Casa CampoverdeIn the early 1940’s, Leon Watson created over 35 adobe homes in the Chacon Addition near Old Town. Intended for the F.H.A. loan market of middle to lower income families, the homes were based on modern plans and built of earth and timber in the Spanish Pueblo Revival style. The adobe interior and exterior walls and earth-insulated roofs of these homes continue to stabilize indoor temperatures year round, saving on heating and cooling costs. Watson’s building methods were energetic and inventive, as described in articles from the period as well as his 1982 obituary. Although this home’s ownership timeline is unclear, the origins of the original construction have been discovered and documented through library research and careful renovation efforts. |
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A work-in-progress, Casa Campoverde is an ongoing study in contemporary adaptation through a long-term design/build remodel effort. The flow of the interior has been generously enhanced through re-imagining the division between the original house and a front addition by the previous owners. The result is an interconnected Living Room, Dining Room and expanded Kitchen.
What was once the main interior adobe structural corner is now the open social center of the house - the Kitchen counter - freeing movement and light to redefine the atmosphere. An aged cork floor unifies the major living spaces, while original oxblood-colored concrete is revealed in the Kitchen and Studio. Maple counters, stainless and raw steel surfaces and stained pine cabinets continue Watson’s commitment to raw materials. A white-painted ceiling, new casework and new lighting combine in a provocative composition of strong adobe bones and timeless minimalism. PROJECT YEAR
2012 - (in-progress) AREA 1,500 sf LOCATION Albuquerque, NM CATEGORY Residential / Renovation PHOTOGRAPHY Ryan Franchak |
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Property Evolution from 1940s
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Period Photo and Original Floor Plan
Smaller, isolated rooms composed the design for the original 1940's home. Adobe walls and earth-insulated ceilings enhanced the home's thermal characteristics and directly connected to pueblo building methods. Here's a little about the neighborhood from a recent real estate article 2001 Floor Plan (as purchased)
Over time, a large living room was added to the front, the garage was converted to interior space, a storage room was added on to the northwest corner of the home and (not shown) an active solar greenhouse was added to the south wall. These additions nearly doubled the square footage of the existing residence, however none of them engaged the generous yard and amazing outdoor living potential of Albuquerque. 2012 Renovation and Addition Dreams
Beginning in 2012, an interior kitchen renovation relieve the divisions between the dining room, kitchen, and living room resulting in a brighter, space with lengthen view axes. This involved removing an existing wall and installing a steel I-beam to support the overhead exposed vigas. 3D model studies explored various spatial openings and construction scenarios. Multiple versions of a Garage and Workshop addition were explored, but were ultimately infeasible at the time. |
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2022 Primary Suite, Studio, Garage and Courtyard Additions
With a growing household and desire for more usable outdoor space, we decided to position 3 small additions on the property. The scheme transforms the south side and rear yard spaces from unusable and inaccessible to generous outdoor rooms with shade and privacy. This arrangement of the added space outweighed several other studies (such as the 2nd floor option) because it allowed us to build while living in the existing house. The scheme transforms the side and rear yard space from unusable + inaccessible to generous outdoor living rooms with shade, and privacy.
A WARM PATIO. This open trellis on the south side of the house is designed to selectively shade an outdoor living area in the summertime. The hottest overhead rays will be blocked by a pattern of expanded metal mesh with an angle that also allows low-angle winter sun to penetrate into the south doors and windows.
SOLID AND INSULATED. Conceived during the pandemic we took advantage of volatile material and labor costs to venture into ICF (Insulated Concrete Form) construction for the new Exterior Walls of the Bedroom Addition and Studio structures. One can literally feel the affinity of ICF construction with the original adobe house. The intangible quality of solidity is a shared asset resulting in very comfortable thermal mass and its acoustic isolation properties - the interior temperature is very stable and the interior is very quiet.
CONTRASTING and SYMPATHETIC VOLUMES. The scale of the additions creates a surprising variety of new interior and exterior spaces with inviting view axes. The exterior skin of Corrugated Weathering Steel will oxidize over time toward the warm tone stucco of the existing house.
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