Autotroph

11/04/2022

Autotroph is pleased to announce that we have broken ground on this innovative food / beverage, retail and entertainment complex in Rio Rancho. This design incorporates re-purposed shipping containers around a Central Park green space with a lawn, stage and video wall for entertainment. An Eatery is connected to the outdoor spaces with roll up garage doors and will provide a variety food offerings. An upper level bar, Top of the Block, will serve exquisite cocktails while offering amazing sunset views of the Sandia Mountains. This will be the spot for family and adult entertainment in Rio Rancho! Coming in 2023. Learn more at https://www.theblock-peh.com/

The Block will be a new retail development located in the Enchanted Hills shopping center in Rio Rancho.

05/07/2022

Autotroph is happy to announce that our renovation of Santa Fe's favorite art house theater is complete and the Jean Cocteau Cinema is hosting a reopening celebration this weekend! Come out to see the improved theater with new finishes, comfortable seats and improved sight lines. This weekend's celebration has an incredible slate of classic movies. For showtimes and more info, go to: https://www.jeancocteaucinema.com/events-2

03/11/2022

Construction has begun on our renovation of the Jean Cocteau Cinema. Santa Fe's best little performance space is getting an upgrade! This remodel will preserve the Jean Cocteau’s beloved art deco charm, while making the theater much more comfortable and inviting for guests. New seats, improved sight lines, better sound + lighting and a more flexible space will make this the go to theater and performance space in the City Different.

03/03/2022

Like the rest of the world, the staff of Autotroph is appalled by the actions of the Putin regime against Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with Architects, Designers and other Creatives in Ukraine, Russia and the rest of the world in opposition to this unnecessary and horrific war. As this open letter reminds us, it is not the people of Russia who are the instigators of this war, but rather the county's dictator and his enablers in the Russian oligarchy and military. We urge all design professionals to recommit themselves to the betterment of society and the planet through design and to oppose unjust actions in whatever form they may take.

More than 6,500 Russian architects, designers and urban planners have signed an open letter to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and "demand the immediate end of violent war".

02/18/2022

Autotroph is pleased to announce that our Starship proposal is featured in this new publication! This collaboration with Tim Schwartz is a sustainable, mobile community hub. Land Art of the 21st Century Fly Ranch documents the notable submissions to a LAGI sponsored Design Competition for innovative off-grid infrastructure ideas for Burning Man's Fly Ranch Property. It can be purchased here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/L/bo120140891.html

11/01/2021

Another day at the office with Autotroph! When you spend time on the site and work to understand it, good things happen. We believe that architecture should be a collaboration with the land, not an imposition.

10/28/2021

Autotroph is honored to be included on this list of the top firms serving Custom Residential Clients in New Mexico!

New Mexico is popular among retirees. The state has a unique blend of culture and traditions, plenty of spots for recreation, and a landscape that is nothing less than breathtaking. New Mexico’s diverse population includes Latinos, Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and people from the Middle E...

08/24/2021

Concrete naturally absorbs CO2 through a process called carbonation. Not as much CO2 as it takes to make it, but a carbon sink none the less. There are people and companies are looking at ways of increasing it's CO2 absorption potential. Wouldn't it be great if someday the buildings we construct absorb and sequester more CO2 than it takes to build them? Then the built environment can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Around half of the carbon emissions from cement production are reabsorbed by the material used in buildings and infrastructure, according to the latest IPCC climate report.

08/23/2021

As architects we have an enormous responsibility, and opportunity, to make the world a better place for current and future generations. Autotroph supports the efforts of , and their call on design professionals to design zero carbon buildings immediately. We commit to doing our part in this endeavor.

Architects can prevent the worst effects of climate change by deciding to design and build to net-zero carbon standards, argues architect Edward Mazria.

08/04/2021

Autotroph is pleased to announce that we'll be working with Santa Fe County on this exciting project. We look forward to collaborating with SF County Housing Authority and other project stake holders to deliver new, affordable housing and quality design to this growing area in Santa Fe.

The proposed mixed-use housing complex for low-income renters would be built on county-owned land inside city limits.

08/03/2021

On the return leg of their classic road trip, the Dzurec family stopped in Las Vegas for some rest and relaxation. While many people flock to the Strip, Alexander and family wanted to see some of the other sights. They were in search of good design and cutting-edge entertainment. So, the first stop was Downtown Las Vegas where visionary Tony Hsieh led the redevelopment of this once forgotten area far away from the typical Vegas attractions. Conceived as a start-up tech incubator meets arts district, there is a distinctively different vibe here. Yes it’s Vegas, so still over the top, but here art trumps glitz. There is a shipping container retail park, a praying mantis sculpture that breathes fire, old motels and nondescript buildings reinvigorated with mural art and sculpture. This was a place, that while new, felt authentic in ways that the Strip just doesn’t.

A few blocks down the street is the Fremont Street experience. Here the art vibe of Downtown meets casino culture for a truly extraordinary experience. Several blocks of Freemont Street are covered with a vaulted roof featuring a comprehensive video display. Like a modern Sistine Chapel, it illuminates the onlookers below with constantly changing graphics. A surreal urban renewal project.

Lastly, Alexander and family visited Area 15 and their good friends at Meow Wolf. Located inside this trippy art themed entertainment complex, Omega Mart is right at home. A supermarket that opens up portals to a mind-bending multiverse. Complex video projection mapping, luminescent etched glass, bizarro-world corporate offices and many other psychedelic works of art. Meow Wolf has really upped their game with Omega Mart.

This visit has shown that Las Vegas has a lot to offer beyond the tourist trap of the Strip. Surprisingly; it is a living breathing city infused with art, creativity, entertainment and quirky humor.

07/30/2021

Fly Ranch is a truly spectacular place. It is set in a seemingly inhospitable desert site surrounded by mountains, dried up lake beds and scrub brush. But the presence of water makes it an oasis. This former ranch is blessed with artesian springs, natural (and manmade) hot springs and abundant wetlands. It serves as a natural habitat for wild horses, birds, sheep, mountain lions, scorpions and even freshwater snails. It is also overrun with invasive plant species and has the scars of human occupation. Fly Ranch Guardians are in the process of managing invasive species and ecologically restoring significant areas on the property. Also set within the site are pieces of art. Built for Burning Man’s past as well as site specific pieces. Wandering the site, you wonder if you are in a fairy tale. Baba Yaga’s House, the Pier, and the Narwal are art installations that are at once alien and at home in such a landscape.

While there, firm Principal Alexander and his family, experienced extreme temperatures related to the heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest in late June: 105 deg. or higher each day of their trip. It reminds us of the delicate balance of nature in which life can thrive. A few degrees warmer, make sites like this exponentially less habitable. This trip was a visceral reminder of the effects of climate change and how we should tread lightly on the land, especially in places like this.

07/28/2021

The Starship crew (Alexander Dzurec & Tim Schwartz) landed at the LAGI Campout at Burning Man's Fly Ranch. We were invited to this temporary community to meet and collaborate with other shortlisted teams for the Design the Future of Fly Ranch competition, sponsored by Land Art Generator Initiative. Our proposal, the Starship, is envisioned as a community hub for this temporary settlement. At Fly Ranch we saw first-hand what a modern nomadic settlement can be. Van camping, shipping container shelters and off grid renewable energy; the same elements of the Starship! Lots of lessons learned.

While there we also met some amazing artists and designers. Over the span of 4 days, we connected with Teams: Ripple, SEED, Flyline and the Source; investigated the site and shared ideas. In the process we lived the nomadic lifestyle that is envisioned for Fly Ranch and part of the larger Burning Man Culture. A spectacular place shared with spectacular people.

07/22/2021

Autotroph is pleased to announce that our La Molina residence is featured in the latest issue of Trend Magazine! Please check it out and see this amazing residence and all the other fine art and design in this issue.

07/21/2021

Like many Americans this summer, firm principal Alexander Dzurec struck out with his family on a classic road trip. In response to an invitation from Burning Man to visit their Fly Ranch property, they loaded up their Jeep, picked up a camper trailer, and hit the road. From New Mexico to Arizona to Nevada and back again the Dzurec family experienced the rugged beauty of the American West. Along the way they also saw the quirkiness that makes this region so unique. Alien Bars on the way to Death Valley, the bright lights of Las Vegas, mobile home "vernacular" housing in Beatty, and the roadside architecture of Tonopah.

After a year and a half of Covid lock-down it was reinvigorating to get out and hit the road again. It renewed Alexander's appreciation and love of this remarkable country.

06/15/2021

The , by bike or by car, is a National Forest Scenic Byway circling Wheeler Peak, the highest mountain in New Mexico. The route goes through Angel Fire Resort and home to the Moreno Valley High School, an Autotroph .

Facing intense winds in a mountain valley, the forms and geometry of the Moreno Valley High School are based on aerodynamic principles. On the western edge of the school, the prow-like structure of the central building is designed to funnel wind around the school. The building forms a sheltered courtyard for school and community activities.

Inside, the classrooms take advantage of heating and natural daylighting. A central gathering hall is protected by a roof designed to shed the wind, capture rainwater and snow while still letting in abundant natural light.

While we cannot change the direction of the wind, we can design a building that protects and lets the light in for excellence in education. Moreno Valley High School is based in the , a liberal-arts system of education based in equity.

06/10/2021

Whether you take high-road or the low-road, there’s no wrong way to drive to .

Along the low-road, the tranquil is home to art and farming. Autotroph designed the Embudo Valley Library to be a community focal point for the residents of Dixon and surrounding areas.

was central to the design of the library. A orientation, abundant south-facing glazing, an trombe wall (wall painted a dark color to absorb thermal energy), adobe interior walls and concrete slab provide thermal mass to store solar heat gain and moderate temperature swings in summer.

Interior finishes and light give life to the library. High clerestory windows provide ample daylight while ventilating and cooling. Exposed wood trusses & ceilings combined with earthen plaster and vibrant colors give the building warmth. An open plan creates a spacious interior with good sight lines enabling the building to be staffed by only one employee.

06/08/2021

In , buildings must fit into a spectacular and specific landscape.

“Elsewhere the sky is the roof of the world; but here the earth was the floor of the sky,” wrote Willa Cather. This summer, we’ll be taking a few road trips to explore Autotroph buildings in remoter regions of NM.

The drive out West to is breathtaking. Freight trains and red rock cliffs lead the way into town, a crossroads of art and culture. Gallup is surrounded by the Navajo Nation, Pueblo of Zuni, and the Hopi Reservation, exquisite Indian textiles and silverwork are exhibited along Main Street - Route 66.

We are proud our Chuska Apartment Development serves the Gallup community well. Named for the nearby Chuska Mountains, this 30-unit affordable housing project emulates a traditional village. The buildings of Chuska form communal courtyards, balancing privacy with shared spaces.

Chuska Apartments feature (central to all our work!) - is achieved through day-lighting and passive and active heating.

05/25/2021

Greetings from Transformer Studio - Autotroph’s work home.

We designed this space to fit the needs of our firm while respecting the original construction of Santa Fe’s Radio Tower Building.

Retrofitting a 1960s cubicle-filled space with an exposed ceiling and moveable walls, we’ve built an entirely flexible office, open to change, new ideas and projects.

These moveable walls were made by our own hands of honeycomb wood core faced with sheets of steel on one side and hemosote on the other. Principal Alexander Dzurec conceived of this project as a experience for the team.

We’re back in our space together where our walls are usually open for …although we occasionally slide them shut when we need the surface area to roll out future plans.

05/18/2021

As we observe a collective , we’re revisiting what we think is important in .

Autotroph designed the “Market Station Offices” for the City of .

Composing space with operational efficiency and in mind, sunlight from a central skylight filters through a perforated metal diffuser giving a natural glow to the entire workspace: reception, open, modular and closed offices.

Elements salvaged from the City Materials Yard impart history and warmth to the offices. The public reception counter is built of bricks that formerly paved downtown sidewalks. Desktops are made of repurposed lumber. Weathered steel panels connect to the Railyard aesthetic, where the building is located.

initiatives include an water source heat pump system and lighting controls tied to daylight sensors to maximize .

Even with a conservative budget, workspace can be beautiful. Just let there be (natural) light!

05/11/2021

“Every moment that I’m in my home, I see the hands and the ideas, the drawings and the conversations. I live in a living sculpture.”

Communities, buildings and beings that live and thrive are at the heart of what Autotroph strives for across our projects.

Autotroph is a biological term for a self-sustaining organism; we embody this meaning through our work. Our team collaborates to generate designs that are “bigger than the sum of its parts.”

By taking into consideration the specificity of site and connecting it with client needs, we maintain a strong connection to nature through modern, .

05/05/2021

Riding ? Chances are you have sheltered under an Autotroph design.

Our modern bus-stops for Santa Fe’s transit system recall the rich artistic tradition of Northern New Mexican punched tinwork. In the 1800s, the Santa Fe Trail brought an influx of canned goods to NM which local artisans then recycled into exquisite religious and household art. We honor this tradition in our design while offering contemporary commuters shade and shelter.

At two of the busiest New Mexico Rail Runner Express stations, Autotroph was design partner on design, fabrication and installation of carport structures. Autotroph ensured these shade structures integrated with the architectural style of existing stations while at the same time supplying 85% of the stations’ power needs from the New Mexican sun.

By bike, car, train, bus or foot, we’re thrilled everyone can begin to come back together to collaborate.

Credits: Positive Energy Solar, Kimberly Pollis

04/30/2021

This last day of , we’re looking to Apple Park, a living thing itself.

Scharles Taft Wilder, architect Autotroph, points to the Apple company headquarters in Cupertino California designed by Foster + Partners as the standard for in corporate architecture.

The ring form of the building comprises traditional office elements and tremendous innovation. Broad perimeter walkways feature the largest sheets of curved glass ever constructed allowing for an uninterrupted connection to the landscape.

Furthering connection to nature, Apple Park is a building that “actually breathes.” Former CEO Steve Jobs was not a fan of air conditioning (something we relate to in Santa Fe!). Many glass walls open on fair weather days. Canopies between each floor shield employees from the California sun. Ventilation systems tucked into each canopy filter air in and out of the building, giving employees a sense of a passing breeze as if they were sitting outside.

Powered by 100% , the largest platinum-certified building in North America, Apple Park remains a breath of fresh air.

https://www.fosterandpartners.com/projects/apple-park/

Apple Park places people at its heart, creating an ideal workplace for continued creativity, innovation and wellbeing.

04/29/2021

Alexander Dzurec, Principal Architect of autotroph, references Future System’s “Malator House” as an inspiration.

Designed as family house, Malator is integrated seamlessly into the verdant landscape overlooking St. Brides Bay in Wales. This earth house reads as “an eye in the landscape looking out to sea.”

Malator challenges conventional construction practices by integrating earth banks, turf roof and materials such as portholes from sailboats. Underfloor heating is built into the slab and combines with double glazing and earth shielding to retain heat in winter and cool in summer.

Setting a precedent for in domestic architecture, Malator demonstrates how environmentally sensitive buildings can be innovative and well-designed.

was a London-based architectural and design practice that balanced the visionary with the practical. Many of their radical neo-futurist designs still stand today, lived in and loved.

http://ideasgn.com/architecture/house-in-wales-future-systems/

Malator is a house in Druidston, Pembrokeshire, Wales. It was built in 1998 and designed by architects Future Systems for Bob Marshall-Andrews, QC, the

04/28/2021

This , Brett Linker, autotroph Architect, looks to “Pueblo Bonito” at Chaco Canyon, an Anasazi Great House of the ancestral Puebloan culture.

Chaco Canyon, an UNESCO World Heritage site in northwest New Mexico, was the hub of a network of civilization literally built of the earth from native sandstone, plaster and timber.

There is debate as to whether the community was self-sustaining - but research suggests crops such as maize, beans and squash could grow in the saline desert soil of an ancient sea and there is evidence of water diversion canals necessary to support these crops.

The Chacoan people were attune to solar, lunar and cardinal directions when organizing the architectural elements of walls, openings and circulation. The architecture of the pueblo itself might have informed the planting time of the Spring Equinox.

and laid the foundations for and principles for in the Southwest.

https://www.nps.gov/chcu/planyourvisit/pueblo-bonito.htm

Located 4 1/2 miles from the Visitor Center on the 9-mile Canyon Loop Drive. This is the most important site in the canyon and a must for all visitors. The trail through Pueblo Bonito is 0.6 mile, roundtrip. It is graveled, and climbs several short, steep rises. During your visit, you can use the tr...

04/27/2021

This last week of , we are honoring earth-minded architectural precedents that inspire autotroph’s practice of making the environments we create more beautiful and enduring.

Today we’re looking at “Casa Tolo” by Portuguese architect Alvaro Leite Siza.

Admired by Ivan Spratte, autotroph’s architectural designer, Casa Tolo is built into a steep hillside in northern Portugal. Adjusting to the terrain, the house is fragmented into a composition of ascending, interconnected living spaces. The house itself is a path, its rooftop forming both support for gardens and an outdoor route of staircases between tiered patios.

Casa Tolo exemplifies , receiving optimal solar exposure from the south while being cooled on three sides by the earth. The architect attempted to preserve existing trees on the site to ensure the building’s continuity with its surroundings.

Casa Tolo is a habitation in harmony with nature - check it out:
http://www.alvaroleitesiza.com/casa-tolo/

04/23/2021

Weekend plans?

“Urban Ecologies” just opened at Railyard Park Conservancy and will run through September 22. This multi-artist project provides safe outdoor space for “environmental contemplation and artful rejuvenation.” Visit tomorrow 10am-2pm during Santa Fe Farmers' Market to meet the artists and to watch the 🐐🐑 do their lawn care on a Graze Day!

We gave TLC Art Co's ‘Infinite Green’ lawnmower a push and watched spring rain drops fall into ‘A Drop of Water’ by John Davis to continue celebrating .

04/22/2021

We are architects in an era demanding solutions to climate change, population growth, resource scarcity and community health. As we solve the challenges our world faces through our buildings, it is also our responsibility to mitigate the ecological imprint of the process. We respect the earth we build on, we are , we are committed to . Happy !

04/20/2021

As we continue to celebrate , we’re revisiting DIRT, autotroph’s plan for 21st Century Infrastructure for the City of Baltimore.

Recent winter storms in Texas emphasize the importance of interconnected grids to ensure resiliency during catastrophes. DIRT (Distributed Infrastructure and Resilience Technology) enables community level micro-grids to “island” themselves from the city grid to maintain electricity, water, sewer and community services in extenuating circumstances.

In routine operation, resources from the micro-grid can be put into the overall city grid to meet the city’s sustainability goals.

04/13/2021

Thrilled to announce La Molina, autotroph's rammed-earth dwelling in New Mexico, is featured on Dwell+.

La Molina's structures are made from earth gathered on site. The compound harmonizes with southwestern sunsets and roaming horses in Galisteo Basin Preserve near Santa Fe.

The interior of the home embraces vistas outward and captures changing light throughout the day. A place of soulful space, La Molina's owner remarks "I love my kitchen beyond words."

Peek inside here: https://www.dwell.com/article/la-molina-autotroph-design-eaf5ee56

Thanks Dwell for this spectacular feature!

Autotroph Design designed La Molina as a refuge for a retiree with her family and friends.