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The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

Recently we talked about the Brutale House, spectacular and imposing.Now, in the same architectural line, we want to present an initiative that although revolutionary is not so new: the earthships .

What does it mean, what is it?

Literally means Earth Ship , and that is the concept that its creator, the American architect Michael Reynolds , wanted to convey: the house we inhabit must be our ship, and in that sense our house, according to his vision, must give us everything.And when we say everything , we mean EVERYTHING : water, electricity, food, heating and cooling...Is it possible? Of course, join us in this incredible walk.

Earthships: a total and self-sustaining concept

Michael Reynolds, tired of the conventional architectural concepts that “steal ”The resources to Earth, in 1978 he decided to abandon everything and go to New Mexico to experiment with new ideas.Yes, he came up with a model of ecological housing in which there was no need for expensive materials; On the contrary, any waste material was useful, from old tires to cans and plastic and glass bottles.Things we all have around us.

The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

Construction of the bases and walls with tires, bottles and cans

The idea was maturing through numerous experiments, until which crystallizes in futuristic designs that obtain solar and wind energy through photovoltaic panels and windmills, and a simple system for collecting and storing water and snow.They can be built anywhere in the world and with any climate, however extreme sea.

The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

Snow covered

“It's not that we go back to the 18th century, these houses must provide all the The modern comforts: washing machine, refrigerator, hot water, heating and cooling.They should give enough energy to computers, light bulbs and televisions, but that energy should not harm the planet or be an economic burden for the user.so that everyone wants to live in one ”.– Reynolds assures-.

These houses are usually semi buried, thus creating a internal microclimate .They have large windows throughout the south facade with solar panels and a network of batteries that accumulate energy.The north, east and west walls are built, as we said, semi buried, and have a thickness of almost a meter because they are built with rubbers.The ceilings have great insulation to avoid any leakage.

On the south facade, where the windows are, the space is used to create greenhouses, and depending on the size of the house, it can have up to three.

The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

In them you can grow vegetables and even bananas and other fruit trees, with some impressive yields.

The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

Indoor gardens in the greenhouses.And a sample of what can be cultivated

The entire water system is fed back: with a simple water and snow collection system (in countries where winter exists) the sinks, showers and water are fed kitchen; this "gray water" waters the plants in the greenhouses; the sewage goes to a biodigester, where they are purified and a compost is extracted that also serves to nourish the plants.

It also has a system to heat the water of the bath with solar energy and, sometimes and according to the designs, with copper pipes.

The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

All materials are natural: earth and straw on the walls (adobe or bahareque, which in Europe, as in America, Asia and Africa, has been widely used), treated wood with traditional products that do not pollute, earth paints, clay tiles, stone slabs...

The large windows of the greenhouses, the upper ventilation and lighting openings and the energy saving with light bulbs and appliances Low consumption help the sustainability of these houses.

Are there people living in earthships?

In New Mexico, there is a community called "The Great World" that occupies an area of ​​almost 20 hectares.All professionals of all kinds live there, who even work in Taos, which is about 5 minutes away.You can belong to this community and move there whenever you sign an agreement of coexistence.It is a place of great harmony in which, we imagine, there will be problems, but these neighbors have learned to let things flow.

The supercurious earthships houses: total self-sufficiency

But also There is a similar community in Ushuaia, Argentina. Earthship Biotecture is in charge of realizing housing projects and now you can find these wonderful houses in Canada, Argentina, Bolivia, Malawi and Sierra Leone, Australia, Cambodia, Guatemala, Haiti, China, Holland, India, Jamaica, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Philippines, Romania, Spain (Valencia), Sweden and, of course, the United States.

The houses are cheaper to build, they are comfortable, spacious and of original designs.If you are interested in contacting these visionary people and you decide to live creating less impact, you can visit them in this link.Also through Facebook.

We recommend our article on amazing architecture, if you like this topic.

Images: Duncan Kinney , Kyle Greenberg , Jenny Parkins, Annie&John

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