Ohio Earthship teaches sustainable living

 

Saturday, June 14, 2008

By Missy Harris

Inquirer Correspondent

 

 

Earthships have landed. The concept behind these environmentally-friendly, off-the-grid homes is astoundingly simple and works like so:

 

" Discarded tires are filled with tightly-packed dirt as they are stacked on top of one another to form the foundation (or  footprint more accurately) and the north wall of the house. Aside from keeping tires out of landfills, this method provides an incredibly sturdy, well-insulated wall which keeps the home s base temperature 58 degrees year-round. The walls are finished with stucco and are quite attractive, never showing their  trashy nature.

 

" Large windows on the southern side of the house exploit  passive solar heating. Earthships make the most of the heat that the sun provides by utilizing its greenhouse effects inside the house. A small wood stove for the cloudiest days of winter keeps a 1650 square foot home at a temperature of 70 degrees.

 

" Rainwater is collected from the roof in a cistern for filtration and use in the home. After use in sinks and the shower, drained, used water ( greywater ) is filtered through plants that grow under the south windows; this is like a mini-wetland. This filtered greywater is then used to fill the toilet tank. Used water from the toilet ( blackwater ) is channeled out of the house and into a solar septic tank and then on to leach beds for further breakdown by plants; this is like a mini-water treatment plant (without the chemicals).

 

" Wind turbines and/or solar panels can be used to provide electricity, completing the off-the-grid experience without sacrifice any of our  creature comforts.

 

Since architect Michael Reynolds pioneered this sustainable building technique in 1972, hundreds of these tire-and-earth structures have been built around the world. Reynolds and his crew have built homes ranging from palatial to avant-garde to humbly practical, and he has developed three subdivisions of Earthship homes in New Mexico. The film Garbage Warrior chronicles Reynolds experiences building Earthships over the last 35 years.

 

A growing number of people have adapted Rey-nolds early and evolving designs; this building meth-od is only showing signs of growing in popularity. The rise of the internet in the 1990s made self-education on the topic easily accessible. Methods of building that include all manner of recycled materials and best-use scenarios of nature have sprung up everywhere from the Third World to Vermont  to Ohio!

 

If you think that the Earthship design sounds too good to be true, too hard to do, or too out-there to be done anywhere like Galion think again! Blue Rock Station in Philo (close to Zanesville and the Muskingum River) is a working and educational example of the Earthship concept.

 

Owner/builders Jay and Annie Warmke (along with their granddaughter) began work on their home in 1996. Today, they have built not only their comfortable, environmentally-friendly home, but also outbuildings where they undertake further experiments in sustainable farming and building. Rare-breed chickens, llamas, and goats live and frolic in straw-bale constructions that use Earthship and sustainable principles. They have deviated from Rey-nolds original design, which was intended for the southwestern region of the U.S., as many Earthship builders have done in recent years.

 

The Warmkes provide tours and demonstrations at Blue Rock Station for schools, scouts, and other interested groups and individuals. Blue Rock Station and the beautiful countryside that surrounds it make for a peaceful day-trip alternative that won t break your gas budget for summer fun. The price for the tour is $5 for adults and $3 for children (Blue Rock Station is very kid-friendly), with a minimum group charge of $25. Times for tours must be arranged in advance (telephone 740-674-4300) and make sure you ask for directions!

 

An abundance of information about Blue Rock Station can be found at www.bluerockstation.com and all sorts of information about Earthships is all over the web (YouTube has some great instructional videos). To discuss Earth-ships and natural building methods, or ask questions about anything in this article, please feel free to email mrsmissyharris@ yahoo.com