With an abundance of sun (300 sunny days per year) and our high desert environment, Taos has become the mecca of alternative and sustainable housing. By utilizing both passive and active solar gain, residents are able to warm their houses and generate electricity. Innovative building materials create highly insulated homes, which in some cases eliminate the use of conventional heating systems. From strawbale to RastraÆ to pumice to tires to adobe, sometimes you wouldnít know that there is anything unusual about them and other times they are strikingly individualistic.

Taking this one step further, Earthships (houses built with tires) have cisterns built into the structure of the house to catch the rainwater from the roof thus eliminating the necessity of digging a well and depleting the aquifer. The grey water from the sinks and showers are used to water indoor and outdoor planters.

The following is a description of some of the alternative building materials that are used in the Taos area:

• Adobe: The traditional building material of Northern New Mexico, adobe provides plenty of insulation against the extremes in temperature that we experience in our high desert environment and is the hallmark of the architecture in this area. Bricks are formed from a mixture of mud, sand and straw, and are used to build both the exterior and interior walls of the home. http://www.homeownernet.com/articles/adobe.html

• Pumice: Another building material that looks like adobe is pumice. Pumice-crete is a low-density concrete made from pumice aggregate, Portland cement and water. It is a mix that succeeds in providing structural strength and insulation in one material. Walls are poured to a thickness of at least 14 inches to obtain adequate thermal protection and structural integrity. Wall surfaces are finished by applying plaster coats on the interior and exterior, which further aid the thermal performance by trapping air within the honeycomb pumice-crete mix. The walls are very durable, fireproof, have good noise resistance, and are very aesthetically pleasing because they can be formed to fit many architectural appearances and styles. For more information check out http://www.pumicecrete.com

• RASTRAÆ: An innovative building material made from lightweight recycled post-consumer polystyrene waste is RastraÆ, which is formed into building blocks that are clamped together and filled with concrete to create walls. It is an ideal building material due to its high insulation properties, soundproofing, fire protection and easy-to-install element. For more information go to http://www.rastra.com

• Strawbale: Traditionally used by the first pioneers in the West, strawbale has seen a revival in recent years. It is easy to build with and acts as excellent insulation. The thick walls are especially appealing and the slightly uneven texture is interesting to look at. Check out http://www.greenhomebuilding.com

• Earthships: Thirty years ago, Michael Reynolds came to Taos and started building houses out of tires, bottles and cans. The Earthship was born and has evolved into a formidable alternative building technique, which is now spreading from here to Honduras to Bolivia to Belgium and beyond. The concept incorporates the use of passive solar from south facing windows, thermal mass from cisterns that are incorporated into the design of the house as well as a bermed north face, active solar and rain water catchment. For more information, go to http://www.earthship.org

• Monolithic Dome: The Dome starts as a concrete ring foundation, reinforced with steel rebar. For smaller domes, an integrated floor and ring foundation may be used. Vertical steel bars embedded in the ring beam footing are later attached to the steel reinforcing of the dome itself. The Airform, fabricated to a proper shape and size, is attached to the concrete base. Using fans, the Airform is inflated - creating the shape of the dome. The Airform is both the form for construction of the dome and the outer roof membrane of the shell when it is finished. The inflator fans run throughout the construction of the dome shell. Approximately three inches of polyurethane foam insulation is applied to the interior surface of the Airform. Steel reinforcing bars, or rebar, is attached to the foam using special "hooks" embedded in the foam. The rebar is placed in a specially engineered layout of hoop (horizontal) and vertical steel rebar. Shotcrete, a special spray mix of concrete, is sprayed onto the interior surface of the polyurethane foam, embedding the rebar. After three inches of shotcrete is applied, the Monolithic Dome is a steel reinforced, concrete structure. It is a permanent structure, which is energy efficient, cost effective, disaster resistant and attractive. Domes have real strength. They can withstand the force of a tornado, hurricane or earthquake. They cannot burn, rot or be eaten by bugs. The Monolithic Dome is energy efficient. It will usually save fifty percent on heating and cooling costs compared to a comparable conventional building. Click here for more information http://www.thedomecompany.com/

• The Living Machine: The El Monte Sagrado resort and rejuvenation center has recently opened in Taos. The brainchild of Tom Worrell, Jr, a former newspaper magnate and transplant from North Carolina, the resort transforms all its wastewater into grey water for irrigating the exquisite gardens surrounding the resort. In addition, some of the electricity is derived from the sun. For more information go to http://www.livingmachines.com or http://www.elmontesagrado.com

With over 300 days a year of sunlight and lack of infrastructure, many people who live in the more remote areas of Taos County rely on the sun for their electricity. Over the past twenty years, photovoltaic systems for capturing electricity from the sun have developed to the point that they provide more than adequate power for the homeowner. Kit Carson Electric, our local power company has implemented a ìbuy backî program for those who are interested in utilizing both ìon gridî and ìoff the gridî power. Check out http://www.kitcarson.com/ and http://www.taosgreensolar.com/.

Taos has a vibrant gardening community; the Taos Garden Club and Native Plant Society are both good sources of how to make the most of this seemingly rugged environment. Lawns are for the most part frowned upon here because we are very conscious of conserving water. There are a number of good nurseries in the area with a wide selection of native and xeric plants. For more information on xeriscape gardening, check out http://www.xeriscapegardening.com/. You may want to visit the websites of the following nurseries http://www.plantsofthesouthwest.com/ and http://www.highcountrygardens.com/

Finally, donít be intimidated if all of this is new to you. Locals love to talk about what they are doing to preserve the environment. It is not unusual to hear discussions about the pros and cons of composting toilets, or how to deal with whitefly in indoor planters. If you are planning to move to Taos, getting involved in sustainability is a great way to open the door to new friends and new interests.