DUST

Sombra de Santa Fe, a New Mexico residence by DUST Architects, has been named a Best Use of Material winner at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2026 and featured in the printed edition of Wallpaper*.

The project is recognized for its use of locally sourced volcanic soil, forming dark scoria walls that anchor the house to its landscape while delivering thermal performance and material restraint. Set within the Galisteo Basin Preserve, the home engages climate, terrain, and regulation through passive strategies and outdoor spaces tuned to light, wind, and season.

Photography by Joe Fletcher, Joe Fletcher. Text by Jonathan Bell.

At Tucson Mountain Retreat, the terrace is tucked beneath a deep overhang and framed by rammed earth walls, creating a shaded, recessed space that opens to the desert. Its covered, sheltering quality recalls the rock overhangs at Mesa Verde, where protected terraces offer shade, refuge, and long views across the landscape.

Photography by Jeff Goldberg, ESTO

The rooms at Tucson Mountain Retreat are connected by a series of sheltered outdoor spaces. Movement through the house means movement through the desert, deepening the relationship between the inhabitants and the land.

Photography by Jeff Goldberg, ESTO