Inside Su Casa
a deeper shade of green
Just a few miles from downtown Albuquerque, the magical “tree field” bosque on Paul Lusk’s farm seems to banish the outside world entirely.
You half-expect to come upon a talking deer or elves inhabiting the upper branches.
This article first appeared in Summer 2008 Su Casa
Away in the hills a handful of miles north of Santa Fe, the new adobe residence of Andrew Geer and Cynthia Barclay says a lot about New Mexico homes. Its quiet charisma flows from simplicity, a light footprint on the land, coddling earthen walls, and gracefully updated but tradition-conscious architecture. And the light-washed interior and shady portales fairly beg for someone to sit down with a cold drink and a good book—all phones off. (See our cover and “Picture perfect,” page 92.)
Likewise, the trio of kitchens featured in “Getting personal” (page 76) quote New Mexico in diverse ways, from historic Santa Fe to ultracontemporary Albuquerque, from hand-hewn vigas to stainless-steel work surfaces. And while in the kitchen, what could be more New Mexican than whipping up green chile chicken enchiladas with the queen of chile, Jane Butel?
(See “Cooking with the queen of chile,” page 128.)
Elsewhere, the palatial home by builder Ed Paschich (“Staying power,” page 86) speaks of place with a Castilian accent, articulating rare Old World architecture, refined materials, and impeccable detailing. It’s almost as if distant cousins from Spain took up residence in Los Ranchos de Albuquerque: ¡Bienvenidos!
By contrast, sustainability pioneer Paul Lusk’s three-acre farm in the South Valley below Albuquerque says something else about New Mexico. (See “Breaking ground with a green pioneer,” page 49.) With its constructed wetlands, passive cooling tower, compost-heated greenhouse, agricultural fields, and other projects, this living laboratory of doable sustainability experiments makes the case for trying out an idea, even if you can’t predict the result. Lusk has acted on the belief that forays into green living reward the effort, inspiring others to green up their lives.
To that end, one impressive thing about this issue of Su Casa is the least obvious: these pages look white, but they’re actually a deeper shade of green. We’ve switched to Forest Stewardship Council–certified paper, printed at our FSC-certified printer, American Web. Because we haven’t yet sourced cover stock with the FSC, we can’t claim 100 percent certification—but we’re getting there. The FSC blessing means less air and water pollution from paper production while the pages’ 30 percent post-consumer recycled fiber content means logging fewer trees, burning less diesel fuel hauling them to the mill, consuming less energy to mill the paper, polluting less, dumping less paper in the landfill . . . you get the idea.
New Mexico enjoys a long tradition of homes that live close to the land, seeking harmony over dominance. In a small way, we believe our embrace of sustainable printing practices reflects our commitment to preserving and celebrating what’s great about this place. And that’s something to talk about.