A husband and wife have seemingly done the impossible: built a stylish, self-sufficient home in the California Santa Cruz mountains for less than $10,000. Taylor and Steph Bode built their dream off-the-grid house using the philosophies of architect Michael Reynolds’ “Earthship Biotecture”. Earthships, as these abodes are called, are made of recycled and up-cycled materials, like glass bottles, cans, and tires. They’re designed to be self-sustaining too, which means there’s no need for water, hydro, or electricity connections. Instead, these houses rely on solar power and rainwater collection, and use thermal mass construction to regulate the interior temperature.
Taylor and Steph are currently working on a book that features photos of their house from start to finish, and doubles as an easy-to-follow “how-to” guide for other adventurous DIYers. On the Kickstarter page to fund the book publishing, they write, “…we didn’t have money to blow on materials and finishes. What we did have was resourcefulness, determination ,and a creative approach that could be replicated by anyone, anywhere.”
