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This sci-fi sounding term is ironically rooted firmly in the terra firma. An earthship is a passive solar building with thermal mass. It is "made from natural and recycled materials, including earth-rammed tires and aluminum cans." Powered by renewable energy and using rainwater for its water supply from rainwater, earthship refers to a "concept, not a set design, and can be adapted for any climate worldwide. It offers people the opportunity to build their own homes and make a conscious decision to live lightly on the earth."
Built to utilize the available local resources, like "windows on the sunny side admit light and heat, and the buildings are often horseshoe-shaped to maximize natural light and solar-gain during winter months. Likewise, the thick, dense outer walls provide effective insulation against summer heat. Internal, non-load-bearing walls are often made of a honeycomb of recycled cans joined by concrete and are referred to as tin can walls. These walls are usually thickly plastered with stucco." Adding energy efficiency is the heavily insulated roof.
"Completely off-grid," writes Kimberly D. Mok at TreeHugger.com, "the houses provide food from integrated greenhouses, water from the roofs, greywater recycling, electricity from windmills and solar panels and passive solar methods of heating and cooling ? an impressive feat of design that ultimately reconnects their inhabitants with the cycles and providence of nature."
Check out the entire earthship building process.
