Young communards in the backwoods of Vermont and high plains of Taos knew that surviving in frigid climes meant something better than teepees and log huts. With well-worn Whole Earth catalogues as guides, they began figuring it out. Back then “Save the Trees” was a mantra uniting the movement. Northern New Mexico’s earthen homes were obvious solutions for the bands of broke kids from “back East” with idle time and strong backs.
Their experiments evolved into Mike Reynolds’ Earthships. Abandoned automobile tires were everywhere and free for the taking. Pounding free dirt into them and stacking them into walls two feet thick made cozy shells that walls of south-facing glass warmed in the winter. And cooked in the summer.
It wasn’t until Santa Fe architect Ed Mazria wrote the Passive Solar Energy Book in 1979 that building science replaced do-it-yourselfism for…
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