Michael Reynolds: A Garbage Warrior
by Matt McDonald
Assistant Layout Editor
Michael Reynolds will soon be regarded as the man who prevented the apocalypse. That is, if the U.S. government will let him.
Mike Reynolds is a New Mexico-based architect who is the originator of and advocate for "Radically Sustainable Living." What Reynolds does that is so incredibly unique is that he builds houses that are completely self-sufficient. That means that no electrical cables and no water, plumbing or sewage lines run to the house. The houses that Reynolds design are completely functional for families of all sizes and, if need be, the inhabitants would never have to leave the houses because of innovative rainwater collection techniques, indoor food production, and a natural heating/cooling system. Perhaps the most interesting part of Michael Reynolds’ architecture is the materials which he uses to make his houses. All of them are constructed entirely of post-consumer materials or natural resources--never dry-wall, siding, brick, etc.
Instead of using recycled materials, Reynolds takes the objects as-is after it has been used and puts it directly into his house. Entire walls of his houses are built with tires, beer cans, or water and glass bottles that are used as bricks and then covered with adobe or cement. Michael Reynolds said that what inspired his radical designs was the epiphany that he had that any object could be used as insulation when packed with dirt. To heat his houses he arranges his windows for optimal sunlight intake and utilizes the heat created by the geo-thermal mass of the walls. To cool the houses he takes advantage of the cool draft coming from 60-70 feet below the ground. Also 60-70 feet below the ground he finds water for the houses.
Reynolds calls his houses "Earthships," and he has taken them to the world. After the Tsunami hit Indonesia he and a small crew traveled to help repair a particular village that was badly affected. There he devised a model for the utilization of his Earthships that could be used to rebuild disaster sites, give shelter to the poor, and increase housing in the most cost, utility, and environmentally friendly way possible. Without any needs for utility cables or pipes, these houses will truly be self-sufficient.
Though Reynolds does so much good for the environment and has presented the world with a way to reduce waste and conserve energy on a large scale, the U.S. government has run into many problems with his work. Because all of his houses are so innovative and unique, building each one is basically like doing another experiment. And sometimes experiments go wrong. Some buyers have complained about leaky roofs and houses that are too hot. Because of this, he was stripped of his architecture license in the 90’s after years of fighting to keep it. He left the U.S. to do work in other countries; once he returned and the States learned of his good work, his license was reinstated.
Since, Reynolds has been trying to reach a compromise with U.S. government so that he can keep doing the innovative work he does and at the same time follow the rules. He bought a large plot of land in New-Mexico to build his Earthships, and is working on finding a model that appeals to the masses.