Grandma Builds an EarthShip Home

At 67 years old, Pascha Dodd decided to build her own home — not a conventional house, but an Earthship: a rammed-earth, off-grid structure built largely from recycled materials, designed to heat and cool itself using the thermal mass of the earth.

She had no prior construction experience. What she had was determination, curiosity, and a belief that it was never too late to build something from scratch. Grandma Builds an EarthShip Home follows her through the entire process — from breaking ground to moving in — and captures both the physical challenge and the philosophical spirit behind the Earthship movement.

Directed by Kent Gunnufson, the film won the Remi Special Juror's Award at Worldfest-Houston in 2009 and Best Colorado Film at the Colorado Independence Film Festival in 2008. It remains one of the most inspiring stories in the Mountain Magazine catalog.