Akon Povi
Magnificent Adobe Chateau
In 1997 a woman landed at the Sant Fe airport. Although it was her first visit to New Mexico, she felt an immediate connection with land. She knew then that she would have to buy a house there. Soon after, she was shown a very special house in need of attention and renovation. She fell in love with it, bought it, then searched for and found the perfect builder/designer with a skilled crew of artisans who could make her vision a reality.
The house had been christened Akon Povi, a Tewa word meaning "desert flower". Unlike other houses which overlook the desert vastness of the Tierra, Akon Povi fits totally into its natural surroundings. Because of this the princess decided that only natural materials could be used.
Akon Povi's beginnings:
In the 1960s, a Denver-based engineer moved to New Mexico and bought 11 acres in the original La Tierra subdivision in northwest of Santa Fe. He then gathered builders, solar enthusiasts, and students from these fields to build a house using then cutting-edge solar heating technology.
The house took seven years to build and features a 1,200 square foot passive solar greenhouse, heat sensors in the walls and Strata tubes with temperature controlled fans to suck heated air into the mass of rock heat storage beneath the house. Heatilator fireplaces circulated hot water under the floors. Everything was monitored in a semi-underground control center which used Mac computers.
In the early 1990s the second owners, an artist and her husband, built a 3,600 square foot guest house and studio next to the main house. The designed meshed perfectly with the earth-inspired, highly crafted, unique spirit of the original house. The second owners had the house 12 years before selling it to the princess.
The house was built into the hillside and appears to emerge from the earth. There is not a single straight wall, window or door in the entire house. Window frames, door handles and latillas were made from twisted, serpentine limbs and other wood found on the property. Unlike many hand- made homes of its era, the house was built with exquisite craftsmanship. Its blend of natural and high-tech qualities has led to international recognition -- it was featured in a 1982 National Geographic article and has been included in two documentary films and several books and magazines.
The house had been christened Akon Povi, a Tewa word meaning "desert flower". Unlike other houses which overlook the desert vastness of the Tierra, Akon Povi fits totally into its natural surroundings. Because of this the princess decided that only natural materials could be used.
Akon Povi's beginnings:
In the 1960s, a Denver-based engineer moved to New Mexico and bought 11 acres in the original La Tierra subdivision in northwest of Santa Fe. He then gathered builders, solar enthusiasts, and students from these fields to build a house using then cutting-edge solar heating technology.
The house took seven years to build and features a 1,200 square foot passive solar greenhouse, heat sensors in the walls and Strata tubes with temperature controlled fans to suck heated air into the mass of rock heat storage beneath the house. Heatilator fireplaces circulated hot water under the floors. Everything was monitored in a semi-underground control center which used Mac computers.
In the early 1990s the second owners, an artist and her husband, built a 3,600 square foot guest house and studio next to the main house. The designed meshed perfectly with the earth-inspired, highly crafted, unique spirit of the original house. The second owners had the house 12 years before selling it to the princess.
The house was built into the hillside and appears to emerge from the earth. There is not a single straight wall, window or door in the entire house. Window frames, door handles and latillas were made from twisted, serpentine limbs and other wood found on the property. Unlike many hand- made homes of its era, the house was built with exquisite craftsmanship. Its blend of natural and high-tech qualities has led to international recognition -- it was featured in a 1982 National Geographic article and has been included in two documentary films and several books and magazines.