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Featured Outlaw: Michael Reynolds
Published
12 years agoon
Posted By
Outlaw PartnersBy Tyler Allen Explorebigsky.com Staff Writer
Twenty-five years ago, Michael Reynolds assembled progressive architectural prototypes into one seminal idea: Earthships.
Integrating solar, wind, thermal mass, rainwater harvest, gray water recycling and indoor food production, the Taos, New Mexico-based architect builds homes from re-purposed garbage. The exterior shell and interior walls are made from used tires pounded full of dirt, glass bottles and cans, stacked and mortared together with mud.
“I don’t call anything garbage,” Reynolds says. “We can use anything for building materials.”
The structures are off the grid, and off the map of conventional home construction, which is why the county tried to shut down his Greater World Earthship Community test site.
Even a seven-year permitting battle with Taos County and an exhausting effort in the New Mexico legislature to pass a new sustainable building act couldn’t break Reynolds’ resolve. In 2007, he returned to his life’s work: changing the world one house at a time.
His company Earthship Biotecture, given notoriety by the documentary Garbage Warrior, has built more than 1,000 of these buildings, while do-it-yourselfers have built another 1,000. Taos has been the training ground, though Reynolds has built Earthships from Illinois to Vermont, Canada to Haiti, and France to Australia; as well as on islands in the Indian Ocean stricken by the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami.
Monte Koch lives in an Earthship northeast of Big Timber, Montana. “I’m not a huge global warming environmentalist,” he says. “But the efficiency and economics make sense. If you take care of this house, it will take care of you.”
It’s so well insulated, Koch can’t even hear the notorious Shields Valley wind that rips over the barren steppe east of the Crazy Mountains. During winter storms, he uses a giant squeegee to keep snow from piling up on his giant south-facing windows.
“This deal isn’t for everyone,” Koch says. “But everyone can learn from it.”
The Earth’s mass stores heat – about 48 degrees below the frost line in Big Timber – which is conducted by the mass of the building. That means it only requires enough energy to raise the indoor temperature 15 to 20 degrees to a comfortable living climate.
The south-facing glass wall of Koch’s house filters light into an 80-foot-long living space that is bright and warm, even by the rear, tire-filled wall. Glass bottles in the interior walls refract ambient light, while the aluminum cans reflect it, bouncing sunlight throughout the rooms. Orange trees, dwarf giant bananas, parsley, pepper plants and concord grapes grow in his greenhouse. In addition to producing food, they filter the gray water created by daily living, which is then drained into a treatment and containment system for later use.
Reynolds believes these homes can be built anywhere on Earth humans live. In the next year, he’ll bring Earthships to Guatemala, Tierra del Fuego, Sweden and mid-town Manhattan.
“It keeps getting more and more exciting,” he says. “We’re building in more strange places around the globe and looking for more challenges.”
Find more at earthship.com
The Outlaw Partners is a creative marketing, media and events company based in Big Sky, Montana.
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
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August 12 (Monday) 6:00 pm - October 21 (Monday) 6:00 pm
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Hike Big Sky is a FREE guided hike for our community and visitors alike. A different trail will be featured each Monday at 9 a.m. Visit BSCO.org for trail description
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Hike Big Sky is a FREE guided hike for our community and visitors alike. A different trail will be featured each Monday at 9 a.m. Visit BSCO.org for trail description information. Please wear layers, bring water and snacks. Bear spray recommended.
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August 19 (Monday) 9:00 am - October 21 (Monday) 12:00 pm
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Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by
Event Details
Bike Big Sky is a FREE community mountain biking group with BSCO and Gallatin Alpine Sports. Meet at posted locations at 6 p.m. Monday evenings. Visit BSCO.org or swing by GAS for ride information.
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August 19 (Monday) 6:00 pm - October 28 (Monday) 6:00 pm
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Join Santosha, BASE and Gourmet Gals to bring you a donation based all levels community yoga lunch break class every Wednesday throughout the summer. It will be
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Join Santosha, BASE and Gourmet Gals to bring you a donation based all levels community yoga lunch break class every Wednesday throughout the summer. It will be taught by a variety of teachers from Santosha and BASE. This summer all proceeds will go to Big Sky Band-Aid, aside from the first one on the 26th that is happening during Pride week- all funds donated for that class will go to Big Sky OUT. A delicious lunch will also be served by Gourmet Gals following our practice each Wednesday (included in donation). You are welcome to donate with cash at the event or you can Venmo @Santoshabigsky and make a note for Community Yoga. Hope to see you in the Park!
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August 21 (Wednesday) 12:00 pm - October 21 (Monday) 1:00 pm
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Len Hill Park