preliminary drawings and poster development.

Future Home Research

I did research in self sustainable living and construction. Looking into bio homes of today and how they will influence the future. In particular Mike Reynolds, creator of the Earth-ship. From this research I developed a synopsis on how we will live in the future and what type of housing we will live in.

Write a synopsis

In the near future we will live in small, self sustaining community’s. Life will return to the basics of farming the land for our foods. Community’s will govern themselves and the need for technology will diminish.

Due to lack of concern for the environment and bad political decisions the global warming crisis has well and truly taken control on the way we live. Days are hotter and water harder to come by with rainfall levels still decreasing every year. The need for more efficient cooling for inside housing led scientists to research into thermal mass as a natural way of cooling homes.

Natural disasters such as, firestorms, hurricanes and droughts are far more common and demands housing that can withstand these motherly forces.

Our homes are furnished with recycled materials and only necessities and not needs. There are no TV’s, or computers. Everything a human needs to live is in the house. As it is a self-sustaining home. An indoor green house helps provide clean air and a source of food. All homes are fitted with grey water system that has a four stage recycling system. Water from showers and sinks waters the indoor garden. Water that seeps through the garden beds is then captured and naturally filtered using fine rocks. That water is then used in the toilets. Toilet water is caught in a septic tank, which then feeds the grey water out onto the outdoor garden.

Outside our homes are gardens full of eatable plant life (vegetables and fruit), pens that hold livestock such as chickens, ducks, and goats. We live close to rivers for water and irrigation.

Weather is unpredictable and erratic. Giant storms and natural disasters are a normal occurrence. Due to these conditions housing is constructed using dome formations as they are self-supporting and extremely strong structures. The main building materials are old tires rammed with earth. These offer great thermal mass properties meaning easy cooling and heating. Houses are partially underground, tapping into the natural cooling properties of the earth, and also offering protection from the weather. Old cans and bottles are used in the construction of the homes acting as bricks in-between the homemade concrete.

The look of homes comes second to the need of living. Cosmetics are not of a concern but practicality and safety is of the forefront. These homes provide shelter, food, water and life to humans. The future is about protecting the earth and living in harmony with nature.

References:

http://www.biohome.net/practicl.php

http://www.rammedearthhomes.com/technical.htm

http://www.monolithic.com/topics/news

Film: Garbage Warriors, Open Eye Media UK, ITVS International and Sundance Channel, copyright open eye media UK 2007.