A couple years ago
I was driving down the street in Albuquerque, New Mexico and two weird looking
structures caught my eye. After looking at them for a bit longer, I realized
they were homes. The layout was nothing like your typical house and was made
from all different kinds of materials. I was later informed these homes were
called “earth ships”, a greener way of living. Albuquerque is not the only location with these green
buildings and not one looks like another, each has its own unique style and layout.
Below is one of the two earth
ships I have physically seen.
Earth ships are
unusual but efficient homes. They come in many different shapes, sizes, and
materials. These houses are custom built and self-sustainable. Recycled and
natural materials are the main resources used to build each and every earth
ship. Almost like the Amish, earth ships are unconnected from any power lines
or running water. Choosing to live in one of these homes calls for a different
lifestyle, but makes a good footprint in the global environment.
An earth ship has
almost all the same luxuries as a regular home, but they function much more
differently. Water, electricity, and climate are three systems an earth ships maintains
individually. Water is used for many important reasons in a household and in
this case is obtained from nature. Water is caught in a container and used in
four ways: showers, dishes, sewage, and garden. Toilet water is separate from
the water used for dishes and showers. Dirty toilet water is used to water the
outside and clean water is recycled and reused for dishes and showers. Hot water is heated from sun and a back
up generator. Electricity is also produced from the sun and wind. Solar panels
and wind turbines or windmills are used to create the energy needed.
Although these
energy efficient homes are unique and interesting architectural wise, I would
not want to live in one. They seem like they require more maintenance and who
has time for that. Now days, we all love the instant gratitude of convenience
and with earth ships, you have to give to get.
Reynolds, J., 2012, Earthship Biotecture,http://earthship.com/
