Photograph copyright 2006 Edward Caldwell
Feature: Green Living
November 1, 2006
Some of the warm earth shades of the exterior are actually earth itself. The
brown, stuccolike finish is created by a cement that contains soil from
the site. The same material
was also used indoors over the straw bales,
an age-old yet highly insulating building method.; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
One corner reveals the straw-bale insulation. Photograph copyright 2006 Edward Caldwell. (Click image to
enlarge)
Arkin managed to turn what was once an architectural liability—solar
technology—into unobtrusive details that easily flow into the design. Photovoltaic panels, which gather
the sun’s energy and convert it to electricity, were installed over a trellis. Below a terrace is
the home’s water-heating system: glass panels that collect water and raise it to a temperature of up
to 180 degrees.
Inside, the sleek interiors make no apologies for their sophisticated
recycled materials. In the kitchen and master bath, reclaimed Douglas fir paneling from logs salvaged
from river and lake bottoms adds warmth and dimension. Recycled glass appears on kitchen island
countertops and in the master bath. Trespa, an eco-friendly material often used in labs because of its
nonporous quality, tops the kitchen counters.
Perhaps most important to Johnson, all of the materials used are low VOC
(volatile organic compounds), which means they emit low levels of hazardous chemicals. Johnson, now retired
from Intel, realized that she had a chemical sensitivity early in her career while working as a
chemist. “I feel healthier living in such a building,” she says. “It was really worth the effort. It’s
like a haven.”
Arkin Tilt Architects, 510.528.9830, www.arkintilt.com
Paula Baker-Laporte
Developing sensitivity to many commonplace building
materials drove Paula Baker-Laporte, a Tesuque, N.M., architect, to write her first book, Prescriptions for a Healthy House
(New Society, 2001), with Dr. Erica Elliott, and to reform her architectural philosophy.
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Architect Paula Baker-Laporte crafted a
Southwestern-style green home
for a
couple in Tesuque, N.M.
Photograph by Robert Reck. (Click
image to enlarge)
“I realized I was just a small piece of a much larger picture, and I got
really motivated to change my practice,” she says. “The answers lie in a holistic approach to human health
and the built environment.”; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
The master bedroom is cooled naturally by sun-fired clay brick. Photograph by Robert Reck. (Click image to enlarge)
The 4,126-square-foot adobe home Baker-Laporte created for a London family in
Tesuque is a testament to many of her ideals. The homeowners requested a traditional Santa Fe home
made entirely of nontoxic natural and local materials, with healthy home-building methods. “They simply
wanted as healthy a house as possible,” says Baker-Laporte. Fortunately, traditional adobe
architecture requires relatively benign construction techniques. The walls, which provide passive
heating and cooling, are made from sun-fired clay brick that is not stabilized with tar, a less toxic
process. Inside, the walls are covered in a clay-based plaster from Santa Lucia. Nichos, or small
niches cut into the walls, display statues or other works of art. Elegant archways and exposed
wood abound. “Those soft, rounded, massive walls are typical of the vernacular here,” Baker-Laporte
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The courtyard. Photograph by Robert Reck. (Click image to enlarge)
In contrast to the geometrical shape of the inner courtyard, the home’s outer
perimeter is organic, taking its shape, color and many of the materials—and its workforce—from the
surroundings. “Local craftsmanship greatly reduces toxic manufacture,” says Baker-Laporte, “and
creates high-quality employment that boosts the local economy.”
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