Sky Island

5,000 sq. ft. mountain home that is literally “off the grid.” 6,200 feet above Ft. Davis, TX.

Electrical power for this home is provided entirely by photovoltaics. Clad with native rock and cement board siding, it offers the owners a secure and sustainable enclave. The courtyard plan with its surrounding rock walls offers a place for cultivated gardening with water being provided by rainwater collection. The rest of the property is being restored to its natural state after long overgrazing.

With careful attention to shading and ventilation, the house needs no air conditioning, and heat is provided by a hydronic warm floor system. The courtyard opens to the south and east to capture summer breezes while the insulated double masonry walls provide shelter from the cold winter winds and storms from the northwest. The house is of the earth, blending in with the site, its rock walls eroding to reinforce the “sky island” concept, much like the mountains and plateaus that surround it.