The Florida home is sold (finally) and we've moved into our New Mexico apartment, our temporary quarters snuggled up next to the Rio Grande, while we are building our new home on the other side of the mountain you see here. Our elevation here on the river is 5,000' whereas on our home site in Santa Fe County we will be nearly 2000' higher at 6834'. That will make it, on average, 6° cooler in the summer and colder in the winter. Still our solar adobe design will keep us warm in the winter and cool in the summer with very little additional heating/cooling required. The adobe design is such that the massive 14" adobe walls and brick floors will absorb heat from the sun (captured through large south facing windows) during the winter days - giving off heat durning the nights. Then the building mass cools down during the cool summer nights(the overnight low averages in the mid-50's during the hottest months) keeping the inside cool durning the day.
Next week I have an a lunch date with Joe Tibbets, an adobe expert, to review my plans and make sure we meet the new New Mexico adobe building codes. We will then draw them up properly and go for permits.
