"Earthship Biotecture:" New Mexico Renegade’s Radical Sustainable Housing
invite response
2012 Oct 11, 6:06pm 1,389 views 3 comments
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curious2
2012 Oct 12, 8:12am
I think Michael Reynolds' recycled houses might complement the 3D printing idea:
3D printers may someday construct homes in less than a day
http://www.youtube.com/embed/JdbJP8Gxqog&feature=player_embedded
The combination suggests a future where people might live and work in modern buildings constructed efficiently near job centers, then retire to rural areas where they might live comfortably off the land. Either way, they should not need to overpay for obsolete sticks.
That's nice, this has been going on for decades (bottle/can/'cave' houses). In a continuing down economy unless they are also much cheaper (1/2 cost to build) than traditional housing it's at best a very tiny niche market.
curious2
2012 Oct 13, 9:08am
That's nice, this has been going on for decades (bottle/can/'cave' houses). In a continuing down economy unless they are also much cheaper (1/2 cost to build) than traditional housing it's at best a very tiny niche market.
They might combine to solve the cost problem. For example, the 3D printers use concrete made with plastic, which might conceivably be recycled from bottles, and they would reduce labor costs dramatically. The DIY bottle/cave houses use recycled tires (zero cost) and other cheap materials, and retirees have time to build their own. An issue with reducing costs is, habits become ingrained, and entrenched industries organize to oppose new competition.
"New Mexico residents are...creating more environmentally sound ways of living. At the forefront of this struggle is renegade architect Michael Reynolds, creator of radically sustainable living options through a process called "Earthship Biotecture." Reynolds’ solar homes are created from natural and recycled materials, including aluminum cans, plastic bottles and used tires. These off-the-grid homes minimize their reliance on public utilities and fossil fuels by harnessing their energy from the sun and wind turbines."
http://www.democracynow.org/2012/10/11/earthship_biotecture_renegade_new_mexico_architects
http://earthship.com/
#housing