Leo Bakx

Ecolodgic was a project that ran from 2004 till 2006, promoting alternative building styles in particular building with car tyres and earth inspired on the Earthship concept of Michael Reynolds of Earthship Biotecture in Taos, NM.

During this time we built a few demonstration structures in Denmark, Western Australia with the help of volunteers, supported by the Denmark Shire, Green Skills Inc, local businesses.

The most successful and rewording project was commissioned by the then principal of the Denmark High School John Corson who recognised the educational and social potential of the earthship concept. 70+ year 8 students participated over a period of 4 months September till December 2005. The project was finished shortly after the Christmas holidays with the raising of a steel roof. The project was nominated for state and national environment education awards. In 2006 students constructed a car tyre and earth path through a rather swampy part of the school grounds under the supervision of their science teacher J. Findley.

Although there was a lot of interest from public and press it never got to the stage where a property owner commissioned the design and construction of a residential building in Western Australia. Nevertheless an owner-builder in New South Wales designed and built a house during this time, published about it in Grassroots Magazine and ran some workshops on his property.