UNIT ONE BEAUTY AND FUNCTION

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Temperatures do fluctuate in be gymhouse, naturally ... on many days by as much as 35°F. This rise and fall is merely evidence of solar heating at work. Still, the coldest temperature the Balcomb Mans have ever had to tolerate was 45°F (on a -17°F winter night), while the hottest summertime high was 98°F Judging by the health of the resident greenery, the solarium's moderated outdoor environment is no hardship.

And, of course, the solar techniques that heat Unit One also function to keep the Balcombs cool in the summer. When the sun is at its higher "warm season" angle, a roof overhang (and the balcony) shade the adobe wall from any direct sunlight. The mass of the wall then serves as a stabilizer ... and thoroughly negates the radical temperature extremes of the desert day and night.

The storage system can also be used—by reversing its thermostatic control—to cool the rock beds at night and transfer the chill during the following day. To prevent overheating of the greenhouse during hot spells, the builders positioned vents at the base of the vertical windows and at the top of the staircase. Natural convection currents can thus introduce cool air at the bottom and usher heat out the top.

THE COSTS ... THE BENEFITS

Unit One cost a total of $104,000, of which $24,000 went for the lot. Approximately $12,000 was spent on the solar heating system ... but $8,000 of that expense was granted by the Department of Housing and Urban Development under the 1974 Solar Demonstration Act. (Of course, any current solar construction has a portion of its cost offset by the federal 101% tax allowance and various state tax breaks.)

Still, the per-foot price of about $42 (for the 1,900-square-foot home) may seem a bit steep to many readers. If so, bear in mind that housing costs in the Santa Fe area we higher than most regions by several dollars a square foot. Then peer at the photos for a moment to take h. the ab- sence of economy measures in the dwelling's construction. To an adobe fancierand the lure of an earthen home "growing" out of the land is very real to many folksthe Balcomb house falls somewhere between shelter and art.

Furthermore, Unit One is a thing of beauty that works ... and works with the environment. It is built of earth and draws most of its heat from the sun. Inside its walls and windows the Balcombs enjoy a lifestyle which dispels most of the myths about passive solar living ... in the kind of comfort that none of their previous homes could offer.

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