These photos show the Time Lapse of the smaller Studio Earthship that was part of the two Earthships built on one site on the Gulf Island build with Michael Reynolds…

These photos show the Time Lapse of the Main House Earthship that was part of the two Earthships built on one site on the West Coast Gulf Island with Michael Reynolds…

It’s here…this is it… THE LAST DAY on this 5 week double Earthship build!!! Last minute details like hanging doors, and leveling out the Main House West entrance for the final cement pour… Since today is the last official Workday on the build… it’s time for a major Clean Up. That means the Earthship Biotecture Crew has to sort out their personal tools from the massive pile of organized chaos that’s left… and make everything look GOOD for the Locals who are coming this afternoon for a looky-loo and celebrate a grand finish with us.

Those of us partaking in last night’s activities at the Island Solstice Rave, are what you would refer to as ‘Hurting Units’ this morning. So thankfully we have the opportunity to grab a morning Espresso at Cafe Rousselle, courtesy of some fellow industrious interns over at ‘Camp Hugs’… Not only do they Recycle at ‘Cafe Rouselle’… They’ve also been growing Sprouts using recycled Blue Board. These sprouts will be transplanted to the Earthship indoor Greywater Planters any day now…

Volunteer Interns have been working hard to meet this week’s deadline. It’s certainly been an Ant Hill of activity, especially when several different finishes are required in close proximity. I’ve viewed it as ‘Organized Chaos’, however the job gets done. Here the can wall is still being built, while the Tire Wall below is still being ‘Packed Out’ and simultaneously the ‘Brown Coat’ of finish plaster is applied.The West Wing Can Wall of the Main House Earthship is really starting to come along, and ties in nicely to the Rammed Earth Tire Wall that’s ‘Battered Back’ and used as a retaining/supporting wall against the back berm of the smaller Studio Earthship to the right.

This has been the Earthship Volunteer Interns daily trek for the last 4 weeks while on this build… This is my kind of commute! I took a walk to the build site to do a weekend overview of what’s been going on… I’ve started on my bike ride in the other direction on the Island from last week’s excursion. I’m passing some colourful methods of transportation…

Getting the myriad of jobs done on an Earthship build means you have to get creative with how you get it done, in a way that everyone can still work around you. I took some video which I’ll post when I get back of the anthill of activity, with up to 3 people working in the same 4 x 4 foot space. Here Earthship Biotecture crew is getting the doorway entrance ‘Airlock’ Bottle Walls done.

The East side entrance to the Studio Earthship needs to be plastered… and inside the Greenhouse Hallway planter is almost filled… Crew are continually teaching and giving instruction to interns… The chimney style can wall on the East side is coming along nicely… I’ve been working with crew on the main house Earthship ‘airlock’ doorways. These need to have insulation board inside a double can wall. This can be a lot of ‘fernickity’ work around switch plates…

I’ve decided to take the day off, it’s Sunday after all, and according to the locals, a bike ride to the South East end to ‘S. Bay’ is in order. It’s not really called S. Bay, but I’ve respected the request for privacy by the locals, and not mentioned which Gulf Island Michael Reynold’s Earthship build is on. So I start my bike ride, and it’s going to be a long one at 20km, up and down many hills. The moss everywhere has inspired me to take my iPod, and tune into classic Jethro Tull’s ‘Songs from the Woods’.

Friday June 10, on the Gulf Island Earthship Build: …Previous Post After ferocious winds during the night, I awoke to the giant tarp over my tent in a state of disrepair. Thank goodness a fellow intern in the next tent didn’t think twice about climbing the trees and helping me and Jenn out, as we…

Wednesday June 8, on the Gulf Island Earthship Build: …Previous Post Here’s an overview of both Earthship builds, from the roof of the smaller Studio Earthship. New on the Studio Earthship are the venting stacks on the roof. While the Water Heater vent stack is installed on the roof of the Studio Earthship (left), Michael…

These Volunteer Carpenters are working on finishing the Wing Wall roofs over the main house airlocks. These two roofs also will add square footage to the overall roof Catch Water System… Also on the roof, the interns have the opportunity to learn how to properly measure, cut, and bend the Pro-Panel sheets into ‘Metal Origami’ that will be installed as the Flashing and Ridge Caps for all the Vent Boxes, and Battery Boxes atop the roof. Let me just say, I enjoyed this part, however it definitely takes practice and experience to do it well. It’s an expensive mistake if you mess up on just one little cut or bend.

A lot of the Earth Berm on an Earthship is done by hand, shovel, and much effort. Here are three locals lending a hand on the side of the Studio Earthship…and our first Volunteer Interns having to return home…they will be missed.

It’s another day of ‘Liquid Sunshine’ for the Earthship build. Once again it’s a workout navigating the ‘Mosh Pit’…Before any roof work can be done, it has to be squeegeed of all the water build up…We’ve learned that with all the continuous rain, it’s necessary to make steps into the mud side to enable carrying up heavy and awkward devices like the roof top Battery and Operable Vent Boxes…Once these large boxes are put into place…

Before the Vigas can be put on the main house Earthship, EPDM has to be laid out on the back Tire Wall, and extend out over the back Berm which has already been insulated with a Thermal Wrap…Interns are cleared out of the area while Earthship Biotecture’s crew navigate the heave Vigas onto the roof of the main house Earthship… Meanwhile the gap in the Studio Earthship is closed with a can wall, and rebar is cut into spikes for…

Earthship volunteer Interns camping on the owner’s raw land, have it a little rougher, however we still dub it ‘Camp Hugs’. Camp Hugs got off to a rough start, but with time, adjustments were made for the cold, wet, damp, camping additions…Some people got creatively functional with their campsite, using just tarps and what was available on the land. Others brought in conveniences, like a stand up shower, and created their own catch water system…

‘My Survivor, Island Earthship’ Build with Michael Reynolds In BC, Canada A 5 Week Photo Journal by Monica Holy Previous Post… Today’s Friday Deluge of rain makes Monday’s start to our Gulf Island Earthship build look like a sunny day. Some people disappeared in the mud…we’re still looking for them. This amount of ‘wet’ makes…

‘My Survivor, Island Earthship’ Build with Michael Reynolds In BC, Canada A 5 Week Photo Journal by Monica Holy …Previous Post It takes many Interns and many willing hands to build one Earthship, let alone two. In the foreground is the main 3 Bedroom House, while in the background is a Studio Size Earthship. A…

‘My Survivor, Island Earthship’ Build with Michael Reynolds In BC, Canada A 5 Week Photo Journal by Monica Holy …Previous Post Even though this is only my second Earthship build with Michael Reynolds, my experience is they always start out with a ‘Mosh Pit’ day of soggy, soggy conditions. Earthships always start with recycled tires,…

‘My Survivor, Island Earthship’ Build with Michael Reynolds In BC, Canada A 5 Week Photo Journal by Monica Holy …Previous Post Getting to this remote Island location is enough to discourage most people, but we Earthship Volunteer Interns tend to made of hardy stuff. Once in Vancouver, I needed to figure out how I would…