For the Environment...

Paca de Paja is an eco-friendly place. We are attempting to reduce our impact and live in an environmentally sustainable way. Here are the ways we live lightly on the land:

• we recycle glass, tin, paper, cardboard, aluminum, and plastic
• we compost and have a small garden
• no pesticides or herbicides are used
• solar PV panels generate electricity for the home
• no bleach, chemical disinfectants, fabric softener, or dryer papers are used
• cleaning and laundry products are non-toxic and chemical-free
• we have motion-detector outdoor lighting and skylights for daytime indoor lighting
• we practice rainwater harvesting and grey water harvesting
• the gardens showcase permaculture principles in landscaping
• the garden plantings are mainly native and arid-adapted species
• for heat, we have passive solar design and energy-efficient radiant floor heating
• for cooling, we have windows that open, fans, and efficient evaporative coolers
• our energy costs are very low, mainly due to the highly insulative strawbale walls
• linens are laundered only on request during a multiple-day B&B stay
• to save energy and to capture the cleansing effect of sunlight, bed linens are line-dried
• clotheslines are used for 80% of all laundry
• no plastic or paper disposables are used in the B&B operation — napkins are cloth, silverware is silver, and plates & cups are china or glass
• we serve organic, fair-trade coffee; organic, hormone-free eggs; and other healthy food
• the neighborhood is a small, rural, quiet community of homes with all utilities underground, lots of fresh air, and no industry, no pollution, no cell phone towers.

Recognitions for good "green" practices and sustainable design:

• Paca de Paja was highlighted in the 2009 Arizona Highways magazine "Best of Arizona... " feature article as the "Best Eco-Friendly Accommodation in the State."
• Paca de Paja is a member of the non-profit Green America and was the first Arizona B&B to be included in the National Green Pages, meeting their stringent inclusion criteria.
• Paca de Paja was featured in a 2010 Arizona Republic newspaper article on five eco-friendly and sustainable B&Bs in Arizona.
• Paca de Paja has been included in the annual Tucson Innovative Home tour twice – as one of 20 homes in Tucson showcasing innovative energy-efficient design.
• Paca de Paja was included in Catherine Wanek’s 2003 book The New Strawbale Home.

The structure:

The Paca de Paja house itself is a model of low-impact design. The two-foot thick strawbale walls are not only handsome, but also energy-wise as strawbale is one of the most sustainable, energy-efficient forms of construction in existence, utilizing a renewable resource (straw), minimizing the amount of lumber needed, and creating walls with an R-value of 50. We used local resources for the bales, thus reducing transportation costs for our primary building materials. We ensured minimum disturbance of the native vegetation that was here when the house was built so the overall footprint is small.