Timeline 2002/03 - planning & fundraising

  • Jul 2002 Funding is fully confirmed from Biffaward and full planning permission is granted. Communication Work Group issues a joint press release with SCI who begin Earthship Fife. Well placed article in Guardian gets front page leading to TV coverage and large scale awareness of Earthships in the UK. LCN team train on Earthship Fife project.
  • Winter 2002 Design finalised and adapted to the UK climate. A member of the LCN build crew George Clinton trains on Earthship builds in Taos, New Mexico. Environment Agency takes exceptional step of giving authority to build Earthship Brighton using waste car tyres without the need for a waste management license.  Director/producer Oliver Hodge inspired to document the British Earthship project.
  • April/May 2003 Stanmer site in Brighton prepared and work begins. Mike Reynolds and crew come over to England to help build the hut module and train Low Carbon Network crew in Earthship construction techniques.  Oliver Hodge begins time lapse photography of the build and after interviewing Mike Reynolds is inspired to evolve the documentary by covering the bigger earthship story in America.
  • June 2003 Partial ban of tyres from landfill across Europe under the European Landfill Directive.
  • Summer/Autumn 2003 All tyres are rammed. Timber frame and shell of Earthship is built and rainwater harvesting systems installed. Successfully start harvesting rainwater in August.

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