Mike Reynolds (architect)

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For other people named Mike or Michael Reynolds, see Michael Reynolds (disambiguation).

Michael Reynolds is an architect based in New Mexico and a proponent of "radically sustainable living." He has been a forceful and controversial critic of the profession of architecture for its failure to deal with the amount of waste that building design creates.

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[edit] Early career: 1960s-1970s

After graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 1969, Reynolds began his provocative work almost immediately. His thesis was published in Architectural Record in 1971 and the following year he built his first house from recycled materials.

The structures built under his direction utilize everyday trash items like aluminum cans and plastic bottles. Instead of using conventional (and energy-consuming) recycling methods, however, Reynolds takes the discarded item and uses it as-is. His Thumb House, built in 1972, used beer cans wired together into "bricks," which were mortared together and then plastered over. (The brick design was awarded a U.S. patent in 1973.[1])

Reynolds calls this practice "Earthship Biotecture" and has dedicated his career to it. He cites as an epiphany the moment when he realized that any object, be it a pop bottle or an old tire, could become powerful and durable insulation when it was filled with dirt. He has written five books on the subject.

Soon he was building and selling his experimental homes while continuing to use trial and error to improve them.

[edit] Green hero: 1980s

The "Earthships" over time incorporated features designed to make them comfortable to live in while existing off the grid. Solar panels and geothermal cooling were added. The homes caught the imagination of celebrities and environmental activists. Actors Dennis Weaver and Keith Carradine each commissioned Reynolds to build high-end Earthships for them.[1]

[edit] Lawsuits and credentialing woes: 1990s

Though Reynolds always stressed the experimental nature of his homes, that did not prevent disillusioned buyers from filing lawsuits and complaints over defects such as leaky roofs and inadequate climate control. Spurred by a series of complaints and lawsuits against Reynolds, the State Architects Board of New Mexico moved to strip him of his credentials, saying his home designs were illegal and unsafe.[1]

In 2000, Reynolds voluntarily gave up his New Mexico architecture and construction licenses after a year-long dispute with several clients.[2] Since then, the board of the American Institute of Architects has asked Reynolds to give a lecture at its headquarters in Colorado and has reinstated his license.

[edit] "Garbage Warrior" and current work

With the rise in concern over global warming, Reynolds has become a graying prophet of the green movement. A recent documentary, "Garbage Warrior," celebrates his life and work.

In the film, Reynolds is quoted as saying he fell into depression after his licensing troubles. Faced with the end of his career, Reynolds agreed to follow state and federal codes, though not without protest (in the film he holds up a four-inch binder thick with paper while referring to the "endless horseshit" the state puts him through). Though he chafed at not being able to experiment freely again, Reynolds got his architect's license back and resumed building his Earthships.

In "Garbage Warrior," Reynolds describes one of his new homes, called the Phoenix: "There's nothing coming into this house, no power lines, no gas lines, no sewage lines coming out, no water lines coming in, no energy being used ... We're sitting on 6,000 gallons of water, growing food, sewage internalized, 70 degrees year-round ... What these kind of houses are doing is taking every aspect of your life and putting it into your own hands ... A family of four could totally survive here without having to go to the store."

Reynolds claims that his buildings can operate off the electricity grid, requiring little or no mortgage payment and no utility bills.

[edit] The packaged Earthship

The packaged Earthship, developed by Reynolds, comes in the form of a kit, complete with sustainable-designed construction plans and details that can be delivered anywhere on the planet. It is the result of over 25 years of evolving Earthship design, and has been designed with the factors of cost and user-friendliness strongly in mind. It is sized, detailed, and arranged to make sustainable use of the independent water, sewer and comfort control systems. The basic design has been proven to perform and has been erected in many different climates. Recently built packaged Earthships reported a minimum internal overnight temperature of 64 degrees Fahrenheit in a location where the previous night a temperature of negative 17 had been recorded.[citation needed] They can be implemented in either an economical manner or as lavish, custom dream homes. Many of these packaged Earthships have been erected in Taos, New Mexico, and this place has come to be called the Greater World Community.

[edit] Works

  • Earthship: How to Build Your Own (Earthship) (Sept, 1990)
  • Earthship: System and Components Vol. 2 (Nov, 1991)
  • Earthship: Evolution Beyond Economics Vol. 3 (Sept, 1993)
  • Comfort in any Climate (Aug 30, 2000)
  • Water from the Sky (Jun 30, 2005)

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Reed, Susan; Michael Haederle (January 14, 1991). "Want an Ecologically Correct House? Architect Michael Reynolds Builds Earthships Out of Beer Cans and Tires". People: 105. 
  2. ^ "Controversy Over Green Hero," Architectural Record, June 2000, p. 36.