Pima County's first Earthship is "landing" in southwest Tucson, Arizona!A house in the Tucson Mountains seeks to raise the bar on “green” construction in Southern Arizona. James and Elizabeth Wilson recently completed construction on the home that they say is the first "earthship" in the area.
Earthships, Wilson says, are the ultimate form of sustainable construction, built largely from recycled materials and relying primarily on solar energy and harvested rainwater.
Wilson explains he learned how to build his earthship from Michael Reynolds in Taos, N.M. Reynolds' vision is for these homes to be entirely self-sustaining and in harmony with the surrounding environment.
The design employs thermal mass functionality, and the windows are concentrated on the sunny side of the structure, allowing light and heat during the colder months of the year.
The Wilsons say they hope the building inspires others to create their own earthships in the desert and minimize environmental intrusion.
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