Why would you go through all the trouble of dragging a mill onto your property in form of an oversized trailer, pour concrete footings and probably build a roof for it, only so you could cut some tree trunks into boards? Well, the most obvious reason is that it enables you to turn your own trees into dimensional lumber for your construction, or even furniture. Makes sense, but to really see the difference, one only needs to visit the nearest lumber yard, and check out the prices charged for the material needed for let’s say a simple tool shed.… Read More Cutting Wood on Vancouver Island

The structure we first started building was not the main one, which at that time hadn’t even been designed yet, but a multipurpose “garage”. Though its main function is storage, including storing a full-sized US school bus (more on that later), it is supposed to be much more than that: It should provide sufficient light and ventilation to be comfortably used as a classroom. The temperature inside should always be a bit cooler than outside, with a nice airflow, and it should protect from the elements, mainly the rain, which it is supposed to capture, as it’s expected from any respectable Earthship.… Read More A Theater on the Beach

Earthships offer more than just passive heating and cooling: They harvest water, they generate electricity, they grow food, and they even treat all their waste water right on site. Apart from that, Earthships are built from recycled and natural materials. These six criteria are what insiders usually list when they want to explain what Earthships are.… Read More Earthships