impact, off‑grid homes that use local and recycled materials, passive solar design, and simple construction so non‑specialists can build them. They follow six core design principles: building with repurposed materials (notably earth‑packed tires, cans and bottles), solar thermal heating and cooling using thick thermal‑mass walls and south‑facing glazing, electricity from photovoltaics and wind, roof‑harvested water stored in cisterns, on‑site sewage treatment and water recycling, and in‑house food production. Typical Earthships are horseshoe‑shaped to optimize winter solar gain, are heavily insulated on non‑sunny elevations, and are intended to maintain comfortable indoor temperatures year‑round while minimizing reliance on utilities. The approach originated in Taos, New Mexico, and has spread to small communities worldwide despite occasional regulatory resistance.

Construction uses rammed‑earth tires stacked like masonry, topped with recycled‑can or wooden bond beams and vigas for roof support; inner partition walls are often concrete‑rendered can‑walls. Tires are filled and tamped in pairs, producing very dense, fire‑resistant wall mass that can weigh several hundred pounds per unit; extra exterior insulation is added in cold climates. Water systems gravity‑feed filtered rainwater through a Water Organization Module for potable use, while graywater passes through planted botanical cells and peat filters before reuse for toilets and irrigation; blackwater undergoes anaerobic digestion. Solar panels and wind turbines store DC power in deep‑cycle batteries managed by a power module, enabling primarily self‑sufficient operation.