Showcase Hours:

Friday, April 27  4:00-7:00 p.m.

Saturday, April 28   10:00 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.

Sunday, April 29  12:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Same hours the next weekend:  May 4, 5, 6, 2012

Put it on your calendar now.  We always look forward to visiting with everyone and showing you our latest project.  We are very grateful to our clients, the Oheim’s for allowing us to show their home!  Thank you!

Speaking of solar panels…..over the last 5 years we have worked with our partners, the Holguin’s to install Photovoltaic Solar Panels on several of the homes we have built.  We would like to formally introduce you to Solar Power of Las Cruces—a partnership between Soledad Canyon Earth Builders & Holguin’s Electric.  Holguin’s Electric – Frank, Sal, & Lil have been our Electricians the entire twenty seven years we have been building.   We are proud to be working with them in installing solar panels that produce enough electricity to power all the electrical needs of the homes we build.  If you have an interest in Photovoltaic Solar Panels on your home call the Holguin’s office at 575-527-5699 for information or an appointment.

Aside from the hustle of finishing our Showcase Home we are busy working on plans for three other homes and waiting to hear from the bank on a home we are anxious to start!  Details as they become a reality!  We completed a small project on an adobe home built in the 40′s.  Broke through a wall to open up the kitchen to the dining room—now that is real plaster!  As well, our big remodel is finishing up-hope to post pictures of it when we are complete.  In between, we have been going back to homes we have finished over the years to do maintenance and repairs.  A reminder to all, your homes age as we do—take care of them.  A yearly roof inspection is important, refinish your exterior wood, and have your mechanical equipment serviced regularly.

Other events and activities that we have been a part of over the last few months have included The Mission of Mercy (a free dental clinic-over  1521 patients treated, $928,195 in donated care, 9642 procedures), Casa de Antanos Home Tour (7 homes in Downtown Las Cruces built by 1912- of which 6 were adobes), The Earthbuilders’ Guild (monthly meetings & networking with many goals-one of which is to establish an educational program in earthbuilding at the Dona Ana Community College),  Vision Dona Ana County (a group of 10 community leaders meeting 2 times a month to discuss our Community and what we want it to be over the next 10 years), Las Cruces Chamber of Commerce Armijo House Restoration/Renovation Committee, and meetings of the Las Cruces Home Builders Association (I am serving on the Board of Directors & Executive Board).    I have enjoyed many fun events in our community too—Look Who’s Dancing (the winner happened to be my very talented cousin, Debbie!), Aggie Basketball (congratulations WAC champions!), Brad Paisley concert, a trip to Santa Fe and some family celebrations.

Family news!  My niece & her husband gave birth to Quadruplets on January 26th!  The two boys and two girls are doing great.  Everyone is home and steadily gaining weight.  What a sight to see!  Precious, beautiful babies.  Now that is something that doesn’t happen every day!

I do want to say “Goodbye” to one of our dear Soledad Canyon family members-Marie Barker.  We built Marie & Bill’s home in 2009-2010.  Marie passed away in January.  Although I only knew her for about four years, I felt like I’ve known her for 20 years.  Her spirit, her laughter, her outlook on life was the best!  I will always miss being able to see Marie.

As always, give those who are important to you your time and your love because you can.

Happy Spring 2012,

Pat Bellestri-Martinez

Back in the late 80′s, as we began our business of building rammed earth homes, we regularly hosted Demonstration Days. We’d take out a week’s worth of advertising in the Las Cruces Sun News and invite everyone to watch us build the walls of a home we had under construction.  We would demonstrate the process of ramming the earth walls.  Attendance was good, the word spread.

As the years passed we no longer held those types of demonstrations. Instead we began completing the rammed earth home and putting it in the Showcase of Homes. From 1993 to last year we had a home in Showcase.  As it turns out this year the home we are building is not ready to be shown.  So what better than to go back to our roots, so to speak.  We will be in the Showcase of Homes building the rammed earth walls.  It is a chance to really “expose” what we do.  It will give everyone a chance to see what it means to construct a home with 18″ earth walls.  You will be able to see and feel the strength of these mass walls.  As well, you can take a look at the beginning of the basement and the layout of this Uniquely New Mexican home.

The home we are building is located in Picacho Mountain:  1332 Saltillo Place

Directions:

Head west on Picacho to Picacho Hills Dr.  Turn right, go 1.1 miles.

Veer left on Barcelona Ridge Road and go 1 mile.

Turn right on Anthem Road and go .4 miles.

Turn left on Calle Estancias and go .2 miles to Saltillo Place.

Showcase Hours:

April 29, 4pm-7pm    April 30, 10am-7pm    May 1, 12pm-5pm

May 6, 4pm-7pm    May 7, 10am-7pm    May 8, 12pm-5pm

We hope to see many of you there-both those who have never seen the process, and those of you who have.  We look forward to catching up.

As of today, we are within a week of completing a 750 sq. ft. rammed earth addition to a home on the west mesa of Las Cruces.  It is amazing what 750 sq. feet adds to the living space of a home– a bedroom, an office and a nice size bathroom.  The tile work in the bathroom is exquisite!  Our thanks to Cornerstone Tile, Carlos and his crew for creating such beauty.  We will include photos when we have completed the job.

As usual, I must add a personal note.  I want to acknowledge two people who have been an inspiration to me all my life—my Uncle Frank & Auntie Jeannette.  In a few days they will be celebrating their 65th wedding anniversary.   Sixty five years!   They won’t see this because it is an E-Newsletter.  But the point in saluting them through this format is simple…..consider those in your life who do simple things in their lives that are really significant.  Making a lifelong commitment to another person takes so much inner strength, courage, love, and sacrifice. May you have people in your life that touch you as my Uncle & Auntie have touched me.

Max, Melissa & I hope to see many of you during Showcase 2011. Invite your friends and family to come see a rammed earth home being built.

The cactus are blooming all over town!

As always, I welcome your comments, shout-outs, and questions.

Pat Bellestri-Martinez

Here it is.  Spring has sprung!  Notice the pops of green throughout town….the willows and cottonwoods, the red plums and the pretty white bloom trees are alive!  So sad to see many of our old cacti laying flat as a result of our very, very cold snap.

Our crew is busy finishing up the sheetrock on our “speak-to-our-heart” project-the 750 sq. ft. rammed earth addition.  It has been so joyful to work on this home.  The owner, Cyndy, often speaks of the love and detail her father put into building the home twenty some years ago.  (Love is in the detail!)  We are honored to be part of his creation by creating a bit more space to spread out in.  We have added a main bedroom, bathroom and office space.  The project is moving at a steady pace and will be move in ready lickety split!  We’ll share photos when it is complete.

Our main project in Picacho Mountain is inching forward with care and much deliberate thought. We have put in the pool! Well, not us but, Oasis Pools.  Yes, the pool…..because of the site we decided to put it in now, before we begin constructing the walls for the home.  Easier access now—-otherwise we would have had to bring in the high rise crane to lift the pool over the house or over the hill!    We brought in over 500 dump trucks of dirt to fill the site and bring it to pad level. The last retaining wall was poured a few days ago.  We will do our final fill next to that wall (below the garage) in the next week and then begin forming the slab.

Spring Showcase of Homes is fast approaching– Dates are as follows:

Friday April 29, Saturday May 30, Sunday May 1

Friday May 6, Saturday May 7, Sunday May 8

We will be participating in the Showcase this year in a whole different way!  We will be at the home we are constructing in Picacho Mountain.  No, the home will not be complete—we will be ramming the walls.  That’s right we will have an Open House in the true sense of the word—open to the sky!!!   We invite everyone to come and experience the building of rammed earth walls.  More details as time gets closer.

On a very sad note we send our deepest condolences to our friend and Soledad Subcontractor, Mike Alesi of Four Seasons Heating & Cooling on the loss of his son, Vince, a young man of 27, gone too soon.  Our prayers are with Mike and his family.  As well, we are without words for the devastating loss for the people of Japan.  A natural disaster of great magnitude….   Please count your blessings for the life you have and the people in your life, for it can change in a second.    I value the relationships that we have built over the years with our clients.  Each one becomes part of the Soledad family.  We were sad to learn of the tragic accident that took the life of Dr. Ron Fronczek, a rammed earth homeowner.  We built their home eight years ago.  Our prayers are also with Carol and her family.

I wish for you sunshine and flowers in the garden of your life. Happy Spring!

Pat Bellestri-Martinez

Lady Contractor

Anyone else feel like “it can’t possibly be February”?  Do the children in your life think that time flies by? Most adults that I know don’t understand how time is going by so fast.  The beginning of a new year gives one a chance to look back over the past year and reflect.  What happened over the last year?  Did I do what I wanted to do?  Were there things that happened that created hardship, yet I feel stronger by having had the experience?  How will it affect what I will do in the new year?  Here’s wishing you wisdom from your 2010 experiences, a new perspective that will make you a better person, here’s wishing you the ability to be grateful for the small things in your life, and the desire to make a moment in someone else’s life better.

So, an update on Soledad Canyon EarthBuilders…..we can actually see how and where the house will sit on the lot in Picacho Mountain! Dirt has been moved.  Footings have been dug.  Forms and rebar have been set.  Inspections have been made and concrete has been flowing!  This is first stage of construction of the lower level.  There is a lot more dirt to move.  That process will begin in a few days.  It is a thrill to be constructing!  Thanks to everyone involved that has allowed us to move forward on this project… we look forward to building throughout the new year on this project.  Perhaps we will do an open house during construction!

In addition to the Picacho Mountain home we have a project that speaks to our hearts.  We have begun a 750 square foot addition to a home that was built in the early 80′s.  The home is an owner built earth home.  It’s not rammed earth, it’s not adobe.  It was constructed of poured earth.  The owner has provided us with all the original photographs of the construction of the home done by her parents.  The addition had to be earth and we are thrilled that they choose rammed earth.

I have recently been involved with the reincarnation of an organization called The Earthbuilders Guild.  It is really fulfilling to be able to connect with other people in the industry who have a commitment to building with earth.  Not only rammed earth, but also adobe and compressed block.  by organizing we intend to make our presence know to those in our Government who create our Building Codes and those who work in the areas of rating energy efficiency of homes.   It will also be an avenue for promoting earthen construction in general.  At the point there is information to share (like a website) I will do so.

I started this e-newsletter a few days ago—before winter hit!  Oh my, I don’t remember the last time that we had to halt construction because of the weather for more than a day!  It is cold, but by the weekend we are back to sunny and into the 50′s!  Our winters are short–really short.  We get just enough to make us appreciate our desert winters.

I know my e-newsletters are not a regular as they once were, but I hope you will continue to find them informative and useful.  Input and comments are welcome.

Best to you all,

Pat Bellestri-Martinez