On the desert mesa of New Mexico, miles from the nearest town of Taos (pop. 5,700), Star-Wars-like shelters rise...On the desert mesa of New Mexico, miles from the nearest town of Taos (pop. 5,700), Star-Wars-like shelters rise from the earth, half-buried and covered in adobe. Called “Earthships” - brainchild of architect Mike Reynolds in the 1970s- they’re nearly completely self-sufficient homes: no electrical grid, no water lines, no sewer. The Greater World Earthship Community, about 70 passive solar homes built from earth and trash on 633 acres, had a rough start; they were shut down as an illegal subdivision in 1997 and it took them 7 years to come to compliance. Though today, the county fully cooperates with Reynolds and his Earthship Biotecture operation to turn trash (tires, cans, glass bottles) into shelters and has even given them 2 acres to experiment with housing in anyway they like (they also provide their recycling).More
This inspiring off-grid homesteading family lives in a renovated stone earthship. They grow their own food, collect...This inspiring off-grid homesteading family lives in a renovated stone earthship. They grow their own food, collect rainwater, use solar power, have composting toilets, and they have a pond that filters their grey water. On top of living an eco friendly lifestyle, they dedicate their work to important projects like urban gardening and promoting industrial hemp as "Hempbassadors."More
This mini earthship-style cabin is built with recycled tires and glass bottles, cob, and a gorgeous green roof. It's...This mini earthship-style cabin is built with recycled tires and glass bottles, cob, and a gorgeous green roof. It's a 1-room cabin so the bedroom, kitchen, and dining room are all in one open concept space. The bathroom is the only thing that is separate from the living area.More
In this video we meet Casey & Natasha, a conscious couple who built a passive solar home near Ottawa, Ontario,...In this video we meet Casey & Natasha, a conscious couple who built a passive solar home near Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. In addition to orienting their house to face south, they installed overhangs that block the sun to keep it cool during summer months and allow the sun to enter and heat the house during winter months. They also installed a 10 kW solar system that sells clean electricity back to the grid through Ontario's MicroFIT Program and the revenue helps cover their own utility bills.More
For The Verge and Curbed’s home of the future, renewable energy generation is directly integrated into the design of...For The Verge and Curbed’s home of the future, renewable energy generation is directly integrated into the design of the house. Grant Imahara experiences how the home of the future can both generate its own power and reduce how much energy it needsMore
