With the reelection of Barack Obama, Canadians won’t have to fend off an invasion of disgruntled American liberals any time soon. But the Earthship invasion of our neighbor to the north, it seems, is already in full swing.

This deep-green, low-tech brand of building — which originated in UFO-prone New Mexico — makes extensive use of earth-packed tires as building blocks, along with various other forms of refuse and natural materials. It is the brainchild of architect  Michael Reynolds, who characterizes it as a “radically sustainable” method of home building. The Earthship method incorporates about 45 percent recycled materials, and relies largely on the sun for heat.

DAVE McGINN - The Globe and Mail

To build their dream home on a patch of farmland in Southern Ontario, Craig and Connie Cook had to source 1,200 old tires. Packed with dirt, they are the bricks of their “earthship” – an off-the-grid home made of recycled materials, in which the main source of heat is the sun.

Earthships are the brainchild of Michael Reynolds, a New Mexico-based architect and the founder of Earthship Biotecture, a company that designs and builds homes constructed with about 45-per-cent reused materials, including plastic and glass bottles, cans, reclaimed wood, natural plaster and stone, and reclaimed metal from washing machines and refrigerators.

There are dozens of such homes in Canada, where the concept has seen a surge following a 2007 documentary about Reynolds called Garbage Warrior. The movie helped popularize Earthships, which appeal to many for both environmental and economic reasons.