Earthship Brighton was the Low Carbon Trust's first project and was the first Earthship to be built in England. The project was built as a community centre for use by Stanmer Organics, built on a Soil Association accredited site in Brighton.
This pioneering demonstration project has evolved over the last ten years, providing jobs for local workers and enabling people to come and experience a cutting edge eco-build and be inspired to respond to climate change in their own ways back at home and work.
2000 Invited Mike Renolds to UK
2001 Low Carbon Trust formed
2003 Got planning permission, funding in place
2007 To take things further – drew together funding and lead a professional team through a feasibility study to look at using earthship brighton as a prototype for a housing development. This was successfully completed and lead to the securing of full planning permission for a 16 unit earthship housing development on land overlooking the Marina.
Detailed timeline available.
Link to H2020 SI Priorities
Climate change mitigation solutions
Climate action by sustainable lifestyle
Resource efficient sustainable lifestyles
Eco-solutions to reduce raw materials use
Raw materials conscious sustainable lifestyle
SI Type
Social (incl. behavioural) - This is a low tech innovation mainly based on changing the way we live, consume, and relate to our envirnment
System - It is a system innovation because it involves solutions for all systems operating in buildings, i.e. heating, ventilation, sanitation, etc.
SI Objectives
Construct a building that would be used to demonstrate how a low carbon and low waste future could look.
SI Origin
Earthships were pioneered by Michael Reynolds over 30 years in New Mexico and now evolving globally. The first Earthship was built in the UK in Brighton when project funding, planning permission and the new organisation, the Low Carbon Trust was set up.
SI Factors of success
Environmental - To demonstrate innovative, low cost, low carbon, low impact housing of the future
Social - inspiring positive action in individuals to generate environmental change through modifying people's behaviour to less carbon intensive lifestyles
Ethical - changing values in the construction industry
Spatial / Urban - delivering a sustainable community centre in response to a genuine local need
