From Substandard to a Home

Mid-Century Modern inspired built-in, customed designed and built for the entry

Yarrow, Russian Sage, King Sage planted in 2013

Apples Enjoying the Deck

Monsoon Sunset from back Deck

Installing Landscaping: 2013. Urbanite, mulch and Mexican Feather Grass

four years after occpancy - new projects coming soon!

It's been nearly four years since the 2009 USGBC-NM Green Built Tour and Award. Some updates and new sustaiable design projects have been taking place on the property in that time, including a back deck built entirely from materials we salvaged from the Deconstruction of the historic Werner Gilchrist House (2011-2012).
Also, the Urban Adobe Casa will be featured again on the 2013 USGBC-NM green built tour this year - the 'best of the best' tour. It will be June 8-9 of 2013. More info to come!

From the Green Built Tour

NM Green Built Tour Publicity:

http://www.usgbcnm.org/docs/usgbc_nm_newsletter_2nd_quarter_2009.pdf

http://www.krqe.com/dpp/news/krqe_mornings/mornings_krqe_albuquerque_green_home_tour_200905150615

nearly 11 months later

landscaping is next!

still finishing American Clay plastering

Green Built Tour etc

The first half of May was a busy time...

I held an house/grand opening/house warming party which was followed by the NM Green Built Tour Award Ceremony, where the Casa Adobe Proyecto or "Urban Adobe Casa" won BEST IN SHOW for Renovation! link to GBTour


















Later that week a local TV news station dropped by to shoot some footage for a story about the GB Tour. (link ടോ video story)




















The actual tour took place the following weekend with about 150 people coming through over the two days.




















There are still many details to finish up inside and plenty of site and landscaping work to get to...

some exterior work: reused concrete rubble

Ender and Apples on guard.




















Deb and Mariessa helping to paint porch. I hung one run of gutters into rain barrel.

shot from north with Roycroft classic Copper Red paint and reused concrete rubble as pavers for the walkway...

Demolition concrete rubble waste found on craigslist...

concrete "pavers" ready to go...

Dad helping me out with laying the paver walkway.

Done!

Crazy circus colors on trim getting covered with classic Arts and Crafts Historic color called Roycroft Copper Red

Trim painting progress...

American Clay "white canyon" color in forground over thick adobe doorway opening.

a shed, a sculpture, some color and clay

Casa adobe projecto was selected to be on the New Mexico Green Built Tour! The tour is May 16th and 17th, 2009.
Tickets can be purchased from the US Green Building Council (NM) at: http://www.greenbuilttour.net/ or visit http://www.usgbcnm.org/


Working on the Reclaimed Materials Shed (only the hardware is new/virgin material). The wood came from demolition phases of the casa while standing seam metal roof and corrugated sides and door are from salvage yards. Shelving and interior is also from reused products and scraps.





































Here is the endcap to the ponywall of my bar between kitchen/dining: scrap steel plate that Mariessa's dad, iron-worker Leonard, custom cut for me from his salvage yard:

















Set in place and looking good!



































Cutting the steel.


Applying American Clay (Loma, Napa Olive)....My technique is improving!






















































Kitchen recycled glass tile mosaic grouted and sealed.

















I learned my lesson with doing a custom mosaic and setting each tile one by one...



















I stumbled across these dope retro light bulbs at the ReStore and decided to create a sculptural dining chandelier ...

















carfully, magically setting and securing each bulb...


















form is taking shape....


































light sculpture chandelier by day...


















light sculpture by night... I won't go into what went wrong... the appearance is alright for a first attempt, eh?

backsplash and trees

Here's a hot of my kitchen backsplash. I am using Echo Recycled Glass Tile by Crossville in 2"x2" tiles. I designed the mosaic pattern and am setting each tile in one time at a time.


















Close up of the tiles. Tile pattern design is 30% each of Onyx, For Keeps(light almost clear) and Aggie (antique amber green) with 10% of Blue Galaxy.


















Progressing around the U-shape kitchen layout.


















This weekend I planted three trees on my empty lot. The local business Osuna Nursery has an annual Adopt A Tree Sale, where I scored a Honey Locust, Sugar Maple and Burr Oak, all great street shading trees.


















Two trees went in the "Parkway" (strip between sidewalk and street) while the Maple went in the front yard where it can capitalize on my planned rooftop rainwater harvesting system.