Driven by their love for our planet and their commitment to its environment, Dennis Weaver and wife Gerry helped design then build the Sunridge Earthship with their own hands. An architectural and engineering marvel, it remains one of the most inspiring homes on Mother Earth.

CONSTRUCTION:

In 1989, the Sunridge Earthship became Colorado's first, and the largest one ever built. Its outer shell and the supporting partitions contain 3,000 used "tire-bricks", each rammed with over 300 pounds of dirt which, when stacked and staggered form thick, dense thermal mass walls - and 350,000 aluminum cans used to build thinner, non-structural walls for bathrooms, closets, planters, staircases, etc. Once the walls were complete, stone and tile floors were laid, and wood was used to construct the roof and finish the interior. No endangered trees were sacrificed in the process ­ beams, pillars, doors and cabinets come from dead-standing spruce and beetle-killed blue pine.

YEAR-ROUND COMFORT:

Thermal mass stores heat and releases it slowly, tending to keep the indoor climate constant while outdoor temperatures fluctuate. As a result this home needs no traditional climate control system. On hot summer days, shades can be adjusted behind the picture windows, and the house is cooled by air circulating in from open dormer windows and out through raised skylights. For added comfort in the frigid winter, the floors on the main level and all upstairs bathrooms can be radiantly heated by thermostat-controlled water.

THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT:

Like most Earthships, this one is oriented to the south to absorb solar radiation that enables year round growing of fruits, vegetables, or other plants. To take advantage of this greenhouse effect, indoor planters with automated sprinklers were built on both levels beneath the picture windows.

WATER:

Ideally, an Earthship gets its water from rainwater or melted snow stored in cisterns. Because of this one's size, this approach was deemed impractical. The property is irrigated by rainfall, well, and river, but the residential water is Tri-County ­ preheated in pipes exposed to direct sunlight then heated further in a propane boiler. Drinking water is filtered through a state-of-the-art system, and gray water is recycled.

POWER:

Electricity for a true Earthship is generated by wind or solar sources. This home is primarily powered by DC batteries connected to large solar panels visible below the main deck. Lights in the home are wired to the batteries, but for efficiency the currents to most appliances are diverted through an AC inverter en route to their ultimate destinations. A few items, such as telephones and the Jacuzzi motor, are incompatible with an inverter, and thus are connected directly to the traditional power grid. The guest house, log cabin, and barn are also grid-powered.

MAINTENANCE:

In keeping pace with significant advances in solar technology, this home's power system has been recently upgraded so as to literally run itself. The batteries require standard maintenance, but there is no checking solar meters or flipping switches at sunset, no fear that any appliance will suddenly shut down. During those rare periods of extreme usage combined with scarce sunlight, the system is designed to automatically switch to the grid. In a typical month, the Earthship's electric bill is around $50, an incredibly low figure for a home its size.

LOOKING FORWARD:

In 1989, Earthships were a novelty -- cutting-edge homes that most considered "off the edge". Since then, they have come a long way. Today, living in an Earth-friendly, self-sufficient home of this type is a highly envied and desired lifestyle. And why not? Earthships have style, provide security and year round comfort, and ease the pressure on our checkbooks and our precious environment. In 15 more years, we won't even be able to count them all.