Earthship Belgium vzw

August 2nd 2009 – The reason it does work in the neighbouring countries.
After a long evolution since the seventies, with lots of experiments and opposition, Michael Reynolds Earthships are spreading from the U.S. throughout all continents.

They crossed the ocean and they are popping up all over Europe so to speak. Almost everywhere, but not in Belgium. According to Reynolds it should be possible: "Now Earthships are completely self sustainable and we already have models that work well in every climate throughout the world."

It wasn't always like that: "At first they were merely buildings constructed with garbage and waste materials: aluminum cans, bottles and worn-out tires..." Afterwards the principals of thermal mass, sun- and wind-energy emerged. Even later Reynolds decided to catch water from the sky to recycle it and in the end he added food-production to the Earthship system. It's a beautiful evolution, but Belgium has mist the opportunity for the present, in opposition of its neighbouring countries.

Recently the Netherlands have an Earthship in Zwolle and there are plans for a Earthship community in Deventer. England has one in Brighton, Scotland in Fife and Glasgow. There's one in Ger, France. In Spain there are Earthships in Valencia and Almeria. In Sweden in Vaxhuset (Soderham) and the Earthbuild team will soon go to Poland to build one over there. The desire to build in Belgium is strong but because of the rules and regulations it's nearly impossible.

A cup of rain in Zwolle

Zwolle is the Dutch town where do-park "Nooterhof" is situated in the municipality of Zwolle. A do-park is – as can be concluded by its name – a park where you can do all sort of things, especially for kids. There are water-pumps, sandpits etc. where the little ones can learn while doing. Do-park Nooterhof was in decline last year. Then the building society SWZ decided to reanimate the park and implanted an Earthship tea-house.

You can only reach the tea-house walking because cars are prohibited in do-park Nooterhof, which breathes peace and tranquillity. A few remaining crush bars at the side of the footpath leading at the tea-house are left after the revaluation of the park. The tea-house itself looks flashy with yellow, green, bottle-walls en artistic mosaics implemented in the inside walls. "This was offered by an interested artist", explains Rita Kamphuis, communication executive from SWZ.

"Licenses for an Earthship are more easily granted if it hasn't got a dwelling function" (Rita Kamphuis, from SWZ)

Of course the Earthship attracts local inhabitants, but visitors also come from far away, as is shown to us by a small boy from Amsterdam who visits the Earthship with his parents. "Look mama, there it is" he shouts when he spots the tea-house in the distance, and he runs of. Inside the fanatics hope the tea is made with rainwater. "This will be so next year", according to Rita Kamphuis. "Furthermore the Earthship is fully self-sufficient."