This house's clustered living and gathering areas create the illusion of a private, climate-sheltered sanctuary, but the garden spaces visually draw in the rolling prairie, panoramic mountain vistas, and austere beauty of New Mexico's high desert.
Two courtyards link the residence and open the interiors to the outdoors. In an entry courtyard, tall walls protect against the wind and provide a backdrop for sculpture. Another, more expansive courtyard, designed for entertaining, offers a promontory for views. A loggia there gives relief from summer heat, and four honeylocust trees (Gleditsia triacanthos) contribute additional shade; a geometric lap pool cantilevers from the house into the open prairie.
The concrete terraces and stone walls delineate the built landscape from the natural spaces. The native terrain had been damaged on the perimeter of the house, and the designers restored it with a mix of native plants to mimic the original conditions. Limited rainfall (13 inches a year) dictated careful use of water throughout the landscape. The native grasses and sage of the basin roll right up to the terraces and walls—other native plants include fourwing saltbush, milkweed, and snakeweed. The only trees on the original site were a grove of native cottonwoods, which remain as part of the auto court.
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