With WoodMetalConcrete Architecture, Santa Fe, NM
Goals
- Create a home truly reflective of the client, the site, and the local culture.
- Implement principles of sustainable design and material selections – including the use of solar electric panels for generating power – leaving the home completely off the electric utility grid.
Challenges
- Design in a unique local vernacular.
- Work at a distance from the site.
- Address the desire of the client to have an antique home of traditional architecture, while avoiding cliché.
Design Response
- Created a traditional courtyard plan where each component – living room/kitchen, bedrooms, and master bedroom – is connected only by exterior portals (vernacular term for "covered porches").
- Designed the courtyard elements to frame views of the ranch lands and mountains.
- Varied the design of each component in an evolving architectural style – from the traditional living/dining/kitchen building at the core of the home, to what appear to be more recently constructed bedroom and master suite buildings around the courtyard. The design variations suggest a narrative and an evolution of the home, providing a sense of history and the character that comes with age.
- Used sustainable materials, such as autoclaved aerated concrete blocks, that inherently support natural responses to environmental conditions.
- Incorporated a full array of photovoltaic panels, solar heating panels, batteries, and other technologies to allow for modern living in this energy independent home.
Contractor
Fred and JJ Milder
