RSS FeedApr 21 2009
Visit to the Phoenix Earthship
My mother was recently out to visit me in New Mexico. She’s always wanted to see Taos, so I planned an overnight trip for the two of us while she was here. As fascinated as I am by Mike Reynold’s earthship designs, I decided to book our overnight stay in the Phoenix Earthship, perhaps best described as the Ritz Carlton of earthships.
Considering the place is currently for sale for $1.5 M, the cost of a nightly rental is quite reasonable. You can rent the smaller West Wing, which consists of a bedroom, bathroom, and sunroom for $100 or the East Wing which includes two bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, central lounge area, and two bedrooms for $150. The two sides of the house both have access to the atrium which is perhaps the most spectacular feature of the house. You also have the option of renting the whole place for $250 per night. Even if you were to rent the full place, prices are very reasonable compared to more traditional hotel rooms in the city. And the Phoenix Earthship is, hands down, far cooler than anything you will find in town.
The Phoenix’s atrium was probably my favorite feature. It consists of a small jungle’s worth of plants, a pond stocked with Tilapia and turtles, and a small flock of parrots which fly freely about. The sound of the running water and birdsong was enchanting. I spent most of my time in the earthship hanging out by the pond watching the bird flutter from rafter to rafter beneath the glass ceiling which was reminscent of England’s Crystal Palace.
I also adored the Chinese-red handmade kitchen cabinets and the curvaceous hand-sculpted bathtub that flooded with colored light when morning sun shone through the bottled wall. This earthship is also equiped with a large flat-screen tv which hangs over a colorful fireplace replete with fountain. And, of course, there is high-speed internet throughout the rooms.
I felt very privileged to have had the opportunity to stay in the earthship for the night and even was able to sneak a pick at Michael Reynolds, the architect and creator of earthships, when he came through the atrium in the morning to check in with his work crew. It felt a little like spying on an eco-friendly version of Willy Wonka issuing his daily orders to a staff of especially hip, dreadlocked oompa loompas.
Below I’ve shared some of the photos I took of the earthship and also a quick video. Please be forewarned that the video is terrible production quality. I took the video in a series of snippets on my digital camera. When I got home and saw the results, I decided it was time to purchase an inexpensive camcorder. So, hopefully, future video on this site will be significantly less disjointed and blurry.
I decided to go ahead and include the footage in this entry because I thought it gave a good sense of how close to nature you feel in the atrium and how the various spaces in the earthship flowed into one another. Both of which I appreciate and figured other might, too.
My mother was recently out to visit me in New Mexico. She’s always wanted to see Taos, so I planned an overnight trip for the two of us while she was here. As fascinated as I am by Mike Reynold’s earthship designs, I decided to book our overnight stay in the Phoenix Earthship, perhaps best described as the Ritz Carlton of earthships.
Considering the place is currently for sale for $1.5 M, the cost of a nightly rental is quite reasonable. You can rent the smaller West Wing, which consists of a bedroom, bathroom, and sunroom for $100 or the East Wing which includes two bedrooms, kitchen, dining room, central lounge area, and two bedrooms for $150. The two sides of the house both have access to the atrium which is perhaps the most spectacular feature of the house. You also have the option of renting the whole place for $250 per night. Even if you were to rent the full place, prices are very reasonable compared to more traditional hotel rooms in the city. And the Phoenix Earthship is, hands down, far cooler than anything you will find in town.
The Phoenix’s atrium was probably my favorite feature. It consists of a small jungle’s worth of plants, a pond stocked with Tilapia and turtles, and a small flock of parrots which fly freely about. The sound of the running water and birdsong was enchanting. I spent most of my time in the earthship hanging out by the pond watching the bird flutter from rafter to rafter beneath the glass ceiling which was reminscent of England’s Crystal Palace.
I also adored the Chinese-red handmade kitchen cabinets and the curvaceous hand-sculpted bathtub that flooded with colored light when morning sun shone through the bottled wall. This earthship is also equiped with a large flat-screen tv which hangs over a colorful fireplace replete with fountain. And, of course, there is high-speed internet throughout the rooms.
I felt very privileged to have had the opportunity to stay in the earthship for the night and even was able to sneak a pick at Michael Reynolds, the architect and creator of earthships, when he came through the atrium in the morning to check in with his work crew. It felt a little like spying on an eco-friendly version of Willy Wonka issuing his daily orders to a staff of especially hip, dreadlocked oompa loompas.
Below I’ve shared some of the photos I took of the earthship and also a quick video. Please be forewarned that the video is terrible production quality. I took the video in a series of snippets on my digital camera. When I got home and saw the results, I decided it was time to purchase an inexpensive camcorder. So, hopefully, future video on this site will be significantly less disjointed and blurry.
I decided to go ahead and include the footage in this entry because I thought it gave a good sense of how close to nature you feel in the atrium and how the various spaces in the earthship flowed into one another. Both of which I appreciate and figured other might, too.
Wow, it’s beautiful! My mom lives near Arcosanti in Scottsdale which we go to every time I visit. But this is even more amazing. Thanks for sharing it.
Ken, if you like Paolo Soleri’s place in Scottsdale, you should go see the full Arcosanti (about an hour north of Phoenix) next time you’re out. It’s really neat. I’m especially in love with their outdoor auditorium and there stargazing stairs.
But, yes, the earthships are amazing, too. I especially love their use of glass and bright interior colors. And something about the earth walls feels totally right to me.
I agree…Arcosanti is unbelievable. Great pics….i’ve never had the pleasure of a stay. thx
Thanks for posting about your stay — the pictures are beautiful. I’ve always been fascinated by Earthships and we’re considering a visit. Any downsides? I’ve read about faint odors from the compostable toilets, ginormous bugs (inside) and some wear and tear in the other homes, but haven’t seen much about the Phoenix. Thanks again.
Actually, I had zero negatives staying at the Phoenix. In the Hut Earthship, there was a faint smell from the composting toilet but not the Phoenix. Nary a bug in sight.
I guess my only real complaint is that the wireless router in the Phoenix is on a hour timer. So if I forgot to run over and turn the dial periodically, I got dropped from my network connection which was a pain. But that’s about it for negatives.
Wonderful – thanks!