Welcome to Earthship Landing

In 1969, Michael Reynolds had an idea: houses that provide all the necessities for people living in them. Quite a novelty, I know.

The basic premise of Reynolds' idea is a structure that heats and cools itself with a combination of rammed-earth construction and passive solar heating. Over the years, he has incorporated many other modules into the overall earthship concept: potable roofing that enables an earthship to capture its own water; indoor wetlands and biocells that treat the water and allow graywater to be reused for flora (a source of food year-round) and flushing the toilet; and solar panels and wind turbines that provide for all of the energy needs of the home. As a bonus, they cost about as much as a normal house to build--potentially less, if you're willing to pound the tires yourself--but because earthships , as they are called, provide all their own utilities, they have minimal to zero utility bills.

Today, 39 years later, the earthship community has grown from one architect and his crew to hundreds of homeowners in all different climates all over the world. From Saskatchewan to Negril, Jamaica, earthships have been adapted for people to live in comfortably.

My purpose in writing this blog is manifold. First, I want to keep track of the many earthship projects going on around the world. Second, I'd like this to be a place where I can keep a list of the innovations I'd like to incorporate into my earthship when I build it, which means that, secondary to earthships, this will be a green building technology blog. Third, I hope that people who find this blog will look at the many sites I'll provide links to and see just how adaptable, sustainable, and workable these buildings are.

Here's to the future.

~ Watchtower