apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

This is wonderful for those places where population density is not very high, and you can afford to own enough land to build them.

But what about those higher-density population areas? An average three or four bedroom house might be 2700-3000 sq ft, possibly two story, and not have that much yard left out of 10,000 sq ft of lot. And that would be for a place in a residential neighborhood closer-in, but still not anywhere close to the ultra-dense high-rise areas downtown.

What then?

If we force everyone to space out enough so that they'll have the land to build something like this, how much farmland would be left over?

I'm all for going green where possible, and rammed earth buildings are one excellent choice where they are feasible. But what about those cases where they aren't feasible?

Whether you like them or not, seek out 'Garbage Warrior' 'cause it's a great documentary on the man, the buildings and the community that live in them.

http://www.garbagewarrior.com/

How practical is it to self build, insulate, and heat one of these in a place like say ... New York City or a New Jersey? Are they built to code ( electrical, fire, etc )?

bradknowles- Thanks for the questions-

This may not be a city option but the more recent designs are adaptable to your concerns. Their footprints are not larger than normal homes and they would fit into most of suburbia. Also- there are very few ideas that work for everyone- any solution will eventually become a problem if too many adopt it.

Most earthships are built in the desert where farming isn't being displaced. They started building them there because the land was cheap and they wanted to prove that they didn't need good land to build on... in fact they started in an abandoned quarry; land that no one would have touched. Does it mean they are rural homes? They may have been at one time but that was early development.

Also, you can grow food IN the house and most owners do this- some say they grow enough to cover their veggie needs- something to think about- less driving to buy food and less need for farming in the first place... and by the way; the water used to feed the plants comes from your sink so even more sustainable.

I couldn't address every issue in this piece because there are a lot of things to consider... Check out their site if you want further clarification- they build these all over the world in many different climates and environments and they don't come in a sealed package- you can adapt the concepts to whatever your needs may be.

For high density areas i would like to suggest the following.
http://www.tdrinc.com/ultima.html