--- title: An earthship is a house that powers itself - The Hustle description: A rare earthship listing hit the real estate market. Earthships are self-sustaining, off-grid homes. image: https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/786109059-HS-News-Brief_2022-04-15T023151.372Z.webp --- # An earthship is a house that powers itself ![Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://53.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/53/assets/hubspot.com/web-team/WBZ/HubSpot%20Media/Blog%202021/Images/Nav/Optimized/TheHustle_Icon_Dark.svg) [Juliet Bennett Rylah](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/author/juliet-bennett-rylah) [Juliet Bennett Rylah Twitter profile ](https://twitter.com/JBRylah) Published: April 15, 2022 Updated: October 11, 2023 An earthship-style home in Santa Fe could be yours for [$3.4m+](https://www.realtor.com/news/unique-homes/earthship-desert-flower-new-mexico/). But… ![An earthship is a house that powers itself](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hs-fs/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/786109059-HS-News-Brief_2022-04-15T023151.372Z.webp?width=595&height=400&name=786109059-HS-News-Brief_2022-04-15T023151.372Z.webp) #### **What’s an earthship?** Architect Michael Reynolds, founder of eco-construction company Earthship Biotecture, came up with the concept in the 1970s. He saw 2 problems — lack of affordable housing and too much trash — and figured he could build homes out of discarded materials. This idea evolved into the “earthship,” a self-sufficient, eco-friendly house with [6 basic design principles](https://www.earthshipglobal.com/design-principles): - Natural or repurposed building materials (e.g., used tires, mud, reclaimed wood or metal) - Thermal or solar heating and cooling (not electricity or gas) - Solar- and wind-powered - Water collected from rain and snowmelt - Contained sewage treatment (i.e., gray water is used and treated by plants, then collected in a well and pumped to toilets for flushing) - Interior, in-home farming Essentially, live in one of these babies as intended, and you’re pretty much set for off-the-grid life. #### **Why so expensive?** This particular home, known as Desert Flower, wasn’t built by Reynolds, but designer [John McGowan](https://www.newspapers.com/image/8822416/?terms=Ahkon%20Povi&match=1). And it’s huge, with 5 bedrooms and [amenities](https://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-detail/41-Estrada-Calabasa_Santa-Fe_NM_87506_M18075-41302?ex=2940492038) including a hot tub, pool, sauna, and art and music studios spread across 2 dwellings. Earthships are also rare, with less than 10 on the US market now, per Realtor.com. Several are located in the [Greater World Earthship Community](https://www.highmountainproperty.com/earthships/), an off-grid subdivision near Taos, New Mexico, where 3 are on the market. Those are all asking under $1m and are much smaller. #### **For the earthship-curious…** … you can [book a stay](https://www.earthshipglobal.com/eco-nightly-rentals) in one through Earthship Biotecture, including one called the [Hobbit House](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/16883330) for $150 per night. The Desert Flower is also listed on Airbnb for [$1k+](https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/45720674?source_impression_id=p3_1649954353_v8awUcnxTJoxgV0D) per night. **BTW: **Here’s Reynolds [discussing](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqMeqiGZw9Y) his designs at TEDxCaboPolonio. Topics: [Housing And Real Estate](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/tag/housing-and-real-estate) ## Follow us on social media prev next - ![Why tech workers are sleeping in expensive boxes](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1611893784-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-brownstone-pods_20231002232126.webp) ### Why tech workers are sleeping in expensive boxes - ![Apartments are getting built at a record clip — it’s too bad they aren’t the right kind](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/503692535-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-Apt-Construction_20230910231429.webp) ### Apartments are getting built at a record clip — it’s too bad they aren’t the right kind - ![Will the Bay Area get a new city?](https://hs-sbup.thehustle.co/hubfs/The%20Hustle%20News/Assets/Images/1030627733-httpsthdaily.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.comfinal_size-houses_20230827234703.webp) ### Will the Bay Area get a new city? - ![Looking for an edge in attracting talent? 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