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EarthshipsA concept that uses local materials and reuses recourses that would otherwise be thrown away like tires and tin cans, a free resource that is often forgotten. On Kibbutz Lotan we reuse tires as a building material; our inspiration is directly from Michael Reynolds Earthship concept: see making benches and playgrounds from tires at Lotan.  Michael Reynolds and an Earthship home. Image courtesy of: http://earthship.net/ An Earthship is normally a building built from tires packed with earth, this builds thick, strong walls that act as thermal mass. They help regulate temperatures so it stays a comfortable temperature in the hot summer & cold winter.  Discarded tires are in abundance and are a great resource for building. Image courtesy of http://earthship.net/ The winter sun low in the sky passes through large glass windows to heat up the thermal mass in the walls & floor.  Windows slanted and facing the sun uses the greenhouse effect to warm the house. Image coutesty of: http://earthship.net/ The Earthship isn't just a structure built from earth packed tires but also incorporates other ecological technologies to help make a self sufficient house. The most important human needs are catered for: Food, Water & Electricity. Rainwater is collected from the roof into containers and used as needed for household needs. Electricity is made locally normally on the building. The electricity could be from Photo Voltaic solar panels or a wind turbine for example. Hot water is normally made from the suns energy with solar hot water panels/collectors. Inside the Earthships there are grey water recycling systems and often composting toilets. Resources:
Contact Lotan Center for Creative Ecology |
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