Earthship designs a $4000, earthquake & hurricane resistant house for Haiti

[JohnyCanuck]

Run time: 14:47 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7jAkwhTq4c   Posted on YouTube: March 21, 2011 By YouTube Member: earthship Views on YouTube: 3279   Posted on DU: April 03, 2011 By DU Member: JohnyCanuck Views on DU: 1277

 
From this video, it seems the Haitians like the design and after being guided in how to construct one of these houses are eager to build more. The houses are designed around materials that are easy to find in earthquake ravaged Haiti, eg. old car tires, rubble from fallen buildings, styrofoam packaging etc.

Kudos to the volunteers at Earthship who helped out on this project. If the rest of Haiti is as pleased with them as the Haitians in this video, the houses could really help in alleviating the housing shortages in Haiti.

Earthships come with all of their own utilities made on site with no utilitiy bills.
An earthship uses little to no fossil fuels to provide for modern amenities. We are simply adapting our needs to the already existing activities of the planet.

Water
Earthships catch water from the sky (rain & snow melt) and uses it four times.

Electricity
Earthships produce their own electricity with a prepackaged photovoltaic / wind power system. This energy is stored in batteries and supplied to your electrical outlets.

Sewage
Earthships contain, use and reuse all household sewage (greywater and blackwater) in indoor and outdoor treatment cells. Toilets flush with treated greywater.

Comfort
Earthships maintain comfortable temperatures in any climate.

http://earthship.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=613&Itemid=4

[jwirr]

1. That house is neat. Seems like it would work anywhere in the world. nt

[lumberjack_jeff]

4. It's a good design for the tropics. nt

[jwirr]

8. Yes. here in MN the water works would freeze up and we would need

a heater in the winter. Probably not enough insulation either. This could sure solve our recycling of plastic bottles and old tires.

[lumberjack_jeff]

9. Here, the plaster walls and roof will revert to mud. n/t

[aquart]

2. Amazing. Genius. Real hope and change for the future.

And seeing them smile was wonderful.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. A good example of locally appropriate architecture. nt

[aquart]

6. Go to the website and see the way more fancy ones.

You know, the American ones.

[cutlassmama]

5. looks wonderful. the only drawback is the size and no potable water

what water do they drink? Where do they cook their food?

[JohnyCanuck]

7. I guess most days they could use this for cooking if they wanted

http://solar-ovens.org/solarovencooking.html

I am thinking of trying one myself.