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I am currently building a completely sustainable home in Kodaikanal India. This home is unique in part because it is made from earth rammed tyre walls. This type of home is called an Earthship, a term coined by Architect Michael Reynolds (USA), who was the creator of the Earthship concept some 20 years ago. I have been involved with Earthships since 2002. Earthship Brighton was the first project I was involved with, and was an award winning first for the UK. I have also spent some time training with Michael Reynolds and his team in Taos, New Mexico, USA. I am documenting this build as a personal diary as well as a useful resource for others who are doing a similar thing. I am building an authentic Earthship with all of the systems and components that allow sustainable living, off grid with all the comforts of a modern home.
The Earthship model is a holistic one, and so every Earthship must be planned and developed according to the local resources and climate. When planning and designing new builds, the basic Earthship model will stay the same. Differences will be related to things such as size, wall heights, orientation, natural cooling systems etc. The main factors that have to be considered are related to the surrounding ambient temperature, moisture levels, monthly rainfall, as well as many other factors. If you are thinking of creating your own Earthship then you will find it to be a very low skilled, relatively easy and cheap solution. You should always consult an Earthship specialist before performing any actual work, especially at the design stage.
Earthship Karuna is designed as a 37 foot roundhouse with tall 13 foot walls and part second floor mezzanine. The building is not bermed with soil since we are in a sub-tropical climate. It will be insulated around the exterior walls prior to final plastering. The roof will also be insulated with natural materials sourced locally. There will be extensive grey water treatment food producing planters within the building. Power will be derived primarily from a combination of solar power and hydroelectric power, with a generator as backup. I am building it in an organic farm/guest house that has existed in the mountains of Tamil Nadu since 15 years. The past three years has seen the development of the community side of the farm. Currently there are three new builds happening, with this being the first and only true Earthship in India.
This approach is well suited to different sectors of new housing. Whilst Earthships can lend themselves to self builds for poor communities, and to cheap self builds, it can also be adapted to luxurious living; and yet still being carbon balanced in the truest sense of the word. Going green doesn’t have to mean sacrificing your creature comforts if you don’t want to. It simply means, in this case, working in harmony with the planet, and local resources; and as a result yourself.
The site was leveled between May -November 2008 and tyre ramming began in Early January 2009.
This project is supported by C LEVEL.
Global Warming Solutions.
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