Summer Greetings!
Being self-employed provides for many trials, tribulations and benefits. One benefit: I can change the rules or the plans as the case may be.  That means I can change the schedule for my monthly E-News.  I took a break in June & July.  Why?  Because they went by too fast!!!  There was no time to sit at the keyboard and write.  So let’s catch up.

The Hays Residence is coming right along.  The Soledad Crew has been working through the heat of summer and creating another energy efficient Rammed Earth home.  The drywallers are in there right now putting mud on the wall.  One of the highlights of this home is the authentic Adobe fireplace.  The guys out did themselves.  They did an awesome job.  As you can see from the photo it is constructed of adobes—locally made adobes.  It will get plastered.  The heat generated by the fire will permeate into the adobe blocks and radiate into the room.  Much like our rammed earth walls, the earth acts as a mass, then slowly releases the heat into the room.  Another fun part of this home has been creating the Studio space.  The large room on the south side of the house will be used to create art by the owner.  We have a couple more months of work on the home.  The doors of the home have just been stained and sealed.  Ahh, nothing like a beautiful handcrafted wood front door!

In the last month we have been able to get back to a couple of homes that we built 12-14 years ago.  We are doing maintenance work and sprucing up the homes.  This includes resealing the exterior wood.  Our New Mexico sun is really hard on wood!!  We have incorporated a few things in the way we construct today as a result of what we are able to observe of what happens over the years.  Always on a quest to do better…….If we know better, we do better.

I receive newsletters from Green Builder Media.  The following is a quote from an article written by Sara Gutterman.  I want to share her thoughts with you:

“One of the best things about the building business is the opportunity to imbue ideas with intention until they take on a life of their own. Actions result in solid forms that last for long periods of time and significantly affect the lives of inhabitants, neighbors, and communities.

I think it’s fair to say that we all try to lead meaningful lives. The decisions that we make today, for better or worse, can be undone, but only after years of hard work. And in those years, we change. We become somehow different than we are today. Potential and promise transform, and our projects, as well as our lives, often turn out differently than we had originally expected.

The choices that we make are ours, and ours alone. In the building industry, a choice to improve a building envelope with better insulation or high efficiency windows might seem small, but our collective incremental decisions have the power to make exponential change.

Every day, I see innovative ideas put into action, resulting in extraordinary building projects. There are a plethora of examples of people expressing their core values through green design and construction.”

My “core values” in regard to building, began 27 years ago when Mario & I were building our own home. A home I still live in today. The rammed earth walls are 24″ thick, the windows are wood windows with aluminum clad exteriors, and it is a passive solar design for winter heating.  I celebrate that builders are building green today, and I realize that being “green” has always been what Soledad Canyon Earth Builders believes in.  Our core values are there.  We continue to strive to do better.  The new generation of Soledad embraces that core value. Max, Melissa and the crew all know that building a home is more than a job.  It is creating a home that, as Sara said, affects the lives of inhabitants, neighbors and communities and I’ll add,  the people who build the home.  Some people may not realize that is happening, but I believe in the long run it does.

Over the last couple of weeks we have been going through the process of creating a new home.  That is, we have been making the selections for our new project in Picacho Mountain.  There is nothing like the feeling of creating, on paper, something that will be created by the ‘hands of man’ (and woman)!  Max has also created a new video on our website.  It is a tour of Casa de Tierra 2010.  If you did not get a chance to visit our Spring Showcase Home here is your chance to tour it.  Enjoy.

As usual, on a personal level, I must report in, after all, my personal & professional life is very much all the same!  (Generally speaking!) If you follow my E-News you know my Mom passed away in May.  Since then I’ve spent a bit of time in her home.  It is an adobe structure that my Dad built in the 40’s.  The integrity of the walls is great, the roof has been replaced a couple of times, the kitchen was remodeled a few years ago, but the heart of the home is in those walls.  An improvement in insulation (in the ceiling/roof) technologies has benefited earth structures over the years—Mom’s house could use that.  The core values of what my Dad built runs in my veins.  And that feel good.  The last outing my Mom had before she became ill was a visit to our Showcase 2010 home, two weeks before she passed.  It sure warms my heart to know that she saw what we created.

The months of June & July brought my Colorado “family” to visit, a class reunion of sorts, and a trip to California, a Meet & Greet with Clay Walker on the 4th of July, a couple of trips to Santa Fe and a Sister’s Weekend to see Sugarland and shop. (We stayed at the Hotel Andaluz, a beautiful, renovated property in the heart of downtown Albuquerque–a very European feel which incorporated Moroccan and Spanish colonial influences with a contemporary flair!)  All very memorable and very special times with special friends & family.  In between there has been the Monthly Art Ramble in Downtown Las Cruces, Music in the Park,  a visit to the new winery, Amaro, on Melendres, a soak in the Hot Springs of Truth or Consequences, summer food treats (shisitos, peaches, fresh basil, grapes, and figs;  green chile coming soon!)  As I travel through life I realize how good life is.  People make reference to the “good ole’ days”. Just remember today will someday be “the good ole’ days” so make each day the best possible.  There are so many things that are much better today than 25-50 years ago.  I challenge each of you to send me one thing that is better today in our world than it was 25-50 years ago.  I’ll compile the list and share it with all of you.  I’ll start with a couple of  things—automobiles are better today than they were 50 years ago!  Being 50 years old is better than it was 50 years ago!  What do you think is better?  

Here’s to your summer.  Live well, drink a lot of water, and enjoy the clouds in the sky!
Salud, Pat Bellestri-Martinez

P.S.  We have a 2006 Honda Ridgeline in excellent condition for sale.  Call the office if you are interested.

First weekend of Showcase 2010 is complete! Whew!! A very good turn out. People are out looking! If you didn’t make it out you still have a chance to do so this weekend! We have started getting ready to construct the rammed earth walls on our next project today! The crew is ready to ram…no more caulking guns and paint brushes for a while!!

Hi Everyone,

Week slow down, got a lot to do, could use more time!! Can’t we all use a bit more time? But it is one thing that we all have equally! Not money, love,or patience, only time!!  Showcase of Homes 2010 is upon us. It is an exciting time for all of us at Soledad Canyon Earth Builders. We are given the privilege of showing you our work. Our clients are willing to open their new home to the public. We are very grateful for that opportunity. We love showing our work! On that note, we cordially invite everyone to visit us at 4011 Quail Brush Court. Located east of town in Desert Mirage. From the corner of University and Telshor drive east on Dripping Springs Road for 4.8 miles, turn right on Desert Mirage Drive, go 1/2 mile, turn right on Desert Mirage Ct.

This 2,727 sq. ft. rammed earth home for the Barker’s is our typical “Uniquely New Mexico” style home. We are calling it “Casa de Tierra 2010″. Solar Power of Las Cruces has installed Photovoltaic Solar Panels on the Showcase Home! The Barker’s will producing electricity for their home for years to come and El Paso Electric will be paying them for the electricity produced!!! It has terrific energy, great views, solid comfort and fine art work. Again this year we are pleased to be able to Showcase several local artists. With the help of Catherine Brenner of the Unsettled Gallery and David Shaw, photographer extraordinaire, we will be displaying beautiful works of art.

My utmost gratitude to Team Soledad for all their hard work in making the house a home!

As we finish up Showcase we are also completing the Rincon de Amigos home.  We will photograph and post on our website the completed home.  The Rincon de Amigos home will welcome it’s new owners sometime the middle of May.  We will be as excited for them as they are in accepting their new home!

We are ready to start a new phase of building with new projects.  The Hays home in the Pueblos is ready to start the rammed earth walls.  Jean has been working with us for three years-maybe four.  Her slab is poured, we will begin ramming walls next week!

We are also in the final stages of the plans for the Picacho Mountain project!  Another extraordinary project for some extraordinary clients on an extraordinary piece of property!!

For now, I will sign off.  Got a house to go finish!  There are many events and activities to take part in around Las Cruces over the next two weeks. Everything from the First Annual Onion Fiesta in Mesilla, to La Vina Wine Festival, the Cinco de Mayo celebration and of course the 2010 Showcase of Homes.

April 23, 4pm-7pm    April 24, 10am-7pm    April 25, 12pm-5pm

April 30, 4pm-7pm    May 1, 10am-7pm    May 2, 12pm-5pm

See you there.  For those of you out of towners we will let you know when the video tour of our Showcase Home is on line!

Salud,

Pat Bellestri-Martinez

President & Lady Contractor

Showcase of Homes 2010. Friday 4:00-7:00, Sat. 10:00-7:00, Sunday12:00-5:00. We are at 4011 Quail Brush Ct. located in Desert Mirage. 4.8 miles east on Dripping Spring Road, turn right on Desert Mirage Dr., go 1/2 mile turn right on Quail Brush. Got it??? We got it–rammed earth walls, photovoltaic panels, beautiful views, great Fine Art work, and more!!

Okay, so I thought I would post Showcase updates for the last 20 days!!! Finishing the house took presedence (sp?). (As well as other life’s events!!) It is countdown time. No problem…I have people, lotz of people. Come visit us at “Casa de Tierra 2010″ this weekend or next weekend. More info on next post!!

Nothing like a few hundred bees to add to the Showcase preparations! Stucco guys trying to stucco and bees do not mix! Thanks to the Garcia family (Mesilla honey folks) the bees are gone! Full speed ahead on Monday!!

And again, it’s almost Wednesday!! The clock is ticking away. Ever seen awesome tile guys lay a 2,000 + sq. feet of tile in a day! They can do it, they are doing it. The stress level is inching its way up!