The goal of our architecture program is to design and help build homes which:

• Are healthy and beautiful to live in
• Require no fossil fuels to operate and little fossil fuels to build
• Catch all of the water they need from rain
• Help create a vibrant community
• Are affordable

CURRENT PROJECTS:

We are currently working on a home design which will take all of the above factors into account and still be competitive with a pre-manufactured double wide home. The mortgage on one of our adobe solar homes is higher than that of a pre-manufactured home, but when utility bills and re-sale value are figured in our homes are competitive.

We are doing work in the field of renewable energy- currently testing a homemade wind turbine and a solar oven design. Our office is completely solar powered with a grid-tie photovoltaic system. We are also researching different ways of providing in floor radiant heat from solar hot water panels and new ways of efficiently burining wood for backup heat.

Our future plans also include constructing a school and community center in Ribera, NM which will showcase all of our green building practices.

Our design efforts have led us to a home that is a hybrid of ancient building techniques with state of the art technology. From the "old school" we like adobe walls, sustainably harvested local timber, earthen floors and plasters, and local stone. From the "new school" we use photovoltaic solar electric panels, flat plate solar hot water collectors and radiant heat, insulated glass for passive solar design and daylighting, solar ovens, and modern high efficiency wood stoves.

We have also been running educational programs concentrating on green building.

Contact Us:

Food and Shelter

Eric Biderman, director

P.O. Box 411, Ribera, NM 87560

bidermaneric@yahoo.com