An Earthship is a passive solar home that is off the power grid and made of natural and recycled materials.

They originated in the 1970s, in Taos, New Mexico, created by architect Mike Reynolds, who refers to them as vessels, not houses.

An eco-conscious architect, Reynolds got inspired to make sustainable homes from upcycled trash and indigenous materials.

The results are some of the most beautiful, magical, organically flowing and uniquely sustainable homes on the planet.

It begins with digging in the dirt and ramming earth into old tires. Weighing up to 300 pounds and spanning almost three feet in diameter, the tires are load bearing and fire resistant.

Further construction includes recycling bottles and cans as “bricks,” stacked with cement to make walls. South-facing windows illuminate and heat an indoor greenhouse where food can grow in any climate.
The roofs are designed to catch rainwater and snow, and collect it in cisterns, then filter it for use. Wind and sun produce the electricity.

Earthship Biotecture builds these autonomous homes around the world. They’ve organized global, sustainable, poverty relief projects.

They have an educational component, Earthship Academy, and you can buy building plans online.
Earthships are an extraordinary way to live in an extraordinary home that honors and gives back to our earth, instead of harming it.

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