Earthship Headquarters

EDIT: Click on any picture to see a larger version.

EDIT2: Added the missing links to New Mexico budget documents.


I've spent some time thinking on how best to present my thoughts on Earthship Headquarters. In this case, it was a lot of addition by subtraction. I've got a lot of thoughts and feelings about this, but somehow, it didn't feel appropriate to include them here. I've got them all written down, though, for inclusion somewhere else if an appropriate place presents itself. I trust you all won't mind too much that it took a while to sort this out. Thank you for your patience.

When we arrived, I tried to rein in expectations. The only thing I knew for certain was that I'd be seeing a working example of what we were setting out to build. Beyond that, I wanted to remain open to anything, taking the time and effort to see everything as it unfolded, sure that the details would drive home the reality. Imagination is a useful tool, but it's limited.

To the left is the current Earthship Headquarters. To the right is a new structure still being built:



This is the new Earthship Headquarters, still under construction. We were told that the state of New Mexico had allocated money to fund the new building. We have since found support for that online. We have it from two sources, here (page 61), and here (page 14), that New Mexico has provided $300,000 for the cause. This kind of support lends a lot of legitimacy to the project. We were also told that Earthship Biotecture has worked out plans with New Mexico to build a new state visitor's center. Momentum is building:



Our initial shelter will look something like this:





Welcome, indeed:



The little dots in the walls are glass bottles. Bottles and cans are used throughout the structure in non-load-bearing walls as well as for decorative purposes. When used in a wall, the cans and bottles are filler. They offer structure, but the main purpose is to reduce the amount of material required to build the walls:




This is the walkway leading to the front door:




Bottle bottoms are left exposed as a decorative feature, and not as a necessity. Some homes didn't seem to use this particular asthetic feature as much. I enjoyed the flip covers for the light switches and outlet:





1. This is the first of the large planters in the house:




2. A note about the skylight and its purpose:

The living room. In the movie, "Garbage Warrior," Michael Reynolds states that though his earthship has a fireplace, he and his wife use it once a year on Christmas. Point being that it's a nice touch, but not at all necessary to keeping the home warm:



There is an incredible amount of information available. We absorbed, made notes, and took a lot of pictures. All of the books for sale are available to browse. There are also some that are not for sale. We are grateful for the access, and out of respect for the effort, not all of our pictures will be posted online. Here, Redline is looking at various earthship styles:



The sink next to the entryway planter. The model is a fully functional earthship. All systems are in working order, available for use:




4. Scupper/Silt Catch:




Wooden ceiling and track lighting:



Cutaway drawing of a greywater planter:



5. The indoor cistern is fed by a water collection system on the roof. Water trickles down the waterfall and adds a pleasant touch to the indoor garden setting:





7. The Pressure Tank, "pressurizes water for conventional household use."




8. A look at the Power Organizing Module, which "organizes and distributes AC and DC power collected from solar panels."



Deep-cycle batteries used to store electricity:




The unfinished wall allows viewers to see the inside of the wall.

There's no pretense about the place. It is what it is and visitors are allowed to see everything, warts and all. This isn't a sales job. Earthship HQ shows what's possible and provides a lot of the information an aspiring builder would need to know:



The bathroom. Again, everything works:




10. Low Flush Toilet. Looks a lot like a regular toilet:




11. The Can and Cement Bathtub, "is free form, using cans laid like bricks in white cement." Nowadays, electrical and plumbing is framed in. I'd hate to see the damage that repairs would require on an older design like this one. However, this earthship has required no repairs during its 15 years:





A little bit of decoration:



The second of the large greywater planters:




Interior Wall:





The back door:



T-shirts:



An example of a bit of flair in the wall. Also, a method no longer used in ceilings:



Sturdy cement floor:



Blinds used to regulate sunlight. If you want it warmer, open the blinds. Cooler, close them:




A look back toward the front door:

Back door, exterior:



Cans and cement to finish a tire wall:



An adjacent structure under construction:





Front view of the same adjacent structure:



Profile view of an adjacent earthship:



Bottle wall planters:



Rooftop receivers:



Wind turbine and skylights:



Front-ish view of Earthship HQ:



Earthship HQ solar panels:



A closer look at the adjacent structure:





A before and after comparison:




The new Eartship Headquarters building:







Unfinished tire/bottle wall:




Some privately-owned earthships off in the distance. These don't seem to have as much exposed bottle detail:







Fresh water delivery on the way:




A look at the roof of Earthship HQ. Water rolls down the roof and into the opening above the waterfall before entering the cistern:





Another look at the privately owned earthships. Neat how much they blend into their surroundings:




Rolling through Taos. Truth is, I was exactly as close as I appear:



- CheeZ