Monthly Archives: September 2013

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.

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). 

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.

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