Earthships are homes constructed primarily out of recycled materials, used car tires filled with rammed earth to form the exterior walls, and plastic water bottles and aluminum cans for the inside walls, both encased in plaster.
Originally designed by American architect Michael Reynolds in New Mexico, they can be adapted to build in any climate. Best of all, they are completely off the grid! With water catchment systems on the roof, and water filtering gardens lining the south-facing green house window the house produces virtually no waste.
They're easy to build and relatively affordable, each Earthship can be unique to its owner's liking, and there are a lot of beautiful photos of these homes out there on the internet. Check 'em out!
A major criticism of these is: What's the deal with rubber tire decomposition? The last thing anyone needs is a poisoned home from weird chemicals or fumes leeching into the walls...Also, they don't do much to solve the problem of urban sprawl.
Still cool, though!
