I am so happy that I’ve been asked to write down my experiences of Earthship Biotecture, and the events that came before and after my time working on an Earthship in India. It’s actually a journey of self-discovery, but also of what Sustainability means to me in practical terms.
I’m going to share my story over a few posts, as I’m currently renovating a house in preparation for my first child’s arrival in October, and time is sacred right now. Plus my girlfriend is full of hormones and I still want to stay alive and in one piece. 😂
Earthships, What Are They Really?
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Earthships are a form of housing architecture that uses passive-solar (sun radiation) for heating and thermal mass from the earth as insulation. It’s a principle that plays on the law of thermodynamics and heat transfer. Earthships also use ecological designs where needed. The whole house works for the occupants to assist in every aspect of home-life, instead of the occupants working for the house. From rainwater harvesting and filtering, grey-water recycling, black water cleaning, to energy production, indoor gardens, heating systems and more.
Alongside that, the lead architect Mike Reynolds and the first core group of builders designed this house to be built largely out of recycled waste material: mainly, used car tyres. Car tyres provide the basic building block (like bricks) for the Earthship. When filled with a soil and cement mix, they are not only earthquake resistant, but they become very efficient thermal storage devices, providing heating to the house for free.
How My Eyes Opened to This Subject
Back in 2009, I had to make 1 of 3 decisions: Become a professional musician, go to University or go travelling. It was at that time one of the hardest decisions I had to make, although, life itself helped me make the decision anyway. The band kicked me out, the university course in music and philosophy wasn't quite interesting enough. So, I decided to go travelling (like I had another option).
I wanted to go away for a long time. This was a big thing for me. I hadn't travelled alone before for more than 2 weeks. It was tough, deciding where to travelling to and be comfortable away for 6 months! During that time I listened to a lot of psychedelic dub and electronic music with friends; O.T.T, Shpongle, Younger Brother and other divine musical artists. (Click the track below ).
It was, however, through O.T.T’s music that gave me these visions of India; I cannot fully explain it, other than that the mountains in India were alive singing with the ancestors of the Indian people. When I closed my eyes, I could smell the Indian spices, see the smiles on the faces of the people in the streets and, hear the traffic.
It was like a ‘calling’ for me to go to India. I had to go!
I had just broken out of a very destructive relationship, I felt directionless yet free as a bird.
By that time I was already interested in architecture and sustainability; architecture from my father and sustainability from my friends at that time (my tribe). This tribe were key in influencing me at a Super Adobe building workshop at Coed Hills Rural Art Space in Wales in 2009, which was organised by my housemate (at the time) Maria Nutt. I learnt first hand about earth-architecture, natural renders, edible wild plants and Permaculture.
(Permaculture means permanent culture. Its foundation is Peoplecare, Earthcare, Fairshare). The people at the course gave me a sense of family that went far beyond skin and bones. I owe a lot to these people, they taught me patience and humbleness.
Here are a few photos from then.
After the course in Wales and on the very day that I booked my tickets for India, I made a search online to see what events and courses I could get involved with during my time there. I came across Alex Leeor’s (@eco-alex) message to ‘Help Build an Earthship in India’, A self-sufficient home.
I signed up! Most incredibly, I found that the only Earthship in the UK (at the time) was in my town, Brighton. I had to go visit it! It was pure coincidence. But I took it as an unavoidable sign!
I was so impressed by what I saw in Earthship Brighton's design that I felt like I wanted to own one straight away and that replying to Alex’s email was a good thing. I was so happy when I got a response from him. It felt like I was onto something meaningful.
Look out for my next post in a couple of days folks! I will be sharing my experiences in India, what I got up to when I returned to the UK, and my first low-carbon and ecological building project, plus where my journey has taken me since 2009.
Such an awesome journey!!
I look forward ro hearing the rest!!
And congratz on an upcoming baby birth....sing and talk to them now, they can hear you!! :-D
Peace!!
Dude, I take great inspiration from that, singing and talking to them now. It's a big thing, having a child and I can't wait.
Thanks @em3! Looking forward to sharing the rest of my Earthship inspired experience.
Awesome!
I love sustainable building and especially earthen and or trash building!
I hope to see more and more people excited about and actually doing it!
I will follow you now to keep in touch. You can thank @eco-alex a I found this post due to his posts on the eco train.
SteemON!
Good post. Will follow for tips on my own earthsip.
Wow you are currently building an Earthship! Where are you based and how far into the project are you.
Thanks @n1kofi I am happy this has helped.
My project is still in the design phase. I am a construction engineer and a bit of a perfectionist so it might take a while. Some locations we have looked in south Italy but there are many options! All I know for sure is that the location needs to be somewhere warm :)
Nice. I like all this earthship posts here and sometimes I feel a bit tempted to get involved in building one. But since, being a bricklayer, I have done quite some construction work in my life myself, though more on the conventional side, I know about the hardships of physical labor and maybe just keep reading about it.
It can be very labour intensive building an Earthship, especially filling the tires. I'd like to combine other building techniques with the Earthship model that removes the tyres but retains thermodynamics and heat transfer from the structure itself. I have previously worked with Iliona Outram Khalili and the Super Adobe movement, and I think there could be something useful to a combination of the techniques, with less physical labour.
EARTHBAG! all the way.. good to do a few layers of tyres and then eartjhbag it and do the roof whilst you are at it.. they need to be round to do the roof with earthbags.. but WOW.. so nice, and SO cheap compared to a normal roof
Those old tyres though make me cringe, I would not want them in a house.
And the use of cement is putting me of a bit. But apart from those two things earthships seem to be great. What I also like is loadbearing strawbale construction (which is not allowed in Germany).
There are five loadbearing strawbalehouses in germany. But no more permissions have been given out, so far. No reasons. Even the one by Bill Steens design in Wangelin hasn't got a roof yet. Althought the construction engineer gave it a thumb up.
lol.. if u saw it you wouldnt cringe.. becuase you cant see them, or feel them.. They make up maybe 0.1% of the mass of the house.. and are entombed in a mud wall..
There is hardly any cement in this Earhthsip.. none in the tyres, and just 10% on the final half inch thick top coat.. this is also optional but with the heavy monsoons i wanted low maintenance..
these traditional brick layer skills really help to finish an earthship nicely!
Oh, @mrfunkymonk what a deeply amazing story. Seems to me you are really on an inspiring multi-level mission. I also really love those sounds - were you involved, I wonder? I'll certainly be following your posts (and congratulations on the imminent baby!).
Thanks @healingherb. What do you mean, was I involved with which thing?
I meant the music, @mrfunkymonk - I loved it almost as much as the earthship photos. You said you'd been a music person.....I wondered whether you'd been involved in the making of that track somehow....?
I wish I could say that I was involved in the production. However I was involved in the audience at O.T.T's performances :-)
Lucky you - thanks because I'd never heard of them and am going to have a nice long listening binge as I steem this morning....)
I am happy that this has inspired you to take some time to look into Earthships, or at most the subject of self-sufficiency.
Lovely story! so happy to have been a part of inspiring you! We had so many amazing people turn up to help .. i think more than a few hundred by the end of it.. Glad to have stayed connected and look forward to reading the next installment!
Cheers Alex the feeling is mutual. I'm looking forward to writing the next instalments. Plus I'm looking forward to reading your future Earthship posts. 16 years is quite a journey. I can imagine so many influential detours have led you to where you are now.
Great story. Looking forward to your next post. And good luck with the renovation.
Thanks amigo..Building hidden LED lightboxes as we speak. No rest day here :-)
Great post mate, we both share a common thread in our life stories and that's falling in love with earthships. I have visited the Brighton earthship too and took great inspiration from it. Oh and Congratulation on soon becoming a father :)
I think Earthship Brighton has had a profound effect on many. It was one of the first in Europe. Thanks @hassenmzali!
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