SUBY BOWDEN + ASSOCIATES

Picuris Pueblo  is the grandfather Pueblo on the Rio Grande.  The housing  designed with the Pueblo community, was the first housing the Pueblo had "received" in 30 years.

And the first housing in which the Pueblo was involved in the design process.

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Their last HUD housing were homes designed for San Francisco (not homes designed for high altitude snow country) and therefore the HUD housing was never warm enough.

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Pueblo members living in the "San Francisco homes" were literally having to wear coats and boots to stay warm enough day and night.

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Therefore the design for the new homes  insulation and heating systems was of fundamental concern.

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The new homes were designed to be both passive solar, and radiant heat in the concrete floors for the winter.

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In addition each home had a wood stove due to the ease of access to wood fuel from their forests.

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Bathtubs were cast iron for maintaining warmth, and for ceremonial use.

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And each home had beautiful views to the lake and mountains.

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The project also included improvements of utilities infrastructure throughout the Pueblo.

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