Albuquerque, NM - Residential
2005, 2200 square feet
The home (2,200 s.f.) is situated on a rural quarter-acre site in the historic Los Griegos neighborhood. It contains four bedrooms and two and a half bathrooms on two levels. The master suite, workout room both with sun decks to the south are on the upstairs level. The two children’s bedrooms are downstairs, sharing a bathroom. The great room links the second floor via the cathedral ceiling and is connected to the dining and kitchen areas in an open plan.
The design of the house draws from its rural setting, the local climate and topography to create a home that uses transitional spaces to connect inside with outside. The second story balconies enhance the views to the open agricultural fields, surrounding Sandia Mountains and extinct volcanoes to the west. Patios and decks are used to make spaces that both buffer the house from unwanted heat in summer yet create outdoor areas for enjoyment in good weather. The compact volume of the structure helps conserve the land for gardens and trees to assist with creating a micro-climate to enhance the passive heating and cooling strategies of the design. The longer dimension of the original house is placed on the east-west axis for solar access and control.
Passive solar heating in winter and solar shading in summer reduce the use of the conventional heating and cooling. When necessary, both levels have radiant floor heating and evaporative cooling. Unlike the Villa, this house is entirely built of wood frame construction but uses Saltillo tiles and concrete floors for thermal storage; solar gain in winter comes through the large glass doors and windows on the southern façade. The floors remain cool in summer as little direct sunlight enters in warmer months.