Mike Reynolds (architect)

Michael E. "Mike" Reynolds is an American architect based in New Mexico, known for the design and construction of "earthship" passive solar houses. He is a proponent of "radically sustainable living". He has been a critic of the profession of architecture for reusing unconventional building materials from waste streams, such as automobile tires, and is known for designs that test the limits of building codes.

After graduating from the University of Cincinnati in 1969, Reynolds immediately began producing his provocative work. His thesis was published in Architectural Record in 1971 and the following year he built his first house from recycled materials. The structures built under his direction utilize everyday trash items like aluminum beverage cans, plastic bottles and used tires. Instead of using conventional, energy-consuming, recycling methods, however, Reynolds takes the discarded items and recycles them as-is. His Thumb House, built in 1972, used beer cans wired together into "bricks", which were mortared together and then plastered over. The brick design was patented in 1973.

Reynolds calls this practice "Earthship Biotecture". He cites as an epiphany the moment he realized that any object could be utilized—an old tire could become a powerful and durable thermal mass when it was filled with soil, or a pop bottle could be used for insulation. He has written five books on the subject.

Soon he was building and selling his experimental homes while continuing to use trial-and-error to improve them.

Over time, the earthships incorporated features designed to make them comfortable to inhabit while existing off-the-grid. Solar panels and geothermal cooling were added. The unusual homes caught the attention of celebrities and environmental activists. Actors Dennis Weaver and Keith Carradine each commissioned Reynolds to build high-end Earthships for them.

Though Reynolds always stressed the experimental nature of his homes, disillusioned buyers filed lawsuits and complaints over defects, such as leaky roofs and inadequate climate control. Spurred by the many claims against Reynolds, the State Architects Board of New Mexico stripped him of his credentials, saying his home designs were illegal and unsafe. In 1990, Reynolds gave up his New Mexico architecture and construction licenses after a year-long dispute with several clients.

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Wikipedia