Borowski Residence

By Edith Cherry and James See – November 1, 2020

Address:  13216 Indian School Rd. NW, Albuquerque, NM  87112

Access:  Private residence.  Please do not disturb. Curbside photos only.

Michael Borowski, RA, designed the family’s residence to emphasize home, hearth, and light. A simple palate of materials and careful detailing are used to execute three levels of space in an unusual way. 

This corner lot slopes down to the northwest, and the house steps up the slope from a two-story volume Living Room with bedrooms below to the Master Suite on the second floor above the Garage.  The Living Room has a dramatic view of the Rio Grande Valley and West Mesa, while the Master Suite has a view of the Sandia Mountains.

The basic shape of the house is a long rectangle with an octagon in the center housing the Kitchen, the heart of the house. The Kitchen is also a two-story volume and opens to the north to the ample stairwell, allowing all “roads” to lead to the Kitchen.

Natural light is introduced not only through thoughtfully placed windows on the exterior, but also by punching vertical light wells on either side of the central octagon.  These light wells, with small gardens at the base, bring natural light to all levels of the home.

11/1/20