When Brian and Karen Gubb began building their ‘dream home’ three years back in the foothills of the Hakarimatas on Waingaro Rd. in New Zealand, they probably didn’t realize it was destined to become an item of worldwide interest. The reason why the ‘labour of love’—Kandoit, the ground-breaking Ngaruawahia earthship-style house–of the couple is considered to be unique is that it is made entirely out of old tyres, bottles, cans, clay and recycled materials!
Visitors from all over the world have been drawn to this unconventional project which has almost zero budget. Encouragement has poured in from many sources. Let’s take a sneak peek inside the unique haven.
Internally, most of the clay-rammed tyre walls have had their initial coat of adobe plaster. Internal wiring and plumbing have been acquired from the defunct Fagan’s poultry farm in Ruakura, while timber and outside paving have been recycled from the Huntly wharf. There is no dearth of color in the home. But expensive paints and exotic decorations have not been allowed entry. Wine and gin bottles from the Huntly recycling centre add colour and light to the adobe mud plaster, while squashed aluminium cans help aerate the clay and act as an adhesive shelf for the final layer of plaster over the top of chicken wire. In the kitchen, a vegetable garden growing silver beet and tomatoes irrigated by grey water from the sink, grows around the bench, facilitated by the greenhouse style frontage.
Work has been slower than they had estimated and there is still time before it becomes fit to be lived in, but the couples’ eyes glow with the joy of creation as they look lovingly around the innovative and admirable project they call ‘home’.
Via: Stuff
