Sustainable Buildings: A Dream

I needed some inspiration.  I wanted something that was beyond my skill level, something that I could aspire to making a reality sometime in the distant future.  Why would I want to do that when I could instead look for a goal that’s easily attainable?

Probably because I’m a glutton for punishment.

Well, ok… that’s not the only reason.  I needed inspiration that I’d have to do some serious work to realize.  I wanted something that would force me to learn new skills, and a lot of them.

I found it in the Starbucks Reclamation Drive-thru in Tukwila, Washington.  This is a building that was created using old shipping containers that would otherwise end up creating more waste in rail scrap yards. 

That’s not it, though.  The building also uses native plants in its landscaping and uses water collected from its roof to nourish them.  Wow!

I then remembered a trip I took to CEDO (Centro Intercultural de Estudios de Desiertos y Oceanos) in Sonora, Mexico over a decade ago.  The gift shop was made primarily from tires, sand, and aluminum cans.  The Earthship gift shop is still in existence today.

photo borrowed from the blog Not all those who wander are lost. 

When I visited CEDO, the Earthship was not yet connected to the main building.  It was simply one big dome set apart from the rest of the facility.  I remember how cool the air within the Earthship was, and how sturdy it felt.  This is something that I could jump into planning for myself.

A nice, green DIY project, I think!  


No, I do not plan to open a small business.  Building my own eco friendly home by reusing items that would otherwise be left in a scrap yard or a landfill, however, is something that I’d love to do.  I’ll just need to be sure to focus on research and skill building.  Not doing so could be a rather large mistake.