The Comforts of

Earth & Home

Visionary architect Michael Reynolds takes
us behind the scenes at his decades-long
experiment in sophisticated off-the-grid living
BY CYNTHIA J. DRAKE m PHOTOGRAPHS BY GERAINT SMITH

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 Earthship Visitors Center

I
t’s a chilly 30-degree November day in northern New
Blueprint for the Future
Mexico. One moment, I’m trudging through the snow, and
Though the blueprints have evolved, Reynolds’ vision has
the next I’m inside an unusual structure tucked into the
remained essentially the same: to repurpose “trash” in beautiful
side of a berm, where the toasty warm air prompts me to
and imaginative ways for home construction—colorful glass-
shed my coat. Unlike most homes, however, this one doesn’t
bottle walls and dirt-filled tires for insulation, for example.
have a heating system. I’m simply experiencing one of the key
Artistic flourishes like towering spires, colorful domes, and
features of a fully self-sustainable Earthship.
bubbled walls and ceilings give Earthships a futuristic feel.
I’ve come to this unorthodox community— located about 14
Earthships also produce their own electricity and heat through
miles northwest of Taos—to meet its visionary creator, Michael
a combination of solar power and insulation, and use self-
Reynolds, and to learn what kind of a future he envisions for
contained water and wastewater management systems.
the place. The 640-acre Greater World Earthship Community is
Reynolds holds to 6 principles of design that reflect what
believed to be the country’s “largest off-grid, legal subdivision.”
he says serve basic human necessities: comfortable shelter,
Reynolds still oversees much of the daily operations of the proj-
food, water, sewage treatment, garbage treatment, and renew-
ect, which he first conceived as a young architect in the 1970s.
able energy. Each Earthship incorporates passive heating
The community now includes 85 homes, but it’s far from
and cooling with solar and thermal dynamics; solar- or
finished. In fact, an additional 45 are expected to be built over
wind-generated electricity; water harvesting from rain and
the next 2 decades with the help of graduates of the Earthship
snowmelt; construction that makes use of “trash” and recycled
Biotecture Academy, a hands-on, 4-week program at the com-
material; on-site sewage treatment; and food production.
munity. Students are trained in Earthship design principles,
construction methods, and philosophy.
“I have an army in every part of the world,” Reynolds says. “But
I’ve got land here. I’ve got resources here. We’re doing it here.”
Diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer a couple of years ago,
Reynolds, 77, continues to forge a path forward. He’s produced a
series of YouTube videos titled “Earthships and Cancer,” in which
he reflects on his diagnosis and the health of humans and the
planet. He says that despite skepticism from the architecture
community over the past 50 years, he remains committed to his
belief that Earthships hold the key to liberating people from their
reliance on homes powered by fossil fuels. His battle to build the
experimental community outside of traditional restrictions was
chronicled in the 2007 documentary Garbage Warrior.
“In the future, due to the vulnerability, cost, and utter devas-
tation that the grid causes the planet, people are going to be
looking elsewhere for their utilities,” Reynolds says. “I intend to
Michael Reynolds
give them a reasonably easy pathway toward a different form of
utilities, and that is what we’re calling the Earthships concept.” MORE

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Climate Challenges There are many elements that make Earthships sustainable, Water recycling. Clean water is used
Severe weather events in recent years underscore the need to
look for new solutions, Reynolds says. The energy grid in Texas,
as seen in the visitors center, homes, and greenhouses. for the showers and bathroom sinks,
then flows into the greenhouses
for instance, has been strained during times of extreme tem- for watering. Gray water is used for
perature fluctuation. flushing the toilets.
“I hope that people will come around to new ideas for sus-
tainable housing before they’re forced to,” Reynolds says. “I’d like
to see that happen, so that we’re starting to slowly go toward a
better way of living on this planet.”
To tackle the challenge of heating and cooling, Earthships
employ the principle of thermal mass construction. Think of
the way a thermos keeps beverages hot, Reynolds says. That’s
Greenhouse. Hibiscus and
essentially the principle at work in his designs. For walls, old
tropical fruits like bananas
tires (which the world has in abundance) are tightly packed with
thrive in greenhouses, which
dirt, stacked like massive bricks, and plastered with cement or
receive plentiful sunlight and
adobe. This “thermal wrap” can be 6 feet thick.
consistent levels of moisture
South-facing greenhouse walls capture plentiful desert
from household gray water.
sunshine and keep the house warm. In summer, cooling tubes
running through the berm are opened to move cool air from
underground into and through the house. Though this system
doesn’t deliver quite the same chill as air-conditioning, Earthship Solar panels. The south-facing, roof-covering
residents say they stay quite comfortable throughout the year. solar panels capture lots of desert sun to keep the
In addition to keeping houses warm or cool, the tire walls pro- houses warm.
vide protection: They can withstand the impact of a dump truck
plowing into them, Reynolds says. Such strength makes these
homes ideal for places that are prone to earthquakes, typhoons,
hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Over the years, Reynolds
and students from his Earthship academy have traveled to the
Philippines, Haiti, Honduras, India, and other vulnerable coun-
tries, where they’ve engaged locals in building Earthships, thus
creating sustainable communities across the globe. Solar energy. The kitchens have spacious cabinets and
One of New Mexico’s major climate-related challenges relates countertops. Full-size refrigerators and other appliances
to water shortages. In Taos, rainfall and snowmelt may add up run on solar energy.
to only 7 inches per year. Earthships have a rooftop catchment Glass bottles. Sunlight casts its rays through the blue,
system to collect this water and filter it for household use. “Gray green, and amber bottles, making the walls appear to
water” (from the shower and washing machine) gets reused glow. Each bottle is cut in half, then cemented in.
4 times, including in the Earthships’ self-watering greenhouses.
“Black water” (from the toilet and kitchen sink) goes through from $400,000 to $700,000; 2 Earthships on the market at press
a separate, conventional septic tank and is used to water the time were listed for $900,000 and $1.75 million. Reynolds says
landscape. savings on utilities make the homes significantly more econom-
ical over time, but he concedes that they are pricey and says

Reality Check he’s working on a lease option to make them more affordable.
While Earthships may not land in a neighborhood near you Rammed-earth tire walls. Old tires are tightly packed
Critics point out that different climates pose unique challenges
anytime soon, one thing cannot be denied: “Being here is quite with dirt, stacked like massive bricks, and plastered with
to Earthships. Designs that work in the New Mexico desert might
magical,” says Lauren Anderson, director of the Biotecture acad- cement or adobe to create mass and insulation.
not work elsewhere, though Reynolds has adapted them to suit
emy. After serving in the Peace Corps, she moved to the com-
other climates. And not all models are completely Earth-friendly:
munity and built her own Earthship. She says the movement
Most include lines for nonrenewable natural gas or propane for
has taken off beyond Taos: “This has spread beyond us at this
cooking, and some older models include wood-burning fire-
point, past Michael. People come and do the program [through How to Visit
places, which aren’t carbon neutral. The standard Earthship
the academy] and then go do their thing without us.” Self-guided tours of the community are available from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily and cost $8. Guided tours
model also poses challenges for people who need assistance
are offered on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 2 p.m. for $20 per person and include tours of Earthship student
with mobility—bathrooms, in particular, may not be accessible
housing. Private tours are $100 per hour for up to 4 people (additional guests, $25) and must be booked at least 2 weeks in
for people who cannot stand or walk.
advance. A few models are available to rent for overnight stays (2-night minimum); email [email protected] or call
Despite using large amounts of natural and discarded materi- CYNTHIA J. DRAKE is an Austin, Texas–based writer and an (575) 751-0462. Rates start at $155 per night.
als, the homes are also not inexpensive: Most new homes range ardent reduce/reuse/recycle enthusiast.

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