Deep in the heart of every artist and craftsperson, of every model builder, carpenter, and seamstress, lies the dream of a dedicated workspace where tools and materials never have to be put away between sessions. While much is extraordinary in David Engelman and Sharon Marks’ home near the Sandia Mountains east of Albuquerque, its use of space to accommodate many separate activities is particularly intriguing.

There’s Sharon’s study for writing and reading and her other studio for painting. The exercise room sits ready to tone up the body, while the home theater offers a workout for eyes, ears, and mind. The cellar is fitted out for wine and cigars, the greenhouse for nurturing plants.

There’s a kitchen perfectly sized for cooking, and David’s 1,700-square-foot garage-shop-storage-mechanical room is just right for tinkering on an imperial scale. Did we mention the dining room, great room, outdoor living room, guest room, and owners’ suite? And the bonus room for whatever interests the couple might develop next?

Although Engelman and Marks own High Mountain Homes, and although their 5,300-square-foot house in San Pedro Creek won the silver award and the Buyers’ Choice Award in the $790,000 to $850,000 price range during the 2003 Parade of Homes, they never intended it to be a spec home. The couple worked with Tony Wegrzynek of Albuquerque-based Watermelon Mountain Design Works to design a house that would fit their lives far into the future.

A couple of classic problems always plague kitchen design, but the home’s layout solves them with ingenuity. Many rooms—whether utility spaces like garage, pantry, and storage; informal family hangouts; or guest-oriented areas such as dining room, great room, and entry—need to be near the kitchen. But the kitchen wants to break through all these encircling spaces to reach natural light and views of the outdoors.

 

 

 

A related problem is that kitchens either tend to isolate the cook or to attract guests who park themselves in the middle of the work triangle. The Engelman-Marks home uses a virtual corridor and a level change to solve both problems.

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