March 2016

I worked as an intern at the Earthship Biotecture in Taos, New Mexico. I was working as part of a team of International interns, I helped build a radically sustainable Earthship.

Earthships are off the grid houses (harvest their own energy, water and food), and they are made primarily from recycled waste (tyres, cans and glass bottles). This was an invaluable experience that increased knowledge and passion for sustainable design and off the grid living. I also got amazing exposure to innovative, resourceful thinkers and makers. Please see the link for my account of the internship.

An exterior made entirely from tin cans

A page from Micheal Reynolds book ‘Comfort’.

Internal wall made from empty glass bottles

A turret made from cans.

A finished earthship. Windows are slanted at 60′ in order to maximise solar gain.

Internal corridor acts as a greenhouse for fresh produce.

Shower room made from adobe plaster

the construction process was powered entirely by solar energy

How internal planters within earthships work

Internal planters made from recycled plastic buckets.

pounding tyres – filling them with earth to create thermal mass. I porcupined the tyres to ensure the adobe mixture fixed to the tyre.