Welcome

Welcome to the website of Archetype Design and designer Vishu Magee.

Since 1973 Vishu has been designing homes which integrate contemporary function and greenbuilding systems into classic adobe forms. The styles range widely – from rustic and natural to clean and ultra-contemporary.

Non-toxic and native materials are always preferred, with most homes built in adobe, rastra, or pumice-crete. Above all, every house is one-of-a-kind and results from blending client preferences with site conditions and the designer’s creativity.

This website offers some helpful resources:

The Online Portfolio, Vishu’s past work.

Greenbuilding, a comprehensive survey of sustainable building systems and techniques.

The Construction Costs Handbook, presenting current building costs for Taos. (The 2012 edition is in the works!)

The Residential Design Questionnaire and FAQ’s to help you through the first steps of planning and design.

I hope you’ll find these images and resources useful and will consider Archetype Design for your upcoming project!