Bayers/Aju Residence

Placitas, New Mexico

The Bayers/Aju residence is a 3,061-square-foot adobe-style home perched atop a hill in Placitas, New Mexico, offering beautiful 360-degree views. A particularly stunning view of the Sandia Mountains serendipitously aligns almost perfectly with the southern sun, allowing large expanses of south-facing glass to capture both the passive solar winter sun and the scenery.

Constructing the home required extensive dirt work to flatten the hilltop, but the resulting building site proved well worth the effort. Designed for a couple with adult children, the main level serves as the homeowners’ primary living space, while a generous upstairs living area functions as a private guest suite for visiting family.

One homeowner is a musician, and the semi-attached casita was designed as a dedicated music space and office. The other homeowner enjoys cooking East Indian cuisine, which can produce bold and lingering aromas. In response, a unique design feature allows the kitchen and dining area to be closed off from the rest of the home with a large, custom-built pocket door—letting the cooking shine without perfuming the entire house.

Thoughtfully tailored to its site and its owners, the home balances comfort, functionality, and personality, proving that good design can be both practical and a little bit fun.