Vive Verde is under construction and has a new website where you can track construction progress and learn more about the Living Office building.

South Station interior perspectiveSouth Station is a mixed use, multi unit development located on one acre in the M-1 district south on the Salazar Rd. extension in Taos, New Mexico. The project program includes professional office space, light manufacturing, and light retail. The architecture is contemporary, yet grounded in a regional tradition, assisting in defining a new regional contemporary style for Taos and Northern New Mexico. The individual spaces within the development range from small studio size spaces to larger, open plan spaces all with balcony style lofts.

Existing and proposed development in the vicinity of South Station includes light manufacturing, small scale retail, professional office space and some residential. Currently there is a plan for a green/open space on the southern border of the South Station Property which will include a park and other recreational amenities. Architecturally, South Station will be at home with several other buildings that are stylistically regionally contemporary.

The structures are described as four building clusters, three of which have a central larger unit and one smaller studio loft on each side. The studio spaces are approx. 861 sq. ft. (20’x30’ footprints) each and will be outfitted with a full bathroom and an efficient kitchen with an open loft covering 35-50% of the floor space. Larger service doors or garage roll-ups will provide easy access to delivery trucks or equipment on some units. The Larger spaces of approximately 1728 sq.ft. each will be expanded versions of the studios.

Living Designs Group featured in the Hi-Desert Star:

 "Do you know that the average person uses about 90 gallons of fresh water per day?" Jim asked. "What if we could cut that usage to 10 to 20 gallons?" he coaxed, and then launched into a description of the Dharma Living Systems wastewater treatment and recycling facility he and the partners would like to build into The Living Sanctuary.

Located in Taos, N.M., Dharma Systems is making quite a name for itself as the authority in "green building systems."

It integrates alternative energy and wastewater systems into communities, resorts and housing developments, and operates on the idea that ecosystems make the most reliable infrastructure. Most exciting of all to The Living Sanctuary planners is the demonstrated capability of Dharma-equipped facilities to operate perfectly well on collected rainwater in areas with annual rainfall amounts of just six to eight inches.

Except for fire use and long-term drought, the Meltons and Davis venture, The Living Sanctuary could have no need for an outside water source.

For as daring as this sounds, the venturing doesn't stop there...

The Living Lab project - an innovative educational facility slated for construction in Taos, NM, was featured in the May 2005 edition of School Planning and Management.

Living Lab

SP & M article (pdf)

Dharma Living Systems was well recieved at this Saturday's Home Show in Taos, NM. We presented our ongoing projects involving integrated architecture and ecological engineering components, and also showcased the Des Montes Residence, which combines an on-site wastewater system, rainwater catchment for reuse, and solar hotwater components.