Earthship Brighton


Earthship Brighton is a self-sustainable building, completed in 2006 and owned by the Low Carbon Trust, and situated in Stanmer Park, Brighton.
The building is an example of passive solar earth shelter design and was constructed using waste car tyres and other recycled materials, such as cans and bottles. The structure incorporates rammed earth tyres, renewable power systems and rainwater harvesting. It uses the planet’s natural systems to provide heat, power and water and is designed to work as an autonomous building.
The Low Carbon Trust crew were trained by Mike Reynolds, who designed the Earthship structure and is the founder of Earthship Biotecture. Earthship Brighton is currently one of only two Earthships in the UK and was the first Earthship to be built in England.
Earthship Brighton is used as a community and environmental education centre, with regular guided tours for the public. It is used as a venue for various green building courses, including a three-day course on ‘Self-building an Earthship’.
In 2007, a book was written about the project: “Earthships: building a zero carbon future for homes”. A second edition "Earthships in Europe" was published in 2012, which features case studies of earthships in France, Spain, Scotland and England. There is also an in depth analysis of the thermal performance of the earthship in a temperate climate.

Awards

Earthship Brighton has won ten awards and commendations. These include: