As a student in 2012, I spent a month at the company, Earthship Biotecture in New Mexico. It builds off-grid homes using recycled materials. Back in Brazil, I won a research scholarship to adapt the technique to our region. In 2015, as an architect, I decided to build the first “Earthship” in Brazil, a solar passive house, based on my studies of natural materials. The house is a laboratory and training site for students and enthusiasts on sustainable self-construction and partnering with private companies.