The Palizada House is sited within the wild semi-desert lands north of Abiquiu, NM. The house, guest house, barn, and equipment shed are all designed to blend discretely into this ruggedly beautiful landscape. The sun-baked red earth and pink rock cliffs informed the choice of stucco color as well as the dark non-reflective corrugated steel roof of rusted Corten.

The house has important sustainable systems including rainwater harvesting, geothermal heating, night-flush cooling, local construction materials, xeric planting, and protection of existing native vegetation.

All the roof runoff falls into a continuous subterreanean collection system of gravel and perforated pipe into 12,000 gallons of storage. The house and the guest house are entirely heated by a geothermal system of 800 linear feet of horizontal flexible tubing four to eight feet below grade.
Cooling is provided by concealed attic fans that draw cool night air throughout the house and take advantage of the thermal mass of the adobe walls. The mechanically operated celestory windows add natural convection to provide additional cooling.

The character of the house embodies the traditional forms and rural feel of northern New Mexico while exerting a contemporary aesthetic of simple geometry, clean lines, and clear organization. The three hipped-roof pavilions are linked by low, flat-roofed dark gray connectors. Each pavilion shelters an inset portal providing a variety of choices for enjoying outdoor views. A free-standing hipped roof pavilion within the courtyard provides an additional venue for outdoor dining and relaxing. The walled courtyards provide a domesticated irrigated landscape and a sense of intimate space in contrast to the surrounding vast landscape.