Modern Home Tours hits Northern New Mexicon this weekend! This special two-day tour checks out Taos on Saturday, April 27 and Santa Fe on Sunday, April 28. To whet your appetite, we’ve put together a sneak peek of the featured homes. Scroll through the preview below, and then point your browser here to grab up tickets for the tour!

DAY 1: TAOS AREA – SATURDAY, APRIL 27

143 TUNE DRIVE | CCK DESIGN & JOHANNES KOLSHORN

Situated between views of Taos Mountain and the Rio Grande del Norte National Monument, this contemporary southwest passive solar home sit high on the desert mesa outside of Taos. Utilizing massive form-poured pumicecrete walls to shield from the prevailing north-west winds, a fully glazed heavy timber structure opens south and east to both heat and shade the house in the extreme summer and winter climate of northern New Mexico, mitigating the need for active mechanical systems. The home features high wood ceilings, two bedrooms joined by an aristan tiled bathroom, and a main bedroom suite with walk-in wardrobe, sunlight filled slate tile shower, and spa-tub. Our favorite feature is the xeriscaped sunken courtyard, an outdoor living room that doubles the useable area of the house in season, and is complete with flagstone paths and patio, timber-shade outdoor dining and barbeque area, raised planters, a high capacity catchment pond and water feature, a fire ring and seating area, and a private lawn and garden area with sunset spa.

2 High Meadow Drive | Mike Reynolds

Experience off-grid living at its most beautiful. This one bedroom Earthship built by founder Michael Reynolds is a one-of-a-kind passive-solar, energy efficient green home made from recycled and natural materials. It’s located 15 minutes from the heart of Taos, New Mexico in the Greater World Earthship Community.It is equipped with all the amenities you’re accustomed to, while being totally self-sustainable and operating in harmony with Nature, displaying how easy and comfortable off-grid living can be.

21 GORGE VIEW ROAD | TAOS OFF GRID LLC

This special home, called Little House, is designed to integrate the systems of nature and reflect contemporary design expectations. Little House is “off the grid,” meaning that it produces its own solar power, harvests its own rainwater, heats and cools itself by solar and passive means, reuses gray water in an interior planter for food production, and is constructed primarily from local and recycled materials. Finishes include acid stained concrete floors, recycled glass aggregate concrete countertops, and natural plasters. It is set in a stunning landscape of high desert mesa. This house was an exercise in smart and efficient design with all the aspects of sustainable building.

DAY 2: SANTA FE AREA – SUNDAY, APRIL 28

1104 MANSION RIDGE ROAD | LIFDOM HOME ARTISANS

This sophisticated contemporary home nestles on 1.7 acres in the north hills off famous Bishops Lodge Road, but is only 2 miles from all the amenities of Downtown Santa Fe. Entry is through walled and terraced front gardens, sited to take advantage of the sunset views, a providing a distinctly country feel with the several acres of trees it overlooks. The home was built in 2003 by local artist/designer Seth Anderson with a clever layout to provide walls/doors of glass for natural light and solar gain, but also leaving wall space for art and books. The home features an attached studio, loft/mezzanine office, master suite, and a finished garage.

527 WEST SAN FRANCISCO STREET | E3 DESIGN LABORATORY INC.

Check out this home – an urban infill renovation on an overgrown, trashed, and irregular shaped lot transformed an adobe shack into a modern, 830-square foot house. Built near the rock-lined Acequia (irrigation ditch) dating back to the 1800s, the Modern design survived the Historic Board hearing because of the project’s urban infill and affordable housing status, which is promoted by the city. Salvaged and recycled materials such as existing adobe walls, barn wood, and rastra blocks (made from 85-percent recycled post consumer waste) were used.

With a ceiling height that varies from high to low, tall windows and doors, and simple playful forms, the house strives to give the illusion of expanse. The designer chose European appliances as energy efficient equipment that would not devour the limited space. The building form and materials used are similar to those found in the historic district, but sometimes the adopted elements/forms take a twist.

17 RANCHO DE BOSQUE SOUTH | FALK ARCHITECTURE:

The design goal for this home was to create an elegant Japanese inspired modern and very environmentally friendly residence and studio and to celebrate the eco-friendly approach in the design of the compound. A beautifully hill and wooded site was selected, eco-friendly materials were utilized, and daylighting, energy usage, water catchment, and water re-use were all taken into account for this gem of a modern home.

35 CERRO BLANCO ROAD | ROBERT ZACHRY ARCHITECT

The house was originally designed for a couple who were serious art patrons. The house is planned for ease of access, capitalization of three major views, and is in the Minimalist style, sympathetic to the owner’s art collection. The house was recently purchase by someone who has similar tastes, and the architect is currently working on the design for some additional amenities. Construction will begin a month after this year’s Modern Home Tour.