Autotroph

11/04/2022

Autotroph is pleased to announce that we have broken ground on this innovative food / beverage, retail and entertainment complex in Rio Rancho. This design incorporates re-purposed shipping containers around a Central Park green space with a lawn, stage and video wall for entertainment. An Eatery is connected to the outdoor spaces with roll up garage doors and will provide a variety food offerings. An upper level bar, Top of the Block, will serve exquisite cocktails while offering amazing sunset views of the Sandia Mountains. This will be the spot for family and adult entertainment in Rio Rancho! Coming in 2023. Learn more at https://www.theblock-peh.com/

The Block will be a new retail development located in the Enchanted Hills shopping center in Rio Rancho.

05/07/2022

Autotroph is happy to announce that our renovation of Santa Fe's favorite art house theater is complete and the Jean Cocteau Cinema is hosting a reopening celebration this weekend! Come out to see the improved theater with new finishes, comfortable seats and improved sight lines. This weekend's celebration has an incredible slate of classic movies. For showtimes and more info, go to: https://www.jeancocteaucinema.com/events-2

03/11/2022

Construction has begun on our renovation of the Jean Cocteau Cinema. Santa Fe's best little performance space is getting an upgrade! This remodel will preserve the Jean Cocteau’s beloved art deco charm, while making the theater much more comfortable and inviting for guests. New seats, improved sight lines, better sound + lighting and a more flexible space will make this the go to theater and performance space in the City Different.

03/03/2022

Like the rest of the world, the staff of Autotroph is appalled by the actions of the Putin regime against Ukraine. We stand in solidarity with Architects, Designers and other Creatives in Ukraine, Russia and the rest of the world in opposition to this unnecessary and horrific war. As this open letter reminds us, it is not the people of Russia who are the instigators of this war, but rather the county's dictator and his enablers in the Russian oligarchy and military. We urge all design professionals to recommit themselves to the betterment of society and the planet through design and to oppose unjust actions in whatever form they may take.

More than 6,500 Russian architects, designers and urban planners have signed an open letter to condemn the invasion of Ukraine and "demand the immediate end of violent war".

02/18/2022

Autotroph is pleased to announce that our Starship proposal is featured in this new publication! This collaboration with Tim Schwartz is a sustainable, mobile community hub. Land Art of the 21st Century Fly Ranch documents the notable submissions to a LAGI sponsored Design Competition for innovative off-grid infrastructure ideas for Burning Man's Fly Ranch Property. It can be purchased here: https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/L/bo120140891.html

11/01/2021

Another day at the office with Autotroph! When you spend time on the site and work to understand it, good things happen. We believe that architecture should be a collaboration with the land, not an imposition.

10/28/2021

Autotroph is honored to be included on this list of the top firms serving Custom Residential Clients in New Mexico!

New Mexico is popular among retirees. The state has a unique blend of culture and traditions, plenty of spots for recreation, and a landscape that is nothing less than breathtaking. New Mexico’s diverse population includes Latinos, Hispanics, African-Americans, Asians, and people from the Middle E...

08/24/2021

Concrete naturally absorbs CO2 through a process called carbonation. Not as much CO2 as it takes to make it, but a carbon sink none the less. There are people and companies are looking at ways of increasing it's CO2 absorption potential. Wouldn't it be great if someday the buildings we construct absorb and sequester more CO2 than it takes to build them? Then the built environment can be part of the solution rather than part of the problem.

Around half of the carbon emissions from cement production are reabsorbed by the material used in buildings and infrastructure, according to the latest IPCC climate report.

08/23/2021

As architects we have an enormous responsibility, and opportunity, to make the world a better place for current and future generations. Autotroph supports the efforts of , and their call on design professionals to design zero carbon buildings immediately. We commit to doing our part in this endeavor.

Architects can prevent the worst effects of climate change by deciding to design and build to net-zero carbon standards, argues architect Edward Mazria.

08/04/2021

Autotroph is pleased to announce that we'll be working with Santa Fe County on this exciting project. We look forward to collaborating with SF County Housing Authority and other project stake holders to deliver new, affordable housing and quality design to this growing area in Santa Fe.

The proposed mixed-use housing complex for low-income renters would be built on county-owned land inside city limits.

08/03/2021

On the return leg of their classic road trip, the Dzurec family stopped in Las Vegas for some rest and relaxation. While many people flock to the Strip, Alexander and family wanted to see some of the other sights. They were in search of good design and cutting-edge entertainment. So, the first stop was Downtown Las Vegas where visionary Tony Hsieh led the redevelopment of this once forgotten area far away from the typical Vegas attractions. Conceived as a start-up tech incubator meets arts district, there is a distinctively different vibe here. Yes it’s Vegas, so still over the top, but here art trumps glitz. There is a shipping container retail park, a praying mantis sculpture that breathes fire, old motels and nondescript buildings reinvigorated with mural art and sculpture. This was a place, that while new, felt authentic in ways that the Strip just doesn’t.

A few blocks down the street is the Fremont Street experience. Here the art vibe of Downtown meets casino culture for a truly extraordinary experience. Several blocks of Freemont Street are covered with a vaulted roof featuring a comprehensive video display. Like a modern Sistine Chapel, it illuminates the onlookers below with constantly changing graphics. A surreal urban renewal project.

Lastly, Alexander and family visited Area 15 and their good friends at Meow Wolf. Located inside this trippy art themed entertainment complex, Omega Mart is right at home. A supermarket that opens up portals to a mind-bending multiverse. Complex video projection mapping, luminescent etched glass, bizarro-world corporate offices and many other psychedelic works of art. Meow Wolf has really upped their game with Omega Mart.

This visit has shown that Las Vegas has a lot to offer beyond the tourist trap of the Strip. Surprisingly; it is a living breathing city infused with art, creativity, entertainment and quirky humor.

07/30/2021

Fly Ranch is a truly spectacular place. It is set in a seemingly inhospitable desert site surrounded by mountains, dried up lake beds and scrub brush. But the presence of water makes it an oasis. This former ranch is blessed with artesian springs, natural (and manmade) hot springs and abundant wetlands. It serves as a natural habitat for wild horses, birds, sheep, mountain lions, scorpions and even freshwater snails. It is also overrun with invasive plant species and has the scars of human occupation. Fly Ranch Guardians are in the process of managing invasive species and ecologically restoring significant areas on the property. Also set within the site are pieces of art. Built for Burning Man’s past as well as site specific pieces. Wandering the site, you wonder if you are in a fairy tale. Baba Yaga’s House, the Pier, and the Narwal are art installations that are at once alien and at home in such a landscape.

While there, firm Principal Alexander and his family, experienced extreme temperatures related to the heat wave that hit the Pacific Northwest in late June: 105 deg. or higher each day of their trip. It reminds us of the delicate balance of nature in which life can thrive. A few degrees warmer, make sites like this exponentially less habitable. This trip was a visceral reminder of the effects of climate change and how we should tread lightly on the land, especially in places like this.