Sited above Albuquerque's Petroglyph National Monument, the Escarpment House is a visually porous version of the classic New Mexican courtyard typology. The house's spatial sequence is a progression through outdoor spaces - from an entry court though a glazed interior courtyard to a patio with panoramic views of the Jemez, Sandia and Manzano Mountains.

The 2,550-square-foot house encloses the interior courtyard and cooling pond with the bedroom wing on the north side and all public spaces arrayed along the south. In the courtyard, a black iron steel staircase cantilevers off the north and east walls and leads to a roof deck. A geothermal heating and cooling system - with a high-efficiency ground-source heat pump and heat-recovery ventilator - takes advantage of the earth's constant 57º temperature. The system's excess energy pre-heats the domestic water heater. Materials and finishes are low cost, low maintenance and low-embodied energy and have minimal environmental impact. Energy Star appliances and low-flow plumbing fixtures are installed throughout.