A sustainable building design process

A living example of connectedness on the planet...

The Eartha Madre Project

A wildflower meadow viewed from the guest house porch.

A Sustainable Building Design Process

To contact us:

info@EarthaMadre.com

“Sharing the value of what we’ve received becomes the source for evolution………helping ourselves and others continually improve how we see and support connectedness……...”

With the intention of creating a sustainable home with a passive solar design that was not only energy efficient but also creative and unique, we began a process of learning about environmentally friendly building technologies. A number of synchronicities began occurring beginning in 1990 when we purchased the 10 acre property that started our journey down the path to creating this dream. It was the perfect weekend retreat from the heat in the Phoenix metro area where we lived and we made the three hour trek from Phoenix to the White Mountains on as many weekends as we could. The fact that the property bordered the Apache-Sitgreaves National forest on the south and west sides and was part of an 85 acre subdivision of 5-10 acre parcels, assured privacy and almost unlimited possibility. The rural character and lack of upkeep on the property prior to our purchase meant for A LOT of forestry thinning, dead wood removal and general cleanup. Much of the road and path infrastructure, stone terracing and forestry work on and around the site was accomplished on weekends and those occasional times when we could spend a week or more at a time.

One of many synchronicities in this process introduced us to a senior member of the development team, with Regenesis Collaborative Development Group of Santa Fe. Through a 3 year process of site assessment and workshops with the Regenesis team, a wide array of sometimes conflicting impressions and desires coalesced into a conceptual site plan woven together based on a permaculture understanding of natural systems. The intent was to bring together people and place by discovering and reconciling the aspirations of each. During planning, design, construction and ongoing use of permaculture principles, Regenesis provided guidance seeking solutions that regenerate living systems and form lasting partnerships between people and the land.

During the initial permaculture evaluation processes many things were taken into consideration regarding the geological, environmental, climatic and archaeological history of the overall area and particularly this specific site. Many prehistoric artifacts have been found on and around the site and the most telling of those artifacts was a portion of a Datile knife blade which was dated at the University of New Mexico as a remnant of prehistoric society dating back to 5,000-6,000 BC. Pottery shards, arrowheads and other artifacts from the prehistoric Mimbres and Anasazi indigenous peoples abound on and around the property and in fact there are the remnants of several prehistoric "pit houses" several hundred yards from the property boundaries. During the influx of new residents to the area in the 1970's an entire pueblo of ruins was unearthed several miles away. There is abundant history of the indigenous peoples and several books have been written about the area and it's prehistoric residents.

The investment of energy by the native peoples over the centuries has created a powerful resonance that brought the spiritual aspects of native culture into the direct experience of the owners. Many aspects of the building honor the native heritage of the previous residents of the site. From the design of the "great room" tongue and groove ceiling copying the icons used on the prehistoric pottery shards representing clouds (right), to the Native American shamanic healing ceremonies that have taken place in the structure, the dedication ceremony hosted by Native American author Brooke Medicine Eagle and the actual sweat lodge constructed and used on the site.........the site has honored that connection to it's history.

Through the ongoing design process with Regenesis, the owners were introduced to Paula Baker, an architect who is also from Santa Fe. Paula’s specialty in baubiologie (German words for “building” and “life”) represented the infusion of a holistic architectural discipline that explores healthy, ecological building techniques that focus on the impact of buildings on human health. A design was imagined that used thousand year old techniques of a hand hewn and pegged timber frame “skeleton” for the home. The frame was filled in with a 12” thick mixture of straw and clay made from local soils which provide both insulation and thermal mass. The clay provides insulating mass, holds the straw together and deters fire, decay, rodents and mold. The straw also gives the walls tensile strength, and insulates by trapping air in its cylinders. Used by Europeans for centuries, straw-clay walls are weatherproof yet porous and allow for the slow transfer of fresh air and moisture into and out of the home.

The straw clay walls are covered with natural earth plasters derived from the clay soils removed from the site during the foundation work, local sand and small quantities of straw. The result of using these site available and sustainable materials is a “breathing wall” with a natural coloration that blends into the native landscape. Because dried mud plaster has the ability to absorb and release large amounts of moisture without deteriorating, the walls create an extremely comfortable environment with a high degree of temperature and humidity stability. The use of these natural materials for the wall construction eliminated many volatile contamination sources found in traditional building insulation, exterior sheathing, joint fillers and paints.

Because the owners are certified "crystologists" (crystal healers) Crystals, gemstones and minerals were incorporated into the design and construction to specifically amplify the intentions for spiritual awakening and to create a frequency of harmony and balance. The entire property is gridded with clear Quartz crystals in the four directions as well as specific placement of both petrified wood and quartz crystals in the foundation honoring the four directions as well. There are petrified wood flower beds surrounding the front of Eartha Madre and the stone fascia covering the foundation across the front of the house is also hand placed petrified wood which holds a frequency of transformation as it's own substance transformed from living plant material to mineral millions of years ago.

Handmade Nordic rune tiles adorn the entries to the master suite area with meanings that support healing, purification, self awareness and evolution. The principles of both Feng Shui and bau-biologie were intrigally considered and applied throughout the design processes. Feng Shui means “wind and water”. Literally every aspect of the permaculture design for the entire property as well as the architectural design of the home incorporated an awareness of not only the flow of the energies of wind and water , but also those of earth and fire. As we found out in 2002 during the Rodeo-Chediski Fire, the largest fire in Arizona’s history, the choices we made based on “potentialities and probabilities” saved the property from destruction.

The timber frame “bones” of the structure are constructed from locally harvested timber, handhewn using all “no nails” mortise & tenon joinery.

The straw-clay wall infill is the “body and lungs” of the building. The exceptional R value and fireproof quality makes for the perfect wall material.

The natural earth plaster is Eartha Madre’s “skin”. In combination with the straw-clay infill, the natural mud plaster is the final step to a breathing wall.