Editing Autonomous building (section)

==History==
===1970s===
[[Image:PHOENIXBATH.jpg|thumb|The bathroom of an [[Earthship]], featuring a recycled [[bottle wall]] ]]
In the 1970s, groups of [[activists]] and [[engineers]] were inspired by the warnings of imminent [[resource depletion]] and starvation. In the United States, a group calling themselves the [[New Alchemy Institute|New Alchemists]] were famous for the depth of research effort placed in their projects. Using conventional [[construction]] techniques, they designed a series of "[[bioshelter]]" projects, the most famous of which was [[The Ark (Prince Edward Island)|The Ark]] [[bioshelter]] community for [[Prince Edward Island]]. They published the plans for all of these, with detailed design calculations and blueprints. The Ark used wind-based water pumping and electricity and was self-contained in food production. It had living quarters for people, [[fish farming|fish]] tanks raising [[tilapia]] for [[protein]], a [[greenhouse]] watered with fish water, and a closed-loop sewage reclamation system that [[Recycling|recycled human waste]] into sanitized fertilizer for the fish tanks.<ref>{{cite web | last=Rose | first=Steve | title=The New Alchemists: could the past hold the key to sustainable living? | website=The Guardian | date=29 September 2019 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/ng-interactive/2019/sep/29/the-new-alchemists-could-the-past-hold-the-key-to-sustainable-living | access-date=25 January 2025}}</ref> 

Around 1975–1977, Australian architect and lecturer at  [[University of Sydney School of Architecture, Design and Planning|University of Sydney School of Architecture]], [[Col James (architect)|Col James]], in collaboration with urban designer, architect, artist, and university tutor Nick Hollo, designed and built an [[autonomous house]] on university grounds, in collaboration with students.<ref>{{cite web|first1=Catherine |last1=De Lorenzo|first2=Cheng |last2=XuNote |date=2011 | title=Nick Hollo: biography | website=  [[Design and Art Australia Online]] | url=https://www.daao.org.au/bio/nick-hollo/biography/ | access-date=25 January 2025|quote= Date written: 2008; Last updated: 2011}}</ref> This taught self-build sustainability to hundreds of students.<ref>{{cite web |first= Tone |last=Wheeler| title=Dempsey Warehouse: A pioneering model for cooperative housing | website=ArchitectureAu | date=13 March 2024 | url=https://architectureau.com/articles/dempsey-warehouse-by-marra-and-yeh/ | access-date=25 January 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal | last=Stickells | first=Lee | title=Journeys with the Autonomous House | journal=Fabrications | volume=27 | issue=3 | date=2 September 2017 | issn=1033-1867 | doi=10.1080/10331867.2017.1368911 | pages=352–375}}</ref>

===1990s===
The 1990s saw the development of [[Earthship]]s, similar in intent to the Ark project, but organised as a for-profit venture, with construction details published in a series of three books by American architect [[Mike Reynolds (architect)|Mike Reynolds]]. The building material is [[tire]]s filled with [[soil|earth]]. This makes a wall that has large amounts of [[thermal mass]] (see [[earth sheltering]]). [[Berm]]s are placed on exposed surfaces to further increase the house's temperature stability. The water system starts with rain water, processed for drinking, then washing, then plant watering, then toilet flushing, and finally [[blackwater (waste)|black water]] is recycled again for more plant watering. The [[cistern]]s are placed and used as thermal masses. Power, including electricity, heat and water heating, is from [[solar energy|solar power]].

Some 1990s architects such as [[William McDonough]] and [[Ken Yeang]] applied environmentally responsible building design to large commercial buildings, such as office buildings, making them largely self-sufficient in energy production. One major bank building ([[ING Group]]'s [[Amsterdam]] headquarters) in the Netherlands was constructed to be autonomous and artistic as well.

===2000s===
In 2002, British architects [[Brenda and Robert Vale]] wrote:<ref>{{cite book |last= Vale |first= Brenda and Robert |author-link= Brenda and Robert Vale |title= The New Autonomous House|year= 2000|publisher= Thames & Hudson Ltd|location= London |isbn=0-500-34176-1 }}</ref><blockquote>It is quite possible in all parts of Australia to construct a 'house with no bills', which would be comfortable without heating and cooling, which would make its own electricity, collect its own water and deal with its own waste...These houses can be built now, using off-the-shelf techniques. It is possible to build a "house with no bills" for the same price as a conventional house, but it would be (25%) smaller.</blockquote>