Southwestern House Plans & Energy Efficient House Plans From

Los Arcos is a straw bale house that has a Southwestern feel. It is built with straw bale filled steel frame and rastra walls, and has an exterior of both stucco and stone veneer. Arched openings, niches, and window seats are carved from the walls, creating comfortable interior spaces. Metal roofing is sized and oriented for optional photovoltaic strips, making this house truly energy efficient.

After entering through the entry foyer, one passes through an interior arch into the main hallway. Straight ahead is an efficiently laid out kitchen with a view to the living/dining space, and views to the back patio. The open living/dining room has a window seat along one wall, and an opening, flanked by two wood columns, leads to the office space. A serving bar separates the living space from the kitchen. To the right of the entry foyer are two bedrooms, a shared bath, and a storage room. The master bedroom features a window seat and a door to a side patio. A display niche sits at the end of the hallway.

A solar hot water panel provides domestic hot water and heats the radiant-heated slab, as well as the outdoor shower that's located at the side patio. The energy analysis for this house was 44% better than the National Energy Code, and 14% better than the Sustainable Energy Code.

Foundation Info
This house was originally designed to have a slab foundation. You can of course change it to a full or partial basement, or to a crawlspace, but you will need the help of a local builder or designer, and the new foundation plans should be reviewed by a structural engineer prior to construction.