Earthships, Tumbleweed Houses, and Yaks, OH MY!

Always looking to become more independent from the style of city living that has become the standard (ConEd, Keyspan...sound familiar?) the idea of buying an empty lot in Brooklyn and living off the grid becomes more and more inviting, and now it is even a possibility. I have a few friends upstate who live in a yurt, filter the rain water, grow their own food, have passive solar energy, and own two yaks. I am drawn to certain aspects of that style of living, but I'm not sure if I can legally keep a yak on that Brooklyn lot. Some of the other intriguing styles of homes that I have recently discovered are the Earthship and the Tumbleweed Tiny House.

The Earthship is defined on the website as follows: "Earthship n. 1. passive solar home made of natural and recycled materials 2. thermal mass construction for temperature stabilization. 3. renewable energy & integrated water systems make the Earthship an off-grid home with little to no utility bills." Sounds pretty good. They construct the houses from dirt, rubber tires, old bottles, beer cans, etc. They are pretty stunning, and you can rent them by the night in some places. I love the greenhouses that are part of the houses and the fact that there are trees in some of the living rooms. There is also a documentary about the architect behind the Earthships, called Garbage Warrior, and I'm all set to order one to see how these things are made.

The Tumbleweed Tiny House is a little more on the grid as they are set up for electric and plumbing, but they are so darned cute and minimalist and save you money in the long run. They range from 65 to 774 square feet depending on how much space you need. They also give workshops on how to build the houses and you can purchase plans and do it yourself. Also, check out the Small House Society for more info about the small house movement.

I'll let you know if I ever get that yak...

posted by: Michael G. Pingicer, M.S., L.Ac.
212.894.0767
http://www.amazinghealing.com/