May 21, 2025
DUST presents Ofrescas: Between Earth and Sky, an installation that will be on view in the United States Pavilion at the 19th International Architecture Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia. The work responds to the curatorial theme of the US Pavilion—PORCH: An Architecture of Generosity—by reflecting on the peoples, wildlife, landscapes, and stories of El…
> MoreNovember 1, 2020
To understand what we mean when we talk about building a space, take a look at this video produced by Josh Ford featuring our Casa Caldera project. From security concerns to leveraging the ambient environment for cooling, this home was designed as a response to the context of the land and site and all that…
> MoreNovember 9, 2023
San Rafael Valley by Jesus Robles. Producer/Editor – David Fenster Videography – David Fenster & Jandro Davalos Recent winner of 2023 Edward R Murrow Award for Excellence in Video and 2023 Rocky Mountain Emmy for best photographer short/long form.
> MoreOctober 19, 2023
Listen to Cade and Jesus discuss with Aaron Prinz the use of materiality within the design process, the importance of place, and how the firm’s ethos has elevated its practice. Listen here
> MoreOctober 19, 2023
Cade Hayes and Jesus Robles receive the Texas Tech University College of Architecture’s H. Dean Pierce Chair for Visiting Professors in Fall 2023. Teaching an advanced graduate studio focused in Northern New Mexico, exploring landscapes, cultural artifacts, and thermal hot springs.
> MoreDecember 16, 2022
Calling the Marfa Suite house “haunted” is in no sense a put-down. The project from Tucson, Ariz.-based DUST Architects seems to be inhabited by a few very impressive, very attractive ghosts: the landscape of the Chihuahuan Desert, the eerie emptiness of which gives the town of Marfa, Texas, its peculiar allure; the work of Donald…
> MoreMay 12, 2022
Marfa Suite located in Marfa, Texas was selected as one of the winners for the Texas Society of Architects- 2022 Design Awards. For Cade and Jesus the connection to West Texas is personal, both graduated from Texas Tech, and Cade was born and grew up a few hours north. “This beautifully executed project strongly conveys…
> MoreJanuary 1, 2022
Completed winter 2020, the Marfa Suite located in Marfa, Texas was in the November 5, 2021 shortlist winners for Architectural Review House Awards. “The private house occupies a unique position in both the history of architecture and human imagination. Beyond its core function of shelter, it is an object of fantasy, a source of delight,…
> MoreOctober 16, 2021
D U S T was selected in the 2021 Architects Newspaper Interior’s annual top 50 architects. Along with the a wide scope of participating practices from regions across the United States, Mexico and Canada, D U S T is proud to be included in a list providing a more inclusive vision. It is in the…
> MoreSeptember 29, 2021
Completed winter 2020, the Marfa Suite located in Marfa, Texas was featured on Dwell.com’s story West Texas Couple get a Compressed Earth Block Addition that syncs with the landscape. Tucson based DUST Architects returns to Texas to design a compact stand-alone retreat for a home in the Chihuahuan Desert.
> MoreAugust 10, 2021
Completed winter 2020, the Marfa Suite located in Marfa, Texas was featured in the August 10, 2021 story “How Do You Add On to the Perfect Small House? You Don’t.” in The New York Times. In the end, they arrived at a stand-alone primary suite made from compressed earth-and-cement blocks that are similar to adobe but can withstand the elements…
> MoreMay 16, 2021
Casa Caldera and DUST wins 2021 Jeff Harnar Award for Contemporary Architecture in the Southwest D U S T has been awarded the top prize by the University of New Mexico School of Architecture + Planning and the Thornburg Foundation: the 2021 Jeff Harnar Award for Contemporary Architecture in the Southwest. “We were very impressed…
> MoreNovember 20, 2020
We’ve talked before about ‘modern’ architecture and the things that go along with that school, that era of design and construction, and for us, the new, true modern architecture needs to be one thing: sustainable. It needs to be responsive to its environment. Sustainable Design & ConstructionIt starts with the design. Speaking from our own…
> MoreNovember 20, 2020
This documentation and video produced by Jay Ritchey of Jay Bird Films details some of the processes for how we built Casa Caldera, specifically the scoria walls. Jay worked with us, swinging the hammer, pushing wheelbarrows, and keeping the coffee flowing, all while putting together this wonderful piece. Scoria, or lavacrete, is made up of…
> MoreNovember 2, 2020
A 2016 Architectural Record House, Casa Caldera is a custom home designed and built near the U.S./Mexico Border.
> MoreAugust 15, 2020
We get asked about what kind of architecture we design. Often the question is, “commercial vs. residential,” others specifically inquire about style, such as contemporary, modern. It is hard for us to speak about the work in singular and narrow terms such as modern architecture, sustainable architecture, etc. We have an aversion to categorizations because…
> MoreJanuary 8, 2020
When people think about modern architecture, it conjures several common elements in their mind. Buildings that make heavy use of glass and steel. Shapes that might not traditionally be associated with buildings, drastic curves, angles, or even flat rectangular surfaces. Let’s talk about what modern architecture is, so we can seek beyond it. ModernismModern architecture…
> MoreJanuary 7, 2020
Rammed earth constructions are a tried and true method of architectural work throughout history. The process is used in cultures across the globe and has just as many names. It is an elemental methodology for building, by its very nature borrowing from the land, harnessing strength and shaping purpose to create a dwelling that is…
> MoreJanuary 7, 2020
Vernacular Architecture – Traditionally SpeakingWhat is vernacular architecture? Vernacular architecture is a school of design, principles, and practices that represent the essence of local traditions, materials, and builders. It’s a mode of building that is rooted in place – made, through a specific tradition, with specific materials. It’s the power of a place and it’s…
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