Tirehouse II

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As of November, five lots had been sold. What types of people are looking to move into this subdivision? According to Olson, who is also the development coordinator for the project, the average home builder is concerned with today's skyrocketing building-material costs, higher and higher energy costs, and concern for the environment. People want energy-efficient homes to keep these costs down, and are beginning to look for alternative building techniques:'

Local Boise resident Mary Reed agrees. She saw the earthship concept on TV about a year ago, and then saw a local news article on the subdivision this past summer. After seeing actor Dennis Weaver's finished firehouse on video, Mary was convinced that the concept is viable; she is considering building a house early next year with PMA's help. She likes the obvious heating and cooling advantages implicit in the design, as well as the idea of recycling tires. "Anything that can help reduce this ongoing environmental disaster is important," Mary says. "But the most important thing about this type of house is its warm and secure feeling; it is very livable and has a lot of flexibility in design and function:"

Ken Kroll, another interested homebuilder, says that the flexibility in the firehouse's design is absolutely crucial. "Being able to incorporate personal needs and desires into your own structure is what life is all about:"

Unexpected Resources Help Out

A big boost for the company's development efforts came when Idaho's major electrical utility Idaho Power, jumped on board. "It's the last place you might think to look for help on a solar project;" states Olson. "But it proves that even the most traditional entities are realizing that change has to occur soon:' The utility has designed and will maintain, for three years, a solar-powered, photovoltaic energy system to provide for the home's electrical needs.

Engineer John Wennstrom, of Idaho Power's Energy Division, reinforces PMA's goal: "Idaho Power is committed to Solar Summit as a research project. The Public Utilities Commission has encouraged us to be more active in solar, and PMA's projects have helped provide incentives for us to file a tariff with the commission, which they've approved. Our commitment can now be expanded to helping anyone who is living or wants to live off the grid:" People in remote areas can now look to an established entity to help them harness power for their homes and cabins.

Searching for Solutions

The super insulation and mass of the tire house sparked another thought for PMA. As Logan tells it, "The houses we are building today are dinosaurs. There isn't a good reason why we aren't building better homes, so we started looking for other super-insulated home plans that would work for our subdivision. We have found several different kinds, from Styrofoam to stray, but we had to look hard in many different places to find them. The problem is that the consumer isn't aware of everything available, and it is frustrating when you can't find one place that a person can call to get a list of names and phone numbers of alternative-housing companies:'

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