self-sufficient homes in the New Mexico desert

Not so long ago, in a desert far, far away, on the edge of New Mexico, they appeared. They are strange houses, with shapes straight out of a science fiction film. The Americans baptized them “earthship”, literally “land vessel”. Self-sufficient dwellings, which could well be those of the future. At the end of a dirt road, a dozen people are busy building an “earthship”, a house made half with waste.

Tires, cans, plastic bottles, the materials used are as effective as more traditional ones. The curved shape of the walls like an igloo also helps retain heat. Outside, in addition to tires, earth and recycled insulation boards seal the house and its insulation system. Electricity is entirely produced by solar panels and is used only for lighting. More than a thousand houses like these already exist in the United States and the concept is beginning to attract more and more interest abroad.