Michael Reynolds, Earthships

Ilya Pentenrieder
Blog Entry

I decided to do this assignment on Michael Reynolds, he is an amazing “green” architect from New Mexico. He designs houses and buildings called Earthships, these are buildings made out of all recycled materials. The walls are made from materials that store heat, such as stone, dirt-filled tires and adobe blocks; and a natural ventilation system. These factors work together with the natural temperature of the ground, and with the sun and the seasons, to heat and cool the house without ever requiring air conditioning or heating.

Right after graduating from architect school he left what he called a wasteful building. In 1971 he started collecting all tossed out beer cans and made a beer can home. He made a total of sixty of these homes, and perfected them so that they were sustainable homes.

His latest invention was the Earthship, which is made to sustain a family of four. Earthships are designed so that the house has many layers and stays at a constant 72 degrees Fahrenheit. This makes it an environment where you can grow your own fruits and vegetables. All the appliances in the Earthship are powered by a solar power system. Therefore Michael Reynolds estimates that the electric bill for a four bedroom, six thousand square foot home with high-speed Internet would be $100 per year.

Reynolds has a strong opinion on architects in the present day. He believes that they are all caught up in their lives, and uppity about their designs when all they are doing is screwing up the world. Reynolds can appreciate modern architecture on an art level, but what good is that if there is a flood coming? "I could try and make them look like conventional houses, but why take a Porsche and make it look like a covered wagon?" Reynolds deploys another nautical analogy: "It feels like I'm crossing the Atlantic on a boat and people have been washed overboard. I'm throwing them a life preserver, and they're rejecting it because it's supposed to be white and I've got a green one."
- Michael Reynolds, CNN News-January 25,2008.

Earthships have proved their viability in the American desert and the Sussex countryside, but if they are to be a credible alternative to conventional housing, Reynolds will have to make them work in cities. In order for this to be made possible Reynolds would have to be given a piece of city land to tear down and use all the recyclable materials to build a community of new Earthships that are sustainable for city life and weather.

I think that Michael Reynolds has proven to many American people and people all around the world that living a sustainable lifestyle is possible, and quite simpler then people thought. The Earthship is one of the best inventions yet in my eyes, and I hope that someday we can all look at this genius idea and take advantage of living wonderful sustainable lifestyle.