Earthship
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Earthships are semi-underground autonomous buildings made of concrete blocks, aluminum cans, and used vehicle tires packed with rammed earth, usually in a "U" or horseshoe shape. Each tire is rammed full of dirt using a sledge hammer or pneumatic tamper. A tire will weigh more than 300 pounds when properly prepared. Windows on the sunny side admit light and heat. The "U" shape of the structure faces South in the northern hemisphere, and North in the southern hemisphere, so that the house will catch maximum sunlight in the colder months.
The roof of the dwelling is heavily insulated. This, combined with temperature conductivity to the earth itself, means these unusual homes require little (if any) heating or cooling. Earthships use thermal mass to maintain a constant temperature. Electricity is usually obtained from solar cells, to avoid relying on electricity obtained from a commercial power grid.
Internal walls are often made of recycled aluminum cans and concrete, which provide high strength and insulation. The walls are then usually thickly plastered, using the pull-tabs on the cans as a lathe to hold the adobe and stucco.
Earthships capture rainwater from the roof and store it in cisterns for use in the house, where "grey water" from the kitchen and shower is re-used in internal gardens. It is like living in a well-insulated greenhouse.
Sanitation is usually limited to a waterless toilet. A common sanitation method for earthships is to use a solar oven to incinerate the feces and toilet paper. The resultant powder can be spread in the garden for fertilization, and tests (where the powder has been added to water and sent to a laboratory for testing) shows there are no bacteria or pathogens left alive.
Earthships have survived forest fires, earthquakes, and windstorms. The oldest such structure known is over 30 years old, and continues to function with upgrades added as renewable energy technology evolves.
The chief architect of Earthship Biotecture is Mike Reynolds. He has written five books on the subject, available from the Solar Survival Press.
A large community of Earthships (http://www.earthship.org/) exists in northern New Mexico (near Taos) and southern Colorado, USA.