By Goldie Mariola, Home Tour Coordinator
“One of the jewels of Crestone that I love so much is the amazing architecture that has been realized here. It is truly inspiring what a human mind can imagine and then build. For decades, Crestone has been a place of freedom for creativity in the home building process and we are concerned that many builders are not taking the natural environment and our resources into consideration. We would really appreciate it if everyone could take this survey and help us get an understanding of where the path of home building has come from and where it is going. There are so many beautiful homes here and I hope to start archiving the stories behind them. Please feel free to be as detailed as you like and only share what you are comfortable with. ” -Goldie Mariola
Take a drive down any road in the Baca and you will be sure to see a handful of amazing, unique and beautifully designed homes, some of them look like they are straight out of a dream and probably are. In contrast to a lot of other counties and communities, home builders in Crestone have a lot of freedom in the building process.
The Crestone Energy Fair (CEF) Home Tour is an ideal way to experience some of the special homes here. This year we are expanding the tour schedule to two days. On Saturday, August 17, we will have the “Completed Homes Tour” which will feature five homes that align with CEF values of being energy efficient, passively heated and cooled and built using sustainable methods and materials. On Sunday, August 18th, there will be a tour for homes that are “Under Construction.” This is a great opportunity to see the process of building off-grid, energy-efficient homes. We have a great variety of homes this year on the Sunday tour including a strawbale, an earthship and a SIP (structural insulated panels) home. Both tours will meet at 8AM at the Energy Fair Information Booth and will run from 9AM-Noon. This year we are also featuring a commercial tour which includes Orient Land Trust, Shumei International Institute and the Haidakhandi Universal Ashram as well as an open house Realtor Tour with Sangre de Cristo Real Estate, Crestone Realty and Darlene Yarborough Realty to highlight some of the homes that are for sale.
Each person/couple will be given a $5 Program Guide as a part of their Home Tour price.
In a world that is becoming increasingly more cookie-cutter and regulated, it is important, now more than ever, to celebrate our creative differences and experience the unique, and environmentally responsible homes that are possible. Whether you are a local or visiting for the event, we would love to see you on the tour!!
Click Here to see Tours of Completed Houses shown in 2019
Click Here to see Tours of Under Construction Houses shown in 2019