Planning for the Waiheke earthship is well underway with Mike Renolds and NZ architect Graeme North. We are most grateful for the help of planner friend Kristen McGavock with our resource consent application – about to be lodged soon. Part of the consent application includes the set up of a temporary campsite for interns and volunteers just down the road a little from our build site. The Awaawaroa Bay Ecovillage are kindly allowing us to use part of their top paddock for the campsite and we met with Rob from the ecovillage thismorning to plan the layout. So things are moving along nicely but we still have a ways to go before construction drawings are complete and we are ready to submit the building consent application. We hope that by the end of October we will be in a position to assess the proposed timeline for the build so watch this space for updates on intern recuitment.
The finishing work on the Christchurch miniship
We started here, with Mike Reynolds pounding the first tire, back in March 2013. The ground work layed out; a Ushaped tyre room, 10sq meters to be under permit size. There we were, 17 tyres, piles of dirt , a couple of dedicated people and 2 llamas.
As the previous post shows this deminstration project headed by Michael Reynolds went up in 4 days with the help of 40 people. Here is the first part of the story.
The finishing of this miniship happened in Septemeber 2013 by a small crew of 5 or so, working on the interior plaster, planter boxes, tile and slab.
Exterior plaster finished the outside work. Inside the vault, a long plastering job commenced, smoothing out the uneven surface left by the mesh and steel that was plastered from the outside. There was sore arms at the end of the week.
There were 2 coats done in cement plaster. Blue tile was stuck individually by hand, and finished with a natural lime washed (slaked lime, 10:1 with white portland cement).
Can-formed planters on both sides of the door, plastered in coloured cement. The interior walls also got detailed tile, and colour plaster made bright by silver sand, white cement and maragold oxide colour. Its grey no more!
Thanks to Robin Woodsford for the hospitality and the land, to Turei for the mixer, Lu and Mike for the filming and the plastering, Scott and Graham for the plastering work and the others who popped by to lend a hand! This building still need the glass installed and the slab poured, but then the pod is finished – collecting water and operating a single sola pannel. It will be open to the public as a thinking/healing/chill out space, and of course to see the Earthship building style, so feel free to pop on up (email me for details rosa@earththsip.com).
Waiheke earthship shooting for the stars
Most Auckland homes average 4 stars on the Homestar rating tool, the Auckland Unitary Plan aims to lift it to 6 for certain new developments, the highest so far is 8, and the Waiheke Earthship is aiming for the maximum 10 stars. Working with Envirospec, the Waiheke Earthship aims to achieve outstanding thermal performance and go beyond green to generative. Watch this space to see how we get on.
Help put the finishing touches on the Christchurch mini-ship
The Christchurch mini earthship on Huntsbury Hill, started by Mike Reynolds workshop in July 2013 is getting its finishing hit! From 14th-28th Sept a small team is going to work on finish plaster, floors, glass etc. Also hopefully some landscaping. The main part will be the middle weekend. If you’d like to be involved, help out or just look, you’re very welcome! Contact Rosa at rosa.scarlette@gmail.com
Auckland Council on the record as supporting Earthship building principles
When Mike Reynolds was in Auckland in July he delivered a presentation for Auckland Council staff about Earthships in the context of “Encouraging innovation in the building sector’. This presentation talks about how Earthships evolved and the importance of creating zones for experimentation and innovation in order to create sustainable housing solutions.
Watch Mike’s Auckland Council presentation here:
Radio NZ Interview with Mike Reynolds
Listen up to the Radio NZ interview with Mike Reynolds when he was in Auckland recently.
http://www.radionz.co.nz/
Rotorua eco-building workshop
Hands on workshops using earthship techniques on in Rotorua 17 & 18th August. Find out more here
Mike Reynolds – Auckland seminars
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Mike Reynolds, the Garbage Warrior
Mike Reynolds Auckland visited Auckland on 5-7th July 2013, hosted by Platform One Foundation and Waiata Artists Trust. Mike delivered two packed seminars in Auckland and attended a community Q & A film screening of the new earthship doco “New Solutions” on Waiheke Island.
This was part of the lead up to the Waiheke earthship build which will involve practical workshops with Mike and the Taos Earthship crew in Feb 2014.
See the new Events page for more info.
constructing a ‘Hut’ with tires and steel
Another 10sq meter challenge has been under taken, this time in North Canterbury. An 8 course tire circle was done in the first 4 days with the help of a day workshop attended by 12 people. A week later, the steel dome was made on the ground and placed on top by a well timed passing digger. Macro posts were dug in, cemented with a footer with steel inside. bottle bricks made, bottle walls done, door frame made and hung, window put in and lintel made. Then a bond beam was formed with cans and cement, and poured with concrete. The dome got 2 coats of plaster and a central bottle for a sky light!
working on the tires and the marco posts
dome construction
passing digger places the dome
pouring the bond beam
dome plastering
led light window drom demolition store and bottle wall
resonance dome in place. 10 sq meter hut up. 24 days. 4 people + guest builders!
center light in the resonance dome
Earthship demo build – Christchurch 2013
We started here, with Mike Reynolds pounding the first tire, 3 hours after landing in the country. The ground work layed out; 10sq meters to be under permit size. 17 tires and a load of dirt in the lamas field is what we started with. The land owner Robin Woodsfords donated the field, on his beautiful 10 acres organic vineyard. What we had waiting in the wings was a strong core crew of 5 kiwis and 35 participants from all over ready to jump on board.
This site is North facing on the port hills of Christchurch, with amazing views and sheltered from the the southerly wind. perfect sport for the first Earthshiup community project to begin.
The vault and the tires can at the same time, and at the end of the day both were complate – tires at 5 courses and the rebar vault tied and ready for plaster. So we picked up the vault, in one piece and moved it to sit on top if the tire work!
After the cement bond beam formed by cans to hold the vault to the tires we plastered the vault 4 times. We surrounded the building with a the vapor barrier and rigid insulation and buried it with earth.
Organizing and designing the bottle wall was the next project next, which meant cutting glass bottles and taping end to end to make a brick that lets in light. At the same time, carpentry was under way to get the front face ready in for the front door and windows.
The roof then got a 2 inch layer of insulation and a vapor barrier and its last inch thick coat of plaster. We also build a parapet; cans layered up to create a water catchment which will run into the cistern buried in the berm of the building. Inside the tire walls were packed out to a nice shape and plastered.
A huge thanks to: The NZ team (Robin Woodsford, Mike Lilian, Turei, and Lachlan Grey), to to those who participated in the build, Brian our wonderful back how driver and hangi man, companies who donated materials (Fulton Hogan, Texco, Port-a-loos), Michael Reynolds for inspiring and leading our work and Rosa Henderson for organization.
Part 2! Finishes on the miniship – Christchurch