Hauer Residence
A retired Utah couple asked Ecosa students to develop design concepts for a small second home to be built on a hilltop site in rural Wickenburg, Arizona. As a winter and vacation home intended only for occasional stays and relaxation, they requested the building be as self-sustaining and low-maintenance as possible.   After site visits and client interviews eight students split efforts to create three proposals exploring approaches to water catchment and reuse, low-energy heating and cooling systems, sustainable material choices, minimal site disturbance, and an appropriate fit within the building traditions of the region. The most successful design solutions integrated building systems and environmental flows as much as possible.

Students analyses' of solar access throughout the year were critical to situating the home for ideal passive heating and cooling solutions.	This plan incorporates materials from the site and surrounding area in cast earth walls and mesquite woodworking.	This plan shows the open-air central living space conceived as a collector for water, breezes, and guests.
This design places only a viewing deck at the cut site on top of the hill, nestling the new home into the hillside beyond to protect it from winter winds and the harshest angles of the summer sun.	Another team used the existing cut into the hill to define two sides of a courtyard. Click on the image to see a slideshow tour. (22mg)