Sundial House – Santa Fe

Two board-formed concrete walls anchor this ridgetop home in New Mexico’s Santa Fe by Specht Architects.  Using this anchor point, the architects have developed a program for the house that emphasises the views over the valley as well as creating a sense of protection.

Internally, the concrete walls provide texture and form giving the interiors an earthy palate that contrasts with the large timber ceiling beams that run throughout the house. Flowing on from the strong clean lines of the architecture, the joinery and furniture are simple, paired back and relaxed. Each room enjoys a terrace space and “although there are large expanses of glass, they are all deeply shaded by cantilevered roof forms that create porches around the perimeter.”

I love the quiet yet strong architecture of this house, the honest materials and as the architect puts it “the true sense of shelter.”