t r u t h o u t | Report
Tuesday 22 April 2008
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Not only has Reynolds defined an alternative to the modern architectural paradigm, he has also vigorously sought to bring his innovations to third world countries and disaster-ravaged regions in a career centered around humanitarian aid.
After graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 1969, Mike Reynolds pursued a radically sustainable method of building homes. He continually evolved his ideas and crafted a movement he calls biotecture - the embracing of a carbon neutral foundation, while providing fundamental human needs of shelter, food, water and energy under one roof with no external support other than the environment.
On Monday morning, I had the opportunity to speak with Mike Reynolds about his work.
"Every media outlet (radio, TV, magazines, newspapers) is now talking green about everything. In some cases it's just rhetoric; it's too little, too late. That's where we're at with architecture; it's not seriously addressing the issues. The biggest flaw is that still some of the most prominent architects in the world are dealing with flamboyant designs that have nothing to do with the issues that we're facing."
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He has sought to counter such wasteful designs by implementing several different core features in the homes he warmly calls "earthships."
The Design
Reynolds builds his structures around U-shaped sections consisting of tires pounded stiff with dirt. These tires act as sturdy insulation - maintaining around 70 degrees internal temperature throughout the year, regardless of geographic location and external temperature. This encasing mass is comparable to a hefty cast-iron skillet, while a traditional wood house would represent something more like aluminum foil.
Reynolds emphasized the importance of this aspect of his constructions: "It's an indigenous product. It's found all over the world; it's low tech that holds and stores temperature. And it can be used all over the world for both heating and cooling."
Earthships also maintain intricate water collection/recycling systems. The structures catch rain and snow melt, use the sun to heat water for hot-water usage and recycle the water several times over throughout the home.
Another crucial element Reynolds has incorporated is a reliance on a photovoltaic/wind power system. Energy is stored in batteries and supplied to electrical outlets within the house, leaving the owner with little to no electric bill.
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Reynolds has designed effective greenhouses that rely on this cycle to produce a variety of organic, home-grown foodstuffs for the occupant.
The Path to a Sustainable Lifestyle
Despite the influence his work has had on many people throughout the years, Mike Reynolds explained the difficulties he has faced throughout his career and why he encountered so much opposition.
"[My designs] have come on slowly over the past 35 years. People have been slow to accept change because [the consequences] just haven't hit them in the face. The issue is not so much with architects, but with rules and regulations."
"The rules and regulations and codes and dogma and culture and tradition have inhibited people from doing anything ... Architects are just trying to make a living and feed their family; if they go out and try to build something especially green, then it wouldn't get built, and they would be out of a job."
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"Going against the tradition and culture and belief-systems of masses of people, there's such an inertia there that it has just made it so they can't change anywhere near as fast as they need to."
Reynolds points out that one who is deeply invested in a system has little incentive to change the conditions of the status quo.
The Obstacles of Bureaucracy
"Let's say you want to do a 30-unit condo in any typical American city," Reynolds proposed. "If you just use conventional, conventional, conventional, all the way down the line, you'll get it approved pretty quickly. And if you make the facade look like it fits in with the neighborhood and don't freak out any neighbors or anything, it'll get through in a reasonable amount of time."
On the other hand, he said "If you wanted to do something that used absolutely no energy - carbon neutral. No water from the aquifers; it produced its own water, its own power; contained and treated its own sewage ... all of this together, it would take you five to ten times as long to get permitted."
Sounding deeply reflective, but determined in the face of opposition, Reynolds noted: "It's just not worth it; no investor would want to do it; no developer would want to do it; you can't make any money off it; you can't feed your family with it. So they're not inspired to do it."
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"What I'm rattling about now, on every level that I can," Reynolds explained, "is what I call fast-tracking carbon-neutral permitting. If somebody wants to do a carbon-neutral condo of 30-units in your villa in your town, they should be fast-tracked. And they should walk in and get their permits the next day."
He admitted that this "sounds radical," but defiantly recalled that "they did it for Los Alamos when they wanted to make an atomic bomb. They built that town overnight; In the interest of national security, they bypassed all [regulations]. They fast-tracked. What we face now on this planet is way more than Japan invading the US. Massive amounts of people are gonna be without water, food, shelter and energy. This is way more than one country invading another, so it warrants fast-tracking."
"We feel like the whole concept of decentralization is important. The technology and knowledge are there. Getting the permission is a hard battle, because they want us to stay centralized."
A Human Perspective
Mike Reynolds spoke about the impact of the humanitarian work he has done abroad: "[What I gained] is a depth of knowledge of the planet and people. From many travels all over the globe, I've come away thinking that it is the birthright of every man, woman and child to have shelter, water, energy and food. And that can be gotten straight from their own home. It's a matter of education on how to do it. You don't need governments and corporations to do that."
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As extreme an example as this is, he observed, this profit-centered mindset exists on a sliding scale - one that influences all corners of the globe.
"As far as the capitalist games ... you can play those with Toyotas, and computers, and watches and motorcycles. But as far as the sustenance of life, everybody can get it directly from biology and physics in a way that actually enhances the planet rather than destroys it."
The Future of Architecture
Asked about the future of his profession, Reynolds said that he was hopeful, again stressing that the technology is available. "It's not rocket science," he said. "It's just about getting around the politics and codes and regulations."
"There is no room for what we have in the past called architecture. I just keep thinking more about real solutions and how to weave them into a form of biotecture that will educate people and help those in need."
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