This is a project by Building Better Foundation, to build an Earthship greenhouse and

 

kitchen. This facility will be a community run public space to promote traditional plant

 

propagation techniques and traditional cooking, and in turn engage the community in a

 

journey toward self-sufficiency and sustainability.

 

Building Better Foundation is a not-for- profit organisation committed to advocating and

 

implementing sustainable building solutions in residential, commercial and public settings.

 

 Through campaigns, projects and workshops we hope to empower and enable individuals

 

and communities to implement emission reduction solutions in existing structures, develop

 

new, community run, zero emission facilities, and influence policy making to prioritise

 

sustainable outcomes.  

 

Earthship Biotecture is a construction company that specialises in building sustainable,

 

autonomous structures that support life, with designs adapted to any climate. The

 

company, founded and owned by the architect Michael Reynolds, has its headquarters at

 

the Greater World, just outside of Taos, New Mexico. Reynolds takes his designs all over

 

the world, responding to natural disasters and humanitarian crises, and building for clients

 

from anywhere.

 

An Earthship is a automomous ‘machine’ equipped with integrated systems to support life.

 

It is constructed largely using natural and recycled materials and salvaged waste. All

 

variations of Earthship models observe these six design principles:

 

1. Thermal and solar heating and cooling: the passive solar design, incorporating a

 

large body of well insulated thermal mass maximises solar gain, and carefully located

 

‘cooling tubes’ and vents generate a convection current to cool the space.

 

2. Solar (and wind) power: a customised solar array, charge controller, battery bank

 

and inverter provide power for water pumps, lighting, and the occupants’ electricity

 

needs.

 

3. Contained sewage treatment: a greywater loop delivers water to the planter cells,

 

which is then filtered for flushing toilets, before running out to a contained septic

 

system and evapotranspiration bed.

 

4. Building with natural and recycled materials: rammed earth tyres provide thermal

 

mass, glass and plastic bottle bricks and cans are used for non-structural walls and

 

form work, adobe is used for slabs, infill and plastering where appropriate, a variety

 

of materials can be used for insulating, general, non-organic waste is sequestered

 

within the building.

 

5. Water harvesting: precipitation is captured on the roof, stored in cisterns buried in

 

the berm, and piped through a filtration bank before being pumped to showers,

 

toilets and basins. Used water then enters the greywater loop.

 

6. Food production: botanical cells are built along the inside of the front face of the

 

building and plumbed into the greywater loop, providing naturally lit, temperature

 

regulated and automatically irrigated growing space for year-round plant

 

propogation.

 

The structure

 

This Earthship will be a hybrid between the wood simple survival and the wide greenhouse

 

global model. The botanical cells will be enlarged to optimise planting space while the

 

internal ‘living’ space will be left mostly open plan to allow for a commercial kitchen to be

 

installed. There will be simple bathroom facilities, and a small sleeping quarters. We will

 

look into incorporating a root cellar into the Earthship, and if these proves unfeasible we

 

will build an external root cellar.

 

 

 

The facility will have multiple uses, centred around fostering Haudenosaunee agricultural

 

practices, it will also provide a location to host workshops, internships and programs.

 

Adopting a new economic system, this facility will be community run, create

 

employment for community members and generate revenue for community initiatives.

 

Land

 

Terrylyn Brant of the Mohawk Seedkeepers group holds a Certificate of Possession for 15

 

acres on the Six Nations of the Grand River territory and has generously offered for the

 

Earthship to be built there.

 

Permitting

 

Though a formal permitting process is not required for projects on the acreage, we will

 

consult with the elected Band Council and the traditional Chiefs’ Council.

 

Financing

 

We estimate this project to cost approximately $100,000. Building Better Foundation and

 

Earthship Biotecture are both listed not-for- profit organisations in North America. To

 

procure financing for this project we intend to apply for a range of available relevant grants.

 

We will also collaborate with the Mohawk Seedkeepers to run a fundraising campaign. In

 

addition, the volunteers who will contribute labour during the construction phase will pay a

 

sign-up contribution.

 

Timeframe

 

The timeframe in which this project is expected to be completed is predominantly

 

dependent upon the success of the grant applications and fundraising campaign. The

 

construction phase will be run as an Earthship workshop, or possibly an academy session,

 

led by Earthship’s experienced crew of instructors, and enlisting the labour of 40 to 60

 

volunteers/interns/students. Construction will take approximately one month. Once the

 

funding campaign gains momentum, we will be able to set dates for the construction phase,

 

and take sign ups and payments from volunteers. Given the dominant demographic of the

 

volunteers, it would be ideal to schedule the construction phase for the summer school

 

holidays, though if this proves unfeasible, for example due to Earthship’s calendar, any

 

month between April and September would work.