Human Settlements Review - Parliamentary Monitoring Group

Human Settlements Review, Volume 1, Number 1, 2010
TBS houses conform to modern standards, but
use natural materials so that environmental
degradation is minimised. This system was
initially aimed at solving the problem of
supplying low-cost houses, but the principles
are applicable to all sectors of the housing
market (Tlholego, 2001).
In conjunction to the houses themselves, the
houses lend themselves to using unburnt
mud bricks, passive solar designs, collection
of rainwater, compost toilets, solar water
heating, grey-water irrigation and food selfreliance
through Permaculture gardens. The
project coordinators believe that one of the
most important accomplishments of TBS is
the sustained transfer of skills in innovative
building techniques to the Tlholego community.
The community now has a building team that
is competent and capable of transferring TBS
to other communities (Tlholego 2001).
The TBS have replaced low-quality houses at
Tlholego and the system was chosen by the
National Department of Housing as the most
appropriate system or model to represent
South Africa at the Africa “Solutions Towards
Sustainable Development” Conference in
March 2000. This conference was held by the
Council for Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR) (Tlholego, 2001).
Earthship Biotecture is a worldwide
phenomenon of self-reliant housing made
from natural and recycled materials. The
organization has 40 years of research and
development experience behind it, which have
helped them to build Earth-friendly and humanfriendly
houses that require little to no mortgage
payments and utility bills. They define an
Earthship as a passive solar home constructed
of natural and recycled materials that have
thermal mass for stabilising temperature and
make use of renewable energy and integrated
water systems that allow the Earthships to be
off the electricity grid, thus having little to no
utility bills. Their definition of Biotecture is a
combination of biology and architecture that
allows the design of sustainable buildings and
environments (Reynolds, n.d.).
The mission of Earthship Biotecture is to
evolve the way people live on this planet by
evolving how we live as well as slowing down
and reversing the degradation to the Earth that
is caused by human development. In addition,
they want to present a way to achieve the above
and to inspire people to live a sustainable
lifestyle. These buildings are designed so that
they make use of natural heating and cooling
via solar and thermal dynamics, they are
energy self-sufficient via the sun and wind, the
buildings harvest their own water from rainfall,
they treat and dispose of their own sewerage
on site, they produce a large amount of food
and they are built from the by-products of
society, such as glass bottles, cans and tyres.
These are the Earthship design principles
(Reynolds,n.d.)
10.2 Earthship Biotecture
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