In the 1970s, at a time of heightened awareness around ecology and planet sustainability, American architect Michael Reynolds came up with the concept of an ‘Earthship’. Defined as being 'a building that conforms to the principles of self-sustainability', 'Earthships' were self-contained, had minimal environmental impact and were essentially a land-locked ‘craft’ designed to be in harmony with their surroundings.
The Earthship Te Timatanga has landed.

This 'Earthship' concept was further founded, and grounded, on the idea of ‘biotecture’ – the coming together of nature and design with elements of anti-consumerism and a touch of renegade spirit combined!

In the New Zealand context, there could be no better spiritual home to this construction style than the Coromandel Peninsula, where elements of the ‘alternative’ lifestyle and planet consciousness are alive and well. No surprise then that Te Timatanga (The Beginning) took shape on land near the seaside resort of Tairua.

The building is vintage 'Earthship'. Made from recycled materials (notably mud bricks, 7000 glass bottles and 1300 recycled tyres rammed full of earth), this building collects and recycles its own water, contains its own sewage, grows much of the family’s food and, through a combination of active solar heating and thermal mass construction, also generates its own energy.

The structure itself is a low-slung, single-storied home consisting of four bedrooms, a bathroom, and an open-plan kitchen and living room. It is ‘at one with the earth' with one side of the residence literally embedded into the hillside behind it. The north-facing wall, on the other hand, features a mass of glass which maximises the sun’s warmth and provides a ‘moving picture’ of ever changing reflections from the sky.

The choice of roofing had to complement the 'earth safe' philosophies that inspired the home's design. The natural choice proved to be longrun COLORSTEEL® in Thunder Grey. This particular colour blends in with the Coromandel Mountains as well as the dusky Manuka bush that surrounds the ‘Earthship’. 

As seen on Series 1 of TV3's Grand Designs New Zealand.

Material: Colorsteel MAXX® in Thunder Grey®
Profile: Thermospan EPS
Supplier: Metalcraft
Installer: Metalcraft Insulated Panel Systems