Michael Reynolds
Arquitectura , reciclaje y medioambiente
What have we here? The building block for a new house, of course.
I
was looking in the National Archives digital copy catalog for something
else entirely when I came upon a series of photos taken by David Hiser
in 1974-1975 for the Environmental Protection Agency documenting the
construction of several experimental houses designed by architect
Michael Reynolds.
Curious
about whatever became of this project, I searched for “Michael
Reynolds,” “architect,” “Taos,” and discovered that over the past 35
years later Reynolds has continued his experiments in what he calls
“Earthship Biotecture.” You can read about it and see photos of his
recent designs at Earthship, and his work and life are the subject of a recent award-winning documentary, Garbage Warrior, by Oliver Hodge, now available on DVD.
David Hiser went on to work with National Geographic. You can read about him here.
These EPA pictures are from the DOCUMERICA collection
in the National Archives and Records Administration, which contains
almost 22,000 images taken between 1972 and 1977:
The idea behind DOCUMERICA was simple. Beginning in 1972, the EPA contracted out assignments to photographers who were paid $150 a day plus film and expenses to shoot a variety of images. . . . Photographers received full credit for any accepted images, and any rejected images were their property. All approved DOCUMERICA images became property of the U.S. government. DOCUMERICA drew upon a long history of government photography projects, but it was the brainchild of Gifford Hampshire. . . who raised the idea of a documentary photography project with aides to EPA director William Rickshaws. Several of the staff members had heard of the New Deal photography projects and were intrigued with the idea of a new project dealing with environmental issues. Soon afterward, the EPA`s Office of Public Affairs asked Hampshire to organize DOCUMERICA.
I
don’t know if Hiser or an EPA staffer wrote the captions for the
pictures. I’ll let them tell the story. All photos by David Hiser, all
courtesy National Archives.
Caption
for top picture: “BASIC BUILDING BLOCK OF EXPERIMENTAL HOUSING BEING
BUILT OF EMPTY STEEL BEER AND SOFT DRINK CANS NEAR TAOS, NEW MEXICO. A
TOTAL OF EIGHT CANS WEIGHING 14 OUNCES ARE WIRED TOGETHER AND PLACED IN
MORTAR IN THE OUTSIDE WALLS AT A COST OF 15 CENTS PER UNIT. SIX CANS ARE
EVIDENT IN THE PICTURE. THE OTHER TWO CANS HAVE BEEN FLATTENED AND
PLACED BETWEEN THE UPRIGHT AND HORIZONTAL CANS TO ACT AS WEATHER
STRIPPING AND TO PREVENT AIR FLOW THROUGH THE WALLS. A MACHINE COULD BE
DESIGNED TO MAKE THE UNITS AT A SHARPLY REDUCED COST.” [ARC Identifier
556616]
“THE
INSIDE WALLS ARE BUILT WITH CANS IN THE POSITION SHOWN. THE OUTSIDE
WALLS ARE CONSTRUCTED USING AN EIGHT CAN UNIT AS A BUILDING BLOCK” [ ARC
Identifier 556618, 55631]
“FIRST
EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE COMPLETED NEAR TAOS, NEW MEXICO USING EMPTY STEEL
BEER AND SOFT DRINK CANS. THE HOUSE WAS BUILT USING CURVED WALLS BECAUSE
THEY HAVE MORE STRENGTH, RESULTING IN PIE-SHAPED INTERIOR ROOMS. THERE
IS A LAWN ON THE ROOF BELOW THE OVERHANG AT THE TOP OF THE STRUCTURE.
RE-CYCLED PAPER PULP IS USED TO COVER THE CEILING OF THE INTERIOR. LATER
HOMES WERE BUILT WITHOUT CURVED WALLS AFTER THE DESIGNER FOUND THE CANS
WOULD SUPPORT MUCH MORE WEIGHT THAN THEY WOULD HAVE TO BEAR. UNIVERSITY
TESTS LATER SUBSTANTIATED HIS FINDING.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556623]
“LAWN
ON THE ROOF IS ONE OF SEVERAL UNUSUAL ASPECTS OF THIS EXPERIMENTAL
HOUSE BUILT NEAR TAOS, NEW MEXICO, USING EMPTY STEEL BEER AND SOFT DRINK
CANS. THE LAWN REQUIRES DAILY ATTENTION BECAUSE OF THE DRY ENVIRONMENT.
A DOOR IN THE GLASSED-IN SECTION IN THE BACKGROUND GIVES ACCESS TO A
BALCONY OVERLOOKING THE LIVING ROOM WHICH IS PIE-SHAPED. THE HOUSE, THE
FIRST TO BE BUILT WITH CAN CONSTRUCTION, WAS MADE CIRCULAR WHICH GIVES
THE WALLS ADDED STRENGTH. THE ROOF IS USED FOR SUN BATHING AND
ENTERTAINING.” [ARC Identifier 556625]
“ARCHITECT
AND EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE BUILDER MICHAEL REYNOLDS LIVES IN THIS STRUCTURE
WHICH IS A COMPENDIUM OF HIS EXPERIMENTS IN THE FIELD, NEAR TAOS, NEW
MEXICO. THE LEFT PORTION OF THE STRUCTURE WITH THE PYRAMID-SHAPED ROOF
HAS BEEN BUILT USING EMPTY STEEL BEER AND SOFT DRINK CANS. THE SLOPING
WALL AT ITS BASE IS A SOLAR HEAT COLLECTOR. REYNOLDS HAS BUILT ENTIRE
HOMES FROM THE CANS, AND REPORTS THEY CAN BE BUILT AS MUCH AS 20%
CHEAPER THAN CONVENTIONAL HOUSING.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556619]
“ANOTHER
EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE MADE OF EMPTY STEEL BEER AND SOFT DRINK CAN
CONSTRUCTION NEAR TAOS, NEW MEXICO. THIS HOUSE WILL BE PLASTERED WITH
ADOBE LIKE THE OTHER HOMES IN THE AREA, BUT WILL HAVE COST UP TO 20%
LESS, ACCORDING TO ARCHITECT MICHAEL REYNOLDS THE ROUNDED WALLS ARE LOAD
BEARING AND ARE MADE WITH BUILDING BLOCKS OF EIGHT CANS. THE FLAT WALLS
ARE NOT LOAD BEARING AND ARE BUILT WITH SINGLE CANS LAID HORIZONTALLY,
END OUT, IN THE MORTAR.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556628]
“ARCHITECT
AND EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE BUILDER MICHAEL REYNOLDS WHO LIVES NEAR TAOS,
NEW MEXICO, IN THE PYRAMID-SHAPED ROOM WHERE HE SLEEPS. IT IS MODELLED
EXACTLY AFTER THE GREAT PYRAMID IN EGYPT HE IS EXPERIMENTING WITH THE
EFFECTS OF THE PYRAMID ON HUMAN CONSCIOUSNESS. HE IS KEEPING A JOURNAL
OF HIS THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES, AND HOPES TO WRITE A BOOK ON THE
SUBJECT.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556620]
“CONSTRUCTION OF ONE OF THREE EXPERIMENTAL HOUSES BUILT FROM EMPTY BEER AND SOFT DRINK CANS. ALL ALU
MINUM
CANS ARE BEING USED IN THIS CONSTRUCTION … DESIGNER MICHAEL REYNOLDS IS
USING THEM BECAUSE THEIR AVAILABILITY HAS INCREASED. AN UNSKILLED
WORKER IS LAYING ONE OF TWO THICKNESSES OF CANS WHICH WILL BE SEPARATED
BY A VERTICAL SHEET OF FOAM INSULATION. THE EXTERIOR WILL BE GLASS,
UNPAINTED CONCRETE AND EXPOSED CANS.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556638]
MINUM
CANS ARE BEING USED IN THIS CONSTRUCTION … DESIGNER MICHAEL REYNOLDS IS
USING THEM BECAUSE THEIR AVAILABILITY HAS INCREASED. AN UNSKILLED
WORKER IS LAYING ONE OF TWO THICKNESSES OF CANS WHICH WILL BE SEPARATED
BY A VERTICAL SHEET OF FOAM INSULATION. THE EXTERIOR WILL BE GLASS,
UNPAINTED CONCRETE AND EXPOSED CANS.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556638]
“…THE FINISHED FOUNDATION WITH UPRIGHT FORMS FOR POURING CONCRETE BEAMS.” 06/1974 [ARC Identifier 556636]
“COMPLETED
PICTURE OF THE EXPERIMENTAL ALL ALUMINUM BEER AND SOFT DRINK CAN HOUSE
NEAR TAOS, NEW MEXICO. IT TOOK ABOUT 70,000 CANS TO COMPLETE THE TWO
STORY STRUCTURE. THE CANS WERE LAID HORIZONTALLY IN TWO THICKNESSES,
SEPARATED BY A VERTICAL SHEET OF FOAM INSULATION.” 01/1975 [ARC
Identifier 556644]
“INTERIOR
VIEW OF THE ALL ALUMINUM BEER AND SOFT DRINK CAN EXPERIMENTAL HOUSE
NEAR TAOS, NEW MEXICO. THE OWNERS REPORT THE HOUSE SEEMS TO WORK WELL SO
FAR AND GIVES THE FEELING OF BEING VERY SOLID. THE SOUTH FACING WINDOWS
CAPTURE HEAT FROM THE SUN.” 01/1975 [ARC Identifier 556647]
REFERENCIA
DOCUMENTALES
ENTRADAS REACIONADAS
Elaborado por Oscar Perez
Arquitecto especialista en gestion de proyectos si necesitas desarrollar algun proyecto arquitectonico en Bogota contacteme en el 3196955606 o visita mi pagina en www.arquitectobogota.tk
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