Medenales Residence

Completed: 2020

Size: 2,445 square feet

Contractor: Jacob Maestas, Key Construction Services, LLC

Location: Medenales, New Mexico

Medenales is a small town about fifteen minutes from Abiquiu, the famed hometown of Georgia O’keefe and Cerro Pedernal, the mountain she often painted. This residence is located high on a bluff above the Rio Chama, oriented toward the verdant valley below, and to the south for solar gain and daylight. The topography of the site allowed for the home to be partially buried, which was inspired Earthship architecture. All the exterior metal was left untreated to eventually rust, and we stuccoed the walls to match the color of the earth so that the residence blends in with its surroundings. The owners are sustainably inclined so everything but the range is electrically powered; they intend on installing a photovoltaic array in the near future.

The interior program includes three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a large open living kitchen and dining room that opens to the southern patio and valley below. Stock tanks are buried in the south-facing patio for a hot and a cold plunge. The finishes are simple and are a backdrop to their art collection.

All photos by Kate Russell.