No Grid in Sight

Architect Hank Louis worked with Navajo tribe elders to secure a 66-year lease on a half-acre lot in the middle of Bluf, Utah, for Rosie Joe and her children.

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Entirely off the grid, the house is powered by four photovoltaic panels that supply electricity to lights, small appliances, and water pumps.

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Rosie Joe weaves a traditional Navajo rug.

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DesignBuildBLUFF’s 2007 team put the finishing touches on their latest project.

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Kitchen and living room walls were constructed of clear and white acrylic panels stuffed with straw to allow for natural ventilation and light to filter softly into the house. The walls leaked after the first winter and the straw sank down in the frames. Students returned to the site, sealed and filled the walls with Styrofoam (leaving the straw-fill in the kitchen as is).

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Nicholas sits in the shade of the roof; students cut and hand-welded thousands of reclaimed rebar pieces into a complex grid that would support four bi-level corrugated-steel roof panels.

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In wintertime, the rammed earth hallway wall serves as the central heating device, soaking up sunlight through south-facing windows and distributing warmth throughout the house. A wood-burning stove at the end of the front hallway provides additional heat for cold winter nights.

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