Intelligent Design

Considerations of sustainability and a certain industrial-chic aesthetic governed the selection of all of the building’s primary materials. Pointing to the exposed steel roof framing over the living room, Anderson says, “It’s based on the span capacity of this B deck, which will span 8 feet.” The lower, north half of the roof is framed conventionally, with wood rafters behind drywall ceilings. But this half has very little wood in it—only a layer of sheathing under the standing-seam metal roof—and, as Anderson points out, “Steel is a very green material, because 90 percent of it is recycled.” The dyed-concrete floors act as a thermal flywheel, absorbing solar heat during winter daylight hours and releasing it at night. Only in the winter, though, Anderson points out. “We have an overhang of 5 feet, 4 inches that cuts out the direct sun from April to September.” (See “Playing the Angles,” page 67.)

Blueher admits to entertaining some doubts when he first looked over Anderson’s plans. “We were a little apprehensive at first,” he says. “What’s a burnished block?” But while he and Anderson had not worked together before, they made a natural team. “It was a complex house for a company like ours,” Blueher says, “because we’ve never done a job like that. It was a totally new experience, so there were a lot of questions.” But Anderson’s office filled the breach with frequent site visits and quick responses to questions from the field. “In general, everything was well thought out to start with,” Blueher says, “and as things developed it was really easy to find solutions.”

The trick, in many cases, was persuading commercial and industrial materials to behave in a residential setting. To avoid fasteners poking through the ceiling, Blueher glued 4-inch foam insulation panels to the roof deck, glued sheathing to the foam, and mechanically fastened the standing-seam roofing through the sheathing. The B deck is perforated for sound absorption. The layout of ceiling-mount lighting fixtures took great care, since relocating even one of the exposed electrical boxes would be too grim a prospect to contemplate. The burnished block masonry, which lends its quiet rhythm to both the interior and exterior spaces, is flawless. In addition to providing structure and finish—both interior and exterior—it makes a pretty energy-efficient wall. “All of the open cells are filled with foam,” Anderson says. “The combined wall probably has an R-value of 20 or 21.”

Along with the passive solar features, that makes for a very comfortable and energy-efficient house. And while the owners refuse to pat themselves on the back for it, they are free in their praise for the house’s performance. “I can tell you, [regarding] the efficiency of heating the place—not a problem,” Wayne says. “In the wintertime, the amount of gas we use is absolutely minimal.” New Mexico’s baking summers don’t add much to the utility bill either. Wayne and Elaine both work in town during the day, and even with the air conditioning off, the house doesn’t overheat while they’re gone. After a quick blast when they get home, it stays comfortable through the night without much further cooling. The aesthetics, too, have had the desired effect. The house’s openness allows for fewer places to collect the flotsam and jetsam of daily life, Wayne reports, “Which causes us to be cleaner, simpler, literally enjoy the space rather than the decorations.” All in all, he concludes, “It’s sort of like the computer term: an elegant solution.”

Project Credits: Builder: Blueher Abodes, Albuquerque, N.M.; Architect: Jon Anderson, Albuquerque; Interior designer: Design Atelier, Albuquerque; Living space: 3,706 square feet; Site: 1.06 acres; Construction cost: Withheld; Photographer: Kirk Gittings (except where noted).

Details: Playing the Angles Thirty years ago, passive solar design looked to many like the future of energy-efficient residential construction. In the decades since, and in the current resurgence of green building, the approach has been eclipsed by improvements in glazing, insulation, mechanical systems, and sealing of the building envelope. But as this house demonstrates, the concept of space heating via sunlight retains both practical and aesthetic appeal. For its south-facing glass wall, architect Jon Anderson calculated the solar angles at key points of the calendar and designed an overhang that would admit as much direct sunlight as possible during the heating season and passively exclude it during the cooling season. A dark-colored concrete floor serves as a thermal flywheel, storing heat during the day and releasing it at night. Anderson zoned the in-floor radiant heat to account for the areas that would be heated primarily by the sun. The passive heating works so well, however, that the owner reports using the radiant system only sparingly. “The only zone we use to heat the place is the bathroom, and sometimes my study,” he says. “Those are the only rooms we heat. The others, we don’t bother.”

The Builder: Cool Hand A fourth-generation Albuquerque native, John Blueher has worked in construction since high school, so his network of local connections is broad and deep. That sense of being at home must be a source of confidence, because in a relatively conservative industry, Blueher goes very much his own way. Wearing a long braid down his back and driving a Smart Car that looks like it could park in the backseat of an SUV, he cultivates a laid-back style that carries through in his relationships with clients. “We’re amenable to doing jobs of different types of styles, with different kinds of contracts,” he says. “We’ve tried to establish a business that’s not about us. It’s about our clients.”

Blueher’s relaxed air may reflect also the fact that he has his business so well under control. “We do a lot of our work as a fixed fee,” he says, “exposing all the sub costs” and charging even insurance as a job expense. The monthly fee ranges between $10,000 and $11,500, Blueher says. “And the company gives everybody one month free. If the job runs over, 30 days is gratis.” As a result, he says, clients don’t panic about the schedule, “and if we can get the job done on time or sooner, the company makes more money.”

Whatever form of contract he signs, Blueher makes a rule of working only with his clients’ money. “We’ve always got a payment up front that would cover at least a month’s worth of work,” he says. “On a $2 million job, we would get at least $200,000.” Clients sometimes blink, he admits, but “you establish up front what you’re worth.” And never being on the hook to the bank has a distinct calming influence, he notes. “It gives us a little breathing room to be casual.”