Friday, January 23, 2009

Green home as dream home

I've been intrigued by wacky rogue architect Mike Reynolds and his gorgeous-looking "earthships" ever since I stumbled upon the 2007 documentary Garbage Warrior on either IFC or the Sundance Channel sometime last year. I vowed to find out more about him, but completely forgot.

Then the other day I was checking out inauguration-related programming on Al Gore's combination interactive TV station and website (I'm surprised how few people I know are aware that this exists) and caught the tail end of a "pod" (Current-speak for a short news segment, many of which are viewer-generated) devoted to Reynolds & co. I truly can't get over how enticing his eco-conscious buildings look:



As you can easily see in the image above, plants are prominently featured, not just for aesthetic purposes (though that is clearly a concern, too). Less obvious are the roles played by "graywater," rain barrels, and repurposed trash (plastic bottles, rubber tires, etc.)--once again, each element serves both function and form. Apparently there are some practical issues with these experimental homes, but I'd love to experience one of these beauties in action.

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