Earthships: My Journey with this Sustainable Method of Home Construction

Almost six years ago, I did an internship for Earthship Biotechture, a company that specializes in building off-grid and sustainable homes using recycled materials.

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My mom had shown me the documentary “Garbage Warrior”, a film about Michael Reynolds’ journey to have his architectural vision realized against all odds. The film, which I highly recommend to anyone with the slightest interest in sustainable concepts, was a revelation for me.

Our homes can sustain us without relying on big oil or on the power grid and utility companies. This style of living is in line with not just environmentally-friendly concepts, but also embraces ideas of true independence, security, and freedom.

In November of 2011, I spent a month in Taos, New Mexico for my internship, and helped with the construction of a variety of homes. Though I did not see a project through from start to finish, I was able to learn about the various concepts and processes that go into an Earthship build. It was an invaluable experience and reaffirmed my belief that there is a better way to build a home. Here's me in front of 'The Hive', where interns and students are housed:

An unexpected hiatus

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After I finished my internship, I had plans to find a site to build. Of course, a major challenge was the financial component, which I lacked access to. My girlfriend Karley was finishing up college in a rural town in Michigan, and I made the decision to move back to be with her, ultimately putting my idea of building an Earthship-style home on hold.

This was an unfortunate hiccup in my quest to live in a sustainable structure, but sometimes life’s priorities override others. Upon her completion of school, we went on a six-month road trip around the United States, fulfilling one dream but also using it to scout out places we wanted to move to.

We decided on Denver, as we had a large network of friends that were already living there. In May of 2014, we made the move and have lived on the outskirts of the city since.

Though we’ve lived the city life, my dream of living in a sustainable structure is still alive

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Karley and I have visited the greater Earthship world three more times since my internship, and each subsequent visit has reminded us that living in a home that sustains life without external inputs makes sense on many levels. Here's me with my instructor Ron, an amazing guy who is one of the hardest working people I've met:

Ecologically, producing your own power through solar energy and heating and cooling your home through geothermal and passive-solar methods dramatically reduces your impact on the environment. Quite frankly, it’s baffling that modern homes don’t take advantage of the heating and cooling properties of the earth through a geothermal design.

These homes also harvest rain-water for all of the home's uses, and take advantage of grey-water systems to reuse water for toilets and planters in the home. Most models include a greenhouse in the front of the home, and these are watered using water from showering and water from sinks.

By building your home four feet into the earth, you stabilize the temperature of your home, as the earth’s temperature is around 58 degrees at that depth. This will help provide a heat source in the winter and a cooling source during summer months.

Combined with passive solar design, which utilizes the sun’s energy to heat up the home’s thermal mass capabilities, and houses do not need any outside source to provide a comfortable temperature for living. It is scary to think how the vast majority of homes are completely dependent upon a power grid that is susceptible to disruption from things such as natural disasters or cyber-terrorism.

Re-engaging the Earthship community

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Admittedly, my earthship hiatus has lasted longer than I anticipated. This is due to allowing other activities to get in the way. But my passion for this concept is still alive, and I am still committed to living in a sustainable structure in the future, whether it is an earthship or something similar.

As a result, I’ve recently begun seeking out people in my area who are in the process of building an earthship village near Colorado Springs. In fact, I just finished an interview with Sara Foster Berry, the project manager for Earthship Village Colorado.

I spoke with her about the challenges her community has faced, and what the process of getting the project off the ground has been like. Be on the lookout for a post in the near future about this topic.

My personal journey with earthships began six years ago, and though I have yet to build my own, I believe earthships and the concepts they are based around will be the future of home-building.

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