Budding Architects and Environmentalists: Lend a Hand in Big Bend Country!

by Paula Newton August 31, 2015

swan9The Adobe Alliance is looking for volunteers to help rebuild the fallen vault at Swan House & Lab, in Presidio, Texas. The work visa for Mexican engineer Fernando Pina was just granted in late July and the Alliance is seeking assistants interested in working with the sustainable material of mud brick and restoring this incredible house.

Early in her career, Simone Swan established a New York public relations agency committed to public information on art, architecture, and the environment. She later served as founding director of the Menil Foundation where, beyond art endeavors, she initiated energy conservation and alternative energy programs. In the 1970s, Simone apprenticed to Hassan Fathy, renowned Egyptian environmental architect and author of Architecture for the Poor and was inspired by his interest in reviving indigenous building techniques for owner-built cooperative housing. In the late 1990s, Simone established the Adobe Alliance in the Big Bend area in order to realize low-cost housing in the border region.

For information about volunteering, contact Swan at 505-988-2828 or [email protected], or visit the Adobe Alliance website, where there are tons of images of the Swan House. Here are a few of them:
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