The new Spring issue of Su Casa Magazine is out and it features the master bathroom from Archaeo’s Van Drimmelen/Gore residence, which was completed last year. The main characteristics of the spa-like bath are an open shower that opens to the exterior and an inglenook-like space for the tub that is surrounded by windows.

Here are some winter shots of a home we designed in Colorado along the east side of the collegiate range near Buena Vista. The design harkins back to the early architecture of the national parks, with a battered stone tower for elevated viewing of the panoramic landscape, plus a sheltered courtyard garden. That’s Mt. Princeton and Mt. Antero in the background.

Construction on a St. George, Utah residence, designed by Archaeo, is almost complete and the owners are thrilled with the outcome. The house is a blend of southwest traditional elements and an underlying modernist sensibility.

The geometrically rigorous design is a collection of various massings arranged around a central courtyard, which itself is divided into an auto court and a private landscaped garden. The individual forms reveal the various functions of the house while also orienting to very particular views of the surrounding redrock country, as seen from the interior through generous windows or from the numerous covered exterior spaces.

Custom designed light fixtures,  doors, gates and fountain by Archaeo compliment hand plastered walls, exposed wood beamed ceilings, wide-plank walnut, tumbled brick and pigmented concrete floors. Archaeo worked closely with the client in selecting all aspects of the house, including wall tile, cabinetry, granite countertops, door hardware and more.

The climax of the recent movie ”Haywire” took place at the Greene residence, which Archaeo Architects designed. Several movie critics have taken notice of the home featured in the film. Below are some quotes from those reviews:

“wonderfully cinematic and conveniently isolated house in New Mexico” New York Times

“a New Mexico house to-die-for” Movie Web

“gorgeous modernist home in the New Mexico hills” Film Journal

“the last scene is set in an architecturally stunning stone house in New Mexico” Bolingbrook

“a beautiful modernistic New Mexico house worthy of a Hitchcock movie” Film Leaf

“a sprawling New Mexico house that looks like it owes something to Frank LloydWright” Montreal Gazette

At the end of filming, the director, Steven Soderbergh, told the owners, Steve and Ann Greene, “You are going to like your house in this movie.  Your house is a character in this movie!”

computer rendering

site plan

southwest view

Archaeo’s design for a home in the Galisteo Basin Preserve is starting to take shape. Construction began last year and it is moving forward nicely. As to the design, we took the lead from the client, who requested a contemporary architectural character, which only accentuates and focuses one’s attention on the natural, organic features of the land embraced by the building. By adhering to, and yet abstracting, the underlying principles of southwestern vernacular architecture, with its lean, almost Zen-like, simplicity, the architecture recedes back to allow the views to the natural environment to dominate. Hopefully the stark contrast between the manmade architecture and natural scenery will end up complementing both.

On the Baja Peninsula, Archaeo Architects continues to consult with a developer on a large tract of land above Cabo San Lucas on the Pacific coast. “Playas Pacificas” is a 130 lot residential development where all of the properties have great views of the ocean. Archaeo is in the process of refining the design of the first of what will be numerous homes for the development.

Archaeo Architects are the recipients of the 2011 “Grand Hacienda Award” from the Santa Fe Home Builder’s Association for the Van Drimmelen/Gore residence. The home also captured awards for best overall design and best kitchen.

Hundreds of people toured the home as part of the Parade of Homes over two weekends in August and  Archaeo was interviewed on KTRC 1260’s “Real Estate Today”. The Santa Fe radio station inquired about the design process of capturing the amazing Jemez Mountain views as well as meeting the challenges of the steep narrow site.

Archaeo Architects has recently been featured in the latest edition of Trend Magazine. The Van Drimmelen/Gore Residence is presented as part of the Fall 2011/Winter 2012 edition. The house sits in the highest lot within the Bishops Lodge Esatets Subdivision just outside in Santa Fe and, due to being surrounded by pinon and juniper forest, has the feeling of  a secluded retreat, whcih was just what John and shelly requested.

south elevation

image of basswood model

Archaeo Architects are the recent recipients of two citation awards presented by the Albuquerque Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The 2011 Unbuilt Design Awards were open to architects statewide and they recognized Archaeo’s El Paso Residence and the Marvin/McLay Residence.

On January 20^th Steven Soderbergh (Traffic, Erin Brockovich, Ocean’s Eleven) will release his new dynamic action-thriller “Haywire”. Numerous scenes were filmed at the Greene residence in Los Alamos – a house designed by Archaeo Architects, which has been widely published and received numerous design awards.

The film boasts a talented cast that includes Ewan McGregor, Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Bill Paxton, Michael Fassbender; and introduces martial arts superstar Gina Garano (as Mallory Kane) in a demanding lead role that has her performing her own high-adrenaline stunts. Kane is a highly trained operative who works for a government security contractor in the most dangerous corners of the world. She is double crossed and left for dead by someone close to her in her own agency. Suddenly the target of skilled assassins who know her every move, Mallory must find the truth in order to stay alive.

Check out the movie trailer at: http://haywiremovie.com/. There’s actually two previews under “videos”. The first one’s the best.