Kari Bremer works on her drafting table at her in-home studio in north Durango on Tuesday morning./Photo by Jules Masterjohn.

We are fortunate to live in the midst of a great teacher, a gracious tutor that provides us with lessons each day in this school of life. This magnanimous educator is the land on which we walk, the air which we breathe, and the community of beings with which we share these resources. Ever receptive and constantly changing, we have much to learn from our natural environment.

According to Kari Bremer, founder of Fountain of Earth, a company that designs handcrafted natural homes, we can benefit greatly from the practices learned in sustainability from our predecessors, who were affected by and worked with the same dynamic elements of earth, wind, water and fire. "Ancient cultures sustained themselves for a very long time with what was right outside their doors. Our culture has lost this vernacular intelligence," she said. The intelligence Bremer refers to is the understanding derived from daily observations of the patterns and processes of the natural world. Bremer reminds us, "The cliff dwellings at Mesa Verde were designed to block out the summer heat and make use of the winter sun. Their construction practices were provided through their local materials. They paid attention to how water, when added to dirt, makes a sticky substance, and that it would be great stuff to use as a mortar between bricks. Indigenous peoples are to be emulated for their capacity to look outside and see what their own land has to offer for building materials and then create such masterpieces that have withstood the test of time."

Bremer's dedication and passion for using natural materials and implementing sustainable building practices is reflected in the phrase, "Vernacular is Spectacular." Some of her favorite examples of vernacular architecture also are recognized masterpieces in engineering such as Macchu Picchu in Peru, Palace of Knossos on the island of Crete, the Great Wall of China, and the Potala Palace in Tibet. "They were all made with stone, timber, mud brick, clay and lime plasters with natural pigments - ancient structures that have stood for centuries!"

Bremer uses the lessons learned from some of the earliest building traditions in her own design practices, observing the interaction of the natural elements to create a dwelling that is in harmony with its environment. "Scoping out the land and determining the resources is a site-specific design approach, and that's how I work. If we can find resources on the property that can be used in the house, instead of trucking it in, like mud to make bricks and mortar or timber that can be selectively harvested, we are using a sustainable building practice." Combining ancient wisdom and traditions with her observations of the "soul" of the place are central to Bremer's design process. "When I go to spend time on a client's land, I will sketch a little, take pictures. I also listen to the wind and look for signs of wildlife and history, running water and vegetation. I look for the natural colors in the landscape and try to feel the essence of the site."

An equally important aspect to Bremer's design success is her ability to be a "psychic sponge." Designing requires good communication skills, which means being an adept listener. "I can absorb other peoples' feelings and their senses of a place and somewhat see through their eyes," she said. Along with lengthy discussions with clients, she also asks them to show her pictures to get a sense of their taste.

Bremer, in her studio, is the founder of Fountain of Earth, a company that designs handcrafted natural homes./Photo by Todd Newcomer.

An equally important aspect to Bremer's design success is her ability to be a "psychic sponge." Designing requires good communication skills, which means being an adept listener. "I can absorb other peoples' feelings and their senses of a place and somewhat see through their eyes," she said. Along with lengthy discussions with clients, she also asks them to show her pictures to get a sense of their taste.

Listening and intuition play a prominent role in Bremer's design process as does her knowledge of and admiration for the work of other architects, like Antoni Gaudi and Frank Lloyd Wright. Her current project is inspired by Mary Colter, the architect responsible for designing many of the buildings on the Grand Canyon's south rim. "The current site I am designing is in a meadow next to a creek. I spent a few hours alone and a picture I had seen of a rock building by Mary Colter kept popping into my mind," she said. "I just couldn't get her kiva design out of my head, so I had to conceptually explore a round central kiva with wings to the east and west. I was worried that the clients wouldn't like the design but I was wrong. So, we are about to break ground on a creek-side kiva house. I feel like it is my best home plan to date."

It seems appropriate that Bremer's most significant teacher is one of the Earth's largest ecosystems, the ocean, being the daughter of a sea captain. And it is wonderfully poetic that she has made her artistic and spiritual home on the ancient ocean beds of the Southwest. "In college I spent a semester doing oceanographic research while sailing the North Atlantic. I had never been so challenged in all my life, living with a bunch of 20 year olds on a 125-foot Schooner, 300 miles from land, showering in salt water and sailing in all kinds of nasty and peaceful weather," she said. "I realized that I could do anything if I really dedicated myself to it without FEAR!" Those months on the ocean changed Bremer's life and were instrumental in forming her commitment to organic, natural and sustainable building designs. "I saw the precariousness of living off the yearly rise and fall of a natural resource in danger of over-fishing and industrial contamination," she said. "I have come to understand that when our earth's resources are managed with sustainability as the primary goal, we will live with both vast wilderness and wildlife and will be able to harvest resources for human consumption with a vision for the next 500 years."

Motivated by this long-term vision, Bremer draws creative sustenance from the work of well-known sustainable architecture guru, William McDonough, an architecture professor and author. A favorite quote by McDonough that gives Bremer encouragement is: "Imagine what a world of prosperity and health in the future will look like and begin designing for it right now."