Santa Fe New Mexican: “Playing it cool: Northern New Mexico IceBox Challenge measures future of homebuilding”

Written By Mariana Pickering

B.PUBLIC Prefab is honored to have contributed high-performance design and materials to one of the three tiny homes showcased in the Northern New Mexico Ice Box Challenge, as reported by the Santa Fe New Mexican. This innovative public demonstration, held near the New Mexico State Capitol, featured homes built to varying energy efficiency standards: Passive House, 2021 New Mexico Residential Code, and 1950s-era construction. Each home was filled with approximately one ton of ice to test how well different building methods retain thermal energy.

Our Passive House–designed home, constructed by participants in the YouthWorks program and Santa Fe Habitat for Humanity, exemplifies how integrating best practices in energy efficiency can serve as both a teaching tool for future tradespeople and a model for sustainable housing solutions. Following the event, the homes will be delivered to the Esperanza Shelter, providing safe emergency housing for families in need.

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Playing it cool: Northern New Mexico IceBox Challenge measures future of homebuilding

Posted Aug 8, 2025, by Cormac Dodd

Mariana Pickering
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