CREATIVE CLIENTS

 

A perfect example of client input during the design process. working from a specific design program and a fairly detailed floorpan, we came up with the perfect retirement home for a couple leaving TX. The fantastic asset of having knowledgeable and creative folks as customers is that it means every home we do is unique. This home is 2445 sq ft. with with about 1200 sq ft of patio areas for all season outdoor living. The home achieved Build Green New Mexico Gold status. As always a gray water system was installed to assist with landscaping, and rooftop collection into French drains means that our precious rainwater can also help keep the landscaping healthy. This project was completed 3/1/22.

 
Street View rendering

Street View rendering

Floor Plan.

Floor Plan.

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Remodeling and Home Design

STAYING IN THE HOOD

 

This client LOVES her neighborhood. The walkability, closeness to downtown, shopping, the kids school is around the corner, and basically she can live her life on a bike, and not in a car. The lot? Well… everyone (including myself) didn’t even realize it was a lot. It looks like an orphan piece of land attached to the existing home next door. But, my client is a very creative soul, and saw “possibilities” where no one else did. On an airplane, with some graph paper and a pencil, she pretty much sketched out a floorpan that fit this very setback and size constricted lot. I got to make the room sizes, and basic layout work, and define the exterior elevations. Another successful client/designer collaboration was birthed. The home is approximately 1800 sq ft 3 bedroom, with 2.5 baths and a semi formal dining room.It also has a 2 car garage. The homed achieved LEED Platinum status. The client moved in summer of 2021 (Photos By Daniel Nadelbach)

 

Street View

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Plat- we love a good challenge!

Rear of House/Dining Room Portal

Rear of House/Kitchen Portal

Entry Foyer/Living Room

Living Room

dining Room/Kitchen

Kitchen

Kitchen

Remodeling and Home Design

2022-the year of mid century modern clients

 

A design style close to my heart! Not only did I get 2 commissions in the last 12 months for mid century inspired homes, but both clients are on board with our net zero design strategy. Two homes are around 2500 sq ft and will use an all electric mechanical and appliance package. Heating/ domestic hot water is provided with an air to water heat pump and all appliances will be electric. Coupled with a PV system, the goal is to achieve a net zero energy footprint. We also strive, from a design standpoint, to minimize the carbon footprint of the material we use. As much as possible, all insulation is provided by recycled cellulose, and our foundation system uses around 40% less concrete than a normal full depth system. We minimize the use of rigid foam products. Understandably there is an interest in alternative wall systems, but a lot of them are either rigid foam and/or concrete based, and those items tend to have a much higher carbon footprint than a traditional wood framed home. By using advanced framing techniques we try to use less lumber than a more traditionally framed home. High performance windows are another part of our design/building toolset.

Following are 2 current designs, renderings and floorpans, and photos.

The Sendero Alto project features an interior courtyard where a tree can grow…( a design feature found on Eichler homes back in the day…)

 

ENTRY VIEW, SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

REAR VIEW, SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

SOUTH VIEW, SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

ENTRY CLOSEUP OF BREEZEWAY TO FRONT DOOR SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

INTERIOR COURTYARD, SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

NORTH EAST CORNER SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

FLOORPLAN SENDERO ALTO PROJECT

This next home is the Acote Project. 1900 sq ft main house with 500 sq ft artists studio. Lots of client input on this floorpan. This home was completed 8/2023. It won a Design Award in the 2023 Parade of Homes. Net Zero, (HERS of -23!) Greywater system waters 6 newly planted piñon trees at the front of the home.

SOUTH SIDE, ACOTE PROJECT

ACOTE PROJECT ELEVATIONS

Nearing completion, front of home

Front Portal

drone shot of house and studio

Kitchen

Living Room

Dining Room

Mid Century Modern, The Santa Fe Way

 

The Home I would build for myself, but I had clients that wanted the exact same thing! Its rare when that happens, but in this case, it was a perfect fit. One of the tightest houses we have ever built, with an ACH or .92, this home is a near net zero design, with a HERS rating of…6 It’s all electric featuring a first in the state Sanden hot water heat pump system that provides domestic hot water and water for the radiant heating system. A greywater system, rainwater directed towards planting areas, A 5 KVW PV system, and a green roof, this house sets a new paradigm of what “Santa Fe Style” means in a changing world. The home is 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, and is 2050 sq ft, with a roof top deck, and extensive portal areas on all 4 sides, the home is as much about outdoor living as indoor living.

 

 
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Remodeling and Home Design

Small home with a big heart

 

Only 650 sq.ft, this custom home next to one of Santa Fe’s favorite destinations, the Frank Ortiz Dog Park, was built by the owner of the adjacent residence, for one of her family members. Lots of glass, the airy loft, and high ceilings, make the home feel much bigger than the square footage would suggest. The home achieved Build Green New Mexico Emerald status. PV, a greywater system, an airtight envelope and highly insulated walls and ceilings, helped us achieve this rating

 
Streetside Entry

Streetside Entry

Northwest view of the home

Northwest view of the home

Floorpan.

Floorpan.

Remodeling and Home Design

A Flexible Space

 

This Residence continues my personal design philosophy of creating spaces that meet the specific needs of my clients. The home has a unique feature- its "yoga space",  to enable the client to continue their long term yoga practice in a space specifically designed for that. The home is based around an upstairs Master Suite, complete with a sunset deck that affords privacy, along with a sweeping view of the surrounding terrain. Downstairs features a large kitchen with plenty of prep space.

Once again, the building itself is a high efficiency structure with both a rainwater and greywater reclamation system. The design  includes a 2.6KWH PV system. Currently, as speccd., the home achieves a HERS Score of 33. In a "first in the nation" , this home features a WERS rating- WERS stands for  "water efficiency rating system" which is a metric that aims to do for water, what a HERS rating has done for energy- specifically a performance based water scoring system to measure both indoor and out door water use. Per our design guidelines of stressing value oriented green homes that perform exceptionally well- this home has achieved a combined WERS score of 17. All needed exterior landscaping water is being provided by the reclaimed water systems, and by using WATER SENSE fixtures and appliances on the interior, we have lowered potable water used by 2/3s over a code baseline. This program was born in Santa Fe, and is currently  in the process of being rolled out nationwide. I am proud to say that I am a founding member of the team that came up with this program!

The house design itself is loosely based on a a Mid Century Modern aesthetic, reflecting an existing group of homes that were built nearby in the mid sixties.

 

 
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Remodeling and Home Design

Remember when you were a kid and watching Gunsmoke, or High Chaparral or any number of other westerns and wondering what it would be like to live in the 'real west" Well, my client for this project made that dream a reality. 140 acres 7 miles off the highway- and his neighbor to the south is a 24,000 acre ranch. Artifacts dating from the 1850's can be found when walking around the land. It's truly a magical place.  Santa Fe Ranch House Style, it features clay tile portal roofs, carved beams, vigas, a 11 ft tall Living Room ceiling, and a Kiva Fireplace, along with a large kitchen perfect for entertaining. Furthermore is a writing studio space- which features expansive east facing glass with views of the Sangre De Cristo Mountains, something he draws inspiration from for his writing. The breakfast nook off the kitchen features the same views. Both east and west sides have covered patios- one for the morning, and one for evening sunsets. Both bedrooms and office have plenty of south facing glass for passive solar gain. The house itself is built using the PGH building science model. PGH stands for "pretty good house" and its basic concept is 90% of the goodness of a Passive House, for considerably less $$$ than a Passive House. think "10, 20, 40, 60".  R10 insulation under the slab. R20 on the stem walls. R40 in the walls, and R60 in the ceilings. A blower door test of less than 2 ACH. (two of my previous projects came in at .92 and 1.33) Also featured is a 4.5kw Solar Array, greywater system, passive rain garden landscape design, ERV system, and heating and cooling provided by a Mini Split system. In the gallery below are various photos during the construction process, along with some snapshots taken during the owners housewarming party. The house achieved Build Green New Mexico "Gold" status and is eligible for the New Mexico Sustainable Building Tax Credit.

East View

East View

Southeast View

Southeast View

Southwest View

Southwest View

Floorplan

Floorplan

Back To Santa Fe

 

This 2100 sq ft home, completed May 2015, is the dream home of a retired couple who started coming to Santa Fe in the early 1970's even owning a rental unit here for a time. Their 20 yr old son, likes to come home to visit from college, so the program for this project was 2 master suites with each suite accessing private courtyard spaces. The house is designed around universal design concepts with 3' wide doors on the main level to all living. sleeping and bath areas, and a ramped entry hallway from the entry portal.  I designed this house to be extremely energy efficient, with a HERS rating of 55, and included a "purple pipe" rainwater catchment system which collects rainwater, filters it, and then supplies it to toilets and the washing machine, greatly reducing the amount of potable drinking water needed for non potable uses. As with the Calle San Martin Project, this house also includes a greywater collection system which is utlitized in both the courtyard planting areas and at the front of the residence.

 

 
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Remodeling and Home Design

The collaborative process

 

Working closely with the young couple who commissioned this 3 bedroom 2 bath home, I set out design a home to fulfill their desire to have a "right"sized (2000sq ft)  water and energy efficient home that reflected their modern design tastes, and that could grow with them.  This home, built in 2014, achieved Build Green New Mexico Gold Status, and won 2 2014 Santa Fe Parade of Homes awards. This project achieved a HERS score of 52, and has an ACH rate of .92-close to Passive House Status (.60) This home includes Santa Fe's first "purple pipe" rainwater collection system, that filters and reuses rainwater to supply toilets and the washing machine. Furthermore, greywater is collected from sinks, showers and the washing machine for reuse.

Soon after completion they welcomed their new baby boy into their new home. It was quite a year for them!

And Now, 3 years later, we added a grandma suite! 750 sq ft upstairs with an additional full height basement, offered the clients a new family room area(in the basement) along with 2 additional bathrooms and a full upstairs casita for Grandma. The addition achieved our best yet ACH, coming in at .75!. the clients also added a full PV system that supplies all their electrical power needs.

 

 
the original rendering of the proposed Dirmyer residence…

the original rendering of the proposed Dirmyer residence…

showing the addition of the 2017 Casita on the right hand side of the rendering

showing the addition of the 2017 Casita on the right hand side of the rendering

more views of the casita addition. the original Entry view (shown above) basically remained unchanged after the addition

more views of the casita addition. the original Entry view (shown above) basically remained unchanged after the addition

the original 2014 home design with the 2017 casita floor plan added (darker grey wall color)

the original 2014 home design with the 2017 casita floor plan added (darker grey wall color)

to the far left is where the casita joins the existing home…

to the far left is where the casita joins the existing home…

2500 gallon above ground rainwater reclamation tank. water is filtered and used inside for cloths washing and toilet flushing.

2500 gallon above ground rainwater reclamation tank. water is filtered and used inside for cloths washing and toilet flushing.

New Casita! Right next to the cistern @ the photo above

New Casita! Right next to the cistern @ the photo above

Remodeling and Home Design
North east view of the casita addition

North east view of the casita addition

3 new homes and 1 renovation

 

Set in the historic Guadalupe District, this 4 home compound encompasses 3 new residences and 1 extensively remodeled historic home. Designed by Laura Van Amburgh, AIA, the homes range in size from 850 sq ft to 1150 sq ft. The three new homes have rainwater catchment systems for exterior landscaping.

 
824B: Karys Living Room

824B: Karys Living Room

824A- Living Room. This is a 100 year old historically significant residence.

824A- Living Room. This is a 100 year old historically significant residence.

looking north from unit c to back of unit b

looking north from unit c to back of unit b

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Compound layout- does not show existing historic home that was remodeled as part of the project.

Compound layout- does not show existing historic home that was remodeled as part of the project.

Remodeling and Home Design

Amazing City Views

 

Built as my personal residence, this home designed by Laura Van Amburgh features floor to ceiling south and east facing glass, affording phenomenal views of the City of Santa Fe NM. This residence includes a rainwater catchment system, passive solar design, recycled glass countertops and custom tinted plaster throughout.. with walled private garden spaces, this home is a modern oasis walking distance to downtown Santa Fe.

 
garden with mountain views

garden with mountain views

Various Design studies Laura Van Amburgh did for this project (all for the same lot). Final choice is the middle bottom design

Various Design studies Laura Van Amburgh did for this project (all for the same lot). Final choice is the middle bottom design

Remodeling and Home Design

Rural  feeling compound west of the RailYard District

 

Tucked behind a popular city park, right on the historic Acequia Trail is a small 4 unit compound consisting of modern sustainably built green homes. The historic 400 year old Acequia Madre runs thru it, and the backyard chicken coop adds to the rural ambience...

2 homes were built in 2007 and were the first in Santa Fe to achieve Build Green New Mexico Silver Status.  All homes are under 1300 sq ft., with  low energy use, low water use and clean modern space efficient design as their governing principals.  Designed by Laura Van Amburgh, AIA.

 
Exterior Unit B

Exterior Unit B

Exterior Unit A

Exterior Unit A

Original Project Layout

Original Project Layout

Remodeling and Home Design
These plan sheets come form the second of 2 units built in this infill project. Both were designed by Sara Gage.

These plan sheets come form the second of 2 units built in this infill project. Both were designed by Sara Gage.

In the last view years, I have been approached by clients to design homes that are small and energy efficient but express the clients specific modern design tastes. Here are a few samples of what we are working on for them

Small  affordable home design study for a friend in Crested Butte

Small  affordable home design study for a friend in Crested Butte

Remodeling and Home Design
West View

West View

Front

Front

Town Home Design study, drawing inspiration from the Mid Century Modern Eichler Homes

Town Home Design study, drawing inspiration from the Mid Century Modern Eichler Homes

Town Home entry

Town Home entry

Northeast corner view, Master Bedroom patio

Northeast corner view, Master Bedroom patio

Entry Courtyard

Entry Courtyard

Kitchen/Living

Kitchen/Living

Courtyard and Front Door

Courtyard and Front Door

A "to be built" spec house mid century modern home design-north entry view

A "to be built" spec house mid century modern home design-north entry view

South view

South view

East view

East view

Northwest View

Northwest View

Atrium Entry

Atrium Entry

Floor Plan

Floor Plan