The Voices of Solar: Mark Chalom & Betty Tsosie

editors | 28 November, 2009 17:56

By Rose Marie Kern, rmk@swcp.com

”The People living in the Government homes on the reservation always get sick, but we don’t, we have been very healthy.”

Mark is a Passive Solar Architect living in Santa Fe. Betty Tsosie, his wife, is a silkscreen artist from Santa Clara Pueblo. Mark has been a long time NMSEA member. Betty designs the artwork for NMSEA’s T-Shirts.

Mark Chalom grew up in upstate New York where early on he developed a love for both sculpture and architectural design. “Someone told me that architecture paid better” and so, with New England practicality, he set his course toward sculpting the structures that we live in.

He heard of the innovative theories of structure being taught at the University of Oklahoma in Norman, and braved the winter ice storms and summer thunderstorms to earn his degree in architecture. He studied with Bruce Goff, a visionary who examined ways of implementing radical new design concepts. “This was an age where the geodesic dome homes and inflatable structures were introduced. It was also a time where older, traditional building materials such as adobe were resurrected and re-examined for use in modern construction.”

In 1974, Mark traveled to New Mexico to join a host of out-on-the-edge architectural geniuses who were exploring the boundaries of passive solar cooling and heating. He met and worked with Bill Lumpkins, Doug Balcomb, Peter Van Dresser, and Bill Yanda among others. As part of the “Sundwelllings” team, he researched the potential for marrying integrated passive solar design with the construction technologies and materials used in New Mexico.

Betty Tsosie grew up living close to the land. A quiet, graceful woman, Betty exemplifies both the creativity and practicality of her native American heritage. A silkscreen artist, and member of the Santa Clara Pueblo, she grew up here in the southwest, in a small village environment.

Betty worked in the computer center at Los Alamos Laboratories as a young woman. Becoming fluent with the computer’s capabilities became a valuable factor later when, after meeting Mark, she allowed her artistic nature to guide her current career choice.

Betty grew up in an adobe house where, once a year, her mother would shovel dirt onto the roof. She learned sustainable living techniques for drying food and collecting herbs.

She was at home in the Pueblo one day when her brother, Jonathon, brought home a young, enthusiastic architect. They had been working together at Ghost Ranch on the Sundwelling Project.

Mark and Betty quickly developed an admiration for each other’s abilities. They married and built the first of several passive solar homes. Their son, Matthew, has always had the advantages of a sustainable living environment.

Betty feels that these homes have been one reason for their family’s very good health.

“In the government houses built on the Pueblo, the children were always getting sick, but we’ve always been healthy.”

Mark’s sculpting background is evident in the graceful, strong lines of the beautiful homes he creates. All of his houses contain passive solar features with a blending of materials and textures. He enjoys it when a client calls and tells him that his home has provided “the best winter I’ve ever spent.”

Betty’s artwork can be seen on her website:www.tewatees.com Learn more about solar architecture from Mark’s website: www.markchalom.com

Author Rose Marie Kern is past president of the New Mexico Solar Energy Association and a principal director of Solar Ranch. www.rosemariekern.com.