Hopedance

Designers, green builders and teachers Paula Baker-LaPorte and Robert LaPorte create life-affirming, energy efficient homes in the Southwest vernacular. Econest is their term for these distinct sustainable homes. As the name implies, econests are cozy, healthy and incredibly efficient. This appealing new book is loaded with captivating photos, not only of finished homes but also some that illustrate the process of how all this clay, straw and other material winds up looking so gorgeous. One such process photo shows a clay wall sprouting new green shoots from the straw in the mix. When the sprouts die off, the builder knows the clay is dry. As the authors’ say, “That’s green building!”

Econest is lovely enough for the coffee table, yet practical enough to serve as a helpful manual for building inspectors. Homebuilders and students of environmental design will appreciate the simple definitions and illustrative diagrams. The designers’ use of the clay/straw blend, indigenous timber, thermal mass, water management and other green building strategies are explained and thoroughly illustrated. For people curious about creating their own natural home, the couple offers owner/builder workshops at their studio in Santa Fe. They describe their seminars as “multilevel assessment opportunities” offering hands-on building experience and encouraging would-be builders to take a realistic look at their physical, emotional and financial readiness for a project as big as a house. Econests cost around $200 per square foot. Attendees of all ages come from across north America, bringing “an open mind, a pioneering spirit, and the desire to learn through doing and having fun.”

The front of the book includes a brief history of building with the designers’ specialty, light clay/straw, and timber. There are elegant explanations, amply illustrated, of the materials and design elements that make up an econest, a chapter about the workshops and informative research on building-related illness. A generous resource section in the back includes the “New Mexico State Guidelines for Clay/Straw Construction,” recommended books, an architect guide, a list of tool and material suppliers and more.

The majority of the book is devoted to several enticing case studies of Robert and Paula’s sumptuous homes. The dwellings are not all located in the Southwest, though the majority of them share the organic, artistic look associated with Santa Fe. The homeowners share their personal reasons for choosing to build this way, relating their building experiences and feelings about living in their econests. Many econest dwellers attended the workshops, where they learned the basic health benefits of eco-friendly homes. Michael and Kendal McTeigue had built a beautiful conventional home, but the toxins and off-gassing were literally making Michael sick. After the workshop, they decided to make living in a healthy home a priority. Dyan and her partner reside in a Teseque, New Mexico, econest. Dyan is enthusiastic not only about the building style but the spiritual aspect of her home. “Living in this healthy home has been a catalyst for individual growth and a deepening understanding of ourselves and each other. The home has been a secure stepping-stone on our path to empowerment as well as physical and emotional well-being.”

Econest exudes the nurturing qualities and creative spirits of the author/designers, Robert and Paula. In 1993, award-winning designer Paula attended one of Robert’s workshops intending to learn more about non-toxic building alternatives. Like Michael, she had developed a chemical sensitivity to standard building toxins, otherwise known as “sick building syndrome,” which affects many people chronically. When she and Robert fell in love and created their own econest, her health turned from frail to robust.

This is one of those books that are a pleasure to hold and read, with a silky texture that purrs in your hands. It is guaranteed to inspire designers, builders and anyone contemplating creating an artistic, environmentally-friendly dwelling.


Suzanne Arthur is a regular contributor to HopeDance. See her other articles in this issue. She can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .