Max Altschuler
ENVD 3115
Professor Marcel S. de Lange
December 8, 2013

Earthship Design, Materials, and Sustainability

Earthship design is a movement initiated by Michael Reynolds. Earthship Biotecture is a method of architecture and design that incorporates recycled materials, earthen materials, and renewable energy sources into a sustainable and self-sufficient home. The purpose of this according to Michael Reynolds it to achieve energy independence, sustainable housing, and relieve the burdens of stress on the environment from conventional building methods while keeping cost minimal. Utilizing waste and earthen materials, Michael was able to construct comfortable living, beautiful architectural design, and self-sufficiency with sustainable technologies. In achieving low cost construction methods, as little as $20 a square foot, a new way of living can be imagined in which utilities, mortgages, and sustenance cost are reduced. This reduction in expenses provide for the availability of greater opportunities due to decreased economic constraints, but furthermore provides a cost effective and sustainable method for supplying homes for those stricken with poverty. The purpose of this writing is to discus some of the materials and methods required and the various components that work together to create a dynamic self-sufficient home. The first concept discussed is the principle of thermal mass to maintain a constant temperature. Houses are built with south facing walls, typically glass, providing the energy from the sun required to heat the dense walls. These walls begin to emit heat once temperatures drop. During the summer time a combination of proper ventilation and moisture resistant roofs layered with soil and native plant life provided necessary summer shade. The density of the rammed earth tire walls provided enough mass in the structure