Building with earth - Gernot MINKE (1)

Residence and studio at Gallina
Canyon, New Mexico, USA
The two-storey residence, built of sun-dried,
unstabilised and locally made adobes, provides
spectacular views from its terraces
and roof top of the Gallina Canyon in the
Sangre De Christo Mountains, north of Taos,
New Mexico. It displays several features of
environment-conscious design, such as passive
solar heating through a combination of
direct solar gain with a thermal chimney,
which distributes warm air to the cooler
rooms on the north side of the house. Electricity
is backed up by a photovoltaic system,
and water from the roofs is harvested
for gardening purposes. Interior surfaces
show on-site mud plaster finishes, flagstone
floors and recycled oak beams.
Architect: ONE EARTH DESIGN, Joaquin Karcher,
Taos, NM, USA
Builder: Aqua Fria Construction, Ed Baca, Taos,
NM, USA
Completion: 2001
Area: 390 m 2
162
Built examples