Environmentally Sensitive Design for New Home
This 3,000 sf residence, situated on 3 acres of land in Santa Fe, NM, has sweeping views of the Jemez Mountains from every room. Environmentally sensitive building techniques are employed throughout the home, including a roof collection system for rain water harvesting and storage, adobe walls for thermal mass, windows and roof overhangs that maximize solar gain in winter and shading in summer, and operable windows on two sides of every space for natural ventilation. A separate detached casita with its own porch facing the Ortiz Range to the south is connected to the main house along a stone walkway.
The building is entered from a lower courtyard and the entry sequence gradually reveals views of gardens and the mountains beyond, and blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces.
Xeriscape and minimal site intrusion maintain and enhance the existing high desert flora and fauna. Indigenous materials are used throughout the project. The fireplace, some exterior walls, and terrace paving are constructed of local sandstone. Exposed Douglas Fir beams and trim, and natural earthen plasters finish the interior spaces.
Project Team
Landscape Architects: Laurie Olin and Victoria Steiger
Sweeping views of the surrounding mountains are seen from every room.
