Earthships

We drove out one day across the mesa at Taos, crossing the high bridge over the Rio Grande gorge to arrive at the Earthships visitor center. Here we were given a tour of an earthship demonstration home, watched some instructional videos and took a few photos of some houses under construction.

Detail of wall construction.

Earthships are made (actually sculpted) from recycled materials, notably soda cans and used rubber tires mixed in with adobe (mud and straw) for stability and insulation. Through an ingenious system of solar panels, water recycling methods and heat-regulating thermal columns bored into the ground, earthships are practically self-sustaining and self-insulating in all climates.

The Earthships website provides relevant details and much technical information.