In the foothills of Santa Fe’s Sangre de Christo Mountains, a very active retired couple wanted to be their own general contractor on a site they had found for their future home. The existing site had a hidden grotto quality nestled amongst native piñon and juniper trees. The owners wished to preserve this esoteric mystique while celebrating the views of nearby revered Sun and Moon Mountains and distant mountain views beyond.

Although outside of Santa Fe’s strict historic district design guidelines, this design seeks to echo the city’s famed adobe/Spanish Pueblo Revival paradigm using heavy low-profile massing, strategic window fenestration, and traditional local materials. The project is sculpted into the site to minimize its height by way of stepping sandstone retaining walls. Santa Fe’s ethereal light and prerequisite outdoor living are meant to have an active dynamic presence throughout the seasons. The house borrows color/texture queues from the landscape, including the juniper bark colored stucco.