Ambler resident Will Vogler is building a “Hobbit”-like home in Schuylkill County, writes Jason Nark for The Philadelphia Inquirer.

Called the Tamaqua Sustainability Project, the project is inspired by designs in the desert of New Mexico. It is modeled on the first “Earthship” built by Mike Reynolds with old beer cans and used tires in 1979.

“I was the crazy hippie in the desert building houses out of garbage,” Reynolds said. “I was ridiculed and abused. I even lost my architecture license in one state.”

Since then though concerns over climate change, power grid failure and drought have made the Earthship “biotecture” more popular.

There are about 3,000 of them built around the world, including in New Zealand and Australia.

The Earthship is also a natural heating and cooling system and a water filtration plant. Reynold believes that the Earthship is the best structure survive climate change in.

Vogel is hoping to sell off some parcels of land to people who also want to build Earthships so they can build a community.

“We want to create a community,” he said. “At least three to five other projects here.”

Read more about the Tamaqua Sustainability Project and Ambler’s Will Vogler at The Philadelphia Inquirer.

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More examples of Earthships.