Earthship glam in ecovillage Olst

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When I think of earthships, I think of reused materials, sustainability and less consumption. I expected to meet a couple of alternative hippies trying to make the most of little space in a clumsy improvised way. I admit that I was a bit biased… In Olst it appeared nothing like that! I was amazed by the luxurious extravagant spacious houses of the people here who created their own private paradise. Even the compost toilets are chic. Watch the earthship glam in ecovillage Olst.

The earth ship quarter looks like this on the outside:

The ‘Middenhuis’ is the central community building where the people can organize all kinds of activities. Today it is for welcoming the guests, like me.

All the houses have been designed differently:

Hélene and her daughter Nico Nina were the first who rent an earth ship house. The walls are made of earth, which they pitched themselves. Inside the walls are tires.
Most houses have compost toilets.
Gerard, Wendy, Wessel and Auke have a real bottle wall between their living room and their bathroom.

Nothing like garbage

Wouter and Barbara used pallets, pieces of natural stone and bottles for their house, but it looks nothing like garbage on the contrary… 


Wouter and Barbara used pallets, pieces of natural stone and bottles for their house, but it looks nothing like garbage on the contrary.
Lony created her beautiful colorful palace.
Bart, Karin and Flora used recycled billboards for decoration.

Paul, Ruurdtje, Marlinde and Jovanna like an organic design. They also made their own walls from earth and wheat straw from their own yard and sand from the river IJssel.

No experience

In 2006 these people came together as group of friends and acquaintances who did not have experience in building houses. They made plans for the new ecovillage and 10 years later the village was created! The technique of the buildings was based on the ideas of the American biotect (bio-architect) Michael Reynolds, who created a couple of earth ships himself in the States and who later helped to build an earthship teahouse in the city of Zwolle, which is not far away from Olst. The idea behind earthships is to use ‘garbage’ material, for example tires, pallet wood and old doors.

Ecovillages around the World€ 10,66Direct beschikbaar Koop bij bol.com