MetroABQ Architecture & Design Studio Tour
Another part of the 516 Arts On the Map: Unfolding Albuquerque Art + Design Architecture & Design Studio Tour was led by architect Cory Greenfield of Entropic Industries and co-curator Katya Crawford of Westbund West Design; both teach at UNM. Greenfield used to work for internationally-recognized Architect Antoine Predock, who designed the New Urbanist adobe community of La Luz along the river on the west side. That liaison is interesting, as Greenfield is remodeling a Leon Watson adobe home in Old Town. Watson Adobes, most built in the late 1940’s, had small, compartmentalized rooms to save heat. Greenfield’s home was part of the tour, and we were amazed upon entering: the now large living room occupied the entire front of the house, and the kitchen-to-dining room spaces were open to the living area, creating a contemporary Great Room design. Watson ceilings were often filled with soil for insulation above the viga beams and latilla panels; to support the more expansive ceiling, Greenfield installed a structural steel beam for added support, seen above.
The tour was unique in that we got to experience a warehouse, an office, a 1920s bungalow, an historic adobe and a brand new architects’ home on the river. Katya Crawford, who teaches Landscape Architecture, exlained that, This tour differs from the standard architecture tour in that it shows the spaces where designers build, and how designers build a process that is typically hidden from public view.
I appreciate the creativity needed to be a successful designer. The sidewalk leading to one of the tour properties was aestetically interesting and staggered to allow for less heat absorption, and to keep you attentive as you step. Crawford’s residence and studio sits in the Eighth & Forrester Historic District, and certainly added to our overall experience. A small project of hers was to create an Architectural Clothesline, above, made of steel and wood. Perfect for the sometimes relentless NM sunshine, the clothesline faces south for optimal drying, with a north-facing trellis, for climbing plants wanting a bit of shade. Directly above is a creative way to minimize a Tuffshed, which her partner uses for a studio.