Derek T. Havens & Associates

06/12/2026

There was a clear and noticeable focus on passive solar designs and applications during the late ‘60s through the early ‘70s. Research into passive heating became very popular as a place where numerous scenarios were developed to absorb and retain the Sun’s heat during the evenings.
What began as a practical design approach in ‘primitive’ cultures where engineering took into account natural convection and basic physics. Heat a rock during the day and enjoy its warmth throughout the night…. A basic need with simple deductive thinking.
Marketing has known that folks are enticed by almost anything espousing “new”. Oil and the subsequent rise of electrical power’s siren song pulled people towards the new ‘convenience’ of active, powered heating systems such as steam, were touted strongly by the market, seeking to acquire a growing base of customers.
Passive heating (and cooling) methods tend to be ‘slow’ and moderate; working tirelessly and continuously with little to no maintenance.
At that time, many of us were seeking escapes or alternative lifestyles to that which was being sold by the utility powers. “Ready Kilowatt” urged people to enter the future in an “all-electric” home. Hundreds of thousands of homes were sold under the description of “Gold Medallion Homes”, an assurance that this home operated exclusively on electrical energy that replaced all of the former methods and their more involved maintenance requirements.
At the tail end of the ‘60s the market was booming pushing new, modern conveniences and appliances that took advantage of the prodigious investments made into energy production. Oil was inexpensive and could power all of our needs.
Some of us saw this as a bait operation designed to sell the ‘benefits’ of modern convenience over the economy and functionality of the passive designs that had been effectively employed for centuries.
This simple box passive heater is a great concept that can be utilized in many ways to enhance the interior environment of our homes. From simple to more complex in design, arrangement and materials used, there are a thousand options between a box and a more complex tromba wall approach in architectural design.
Addition of architectural details that employ this technology should be a standard aspect of any design consideration. Even in these days of readily available direct heating sources, passive enhancements can greatly reduce overall operational costs of heating a home at no additional cost other than the details installed.
Can you think of how this approach might be used in contemporary residential building design?

06/07/2026

As energy and energy use becomes more and more of a challenge it will be inevitable that we begin, once more, to look into the area of other energy resources and how to gather them for our use in such a way so as not to destroy our environment in the process for only the profit of a few.
There are so many ways that humans have addressed these conditions before us using various and deviously clever methods to ‘direct’ nature’s forces versus attempting to capture them where we can put a meter on the flow.
Many of these time-tested ways are only awaiting contemporary interpretation to become more incorporated into our lifestyles. Passive design along with other solar and geologic systems can replace much of what we have come to rely upon from a system designed merely for the profits in how it is generated and distributed. We have paid for private entities to improve their capital value at our expense by having us pay for the improvements we did not request while ignoring those improvements we do want.
Devices such as the ones shown here, appear to be easily incorporated into an architectural structure where such systems do not appear as appliquéd or otherwise an ancillary architectural form that seeks to compete with the overall.
It will be incumbent on architects and designers to carry these banners into the future by helping homeowners design and incorporate such energy saving systems that, unlike many other forms of solar power gathering, are far simpler in construction, lighter footprint overall and, with proper maintenance, perpetual as the Sun.
We must adopt various energy strategies to our efforts and discussions of how we will live in our new paradigm of a changing global climate along with social and political upheaval of systems that are not addressing the needs required. Incorporating small, holistic systems within the fabric of our homes will go far in establishing the possibility of ‘self-sufficient’ living. With the use of technology and new perspectives all is possible.

The Parabolic Solar Trough, Heats up Water (fluid) to 400 degree C. Resulting in safe water to drink. This Parabolic trough can also make steam for electricity.

05/28/2026

Here we are, folks. As I had made mention of long ago, this is the ultimate environmental architecture. Buckminster had it right on when he developed the geodesic dome. I helped build a few back in the ‘70s. Interesting structures and, exactly as planned, they cover more space with less materials than almost any other type of structure.
Since its inception and introduction to the American public the dome has only achieved interest with hard applied applications complicated by being as unique and different than most traditional building methods.
But what to do with all of this space? There is little in our architectural record that supports living in the round. Many primitive cultures initiated building in the round as it coincided with our once nomadic lifestyles using more temporary structures. But still, the dome becomes one of the easiest type structures to build in the wild, typically smaller to accommodate a sleeping family and keep the Dingos at bay during the night.
There is no application for most of what we consider “round” habitats aside from their uniqueness and special interests. None of our furniture development is geared towards life in the round.
Here we see the perfect example of how to control one’s environment without changing much of any architectural style. Using the Dome as an enclosed environment, inside of which, your imagination is the only limitation as to what gets enclosed, eh?
Building a house in a bubble can seem like an interesting idea, until we realize that the majority of our homes are designed and built to segregate ourselves from the elements; roofs, gutters, siding, windows, doors, almost everything that we think of as home reflects this desire to be protected from the environment.
Inside of a dome much of these precautions become superfluous and unneeded. Just imagine how our perspectives on buildings and architectural aesthetics might change once we find we do not have to protect our dwelling so much as our whole environment.
Treating the atmosphere inside of a dome can become more simplified as the equipment can sit ourside of our homes.
From our infant steps into this type of architecture, we learned a lot about solar gain in a clear bubble…You can get cooked inside a closed dome. But again, with relatively easy and simple methods, shading and other natural light controls all become about the “outside” with your “inside” simply the places inside your environment where one might keep their family and stuff where all is protected under the same, controllable bubble.
I think this approach will key in nicely with many ongoing architectural movements from tiny houses all the way up to larger habitats.
Contemporary houses have potentially billions of seams, joints where various materials come together in such a way as to hopefully prevent the outside from coming inside. The time, energy, tools, skills and materials necessary for this type of structure are complex and always changing, hoping to skin the can a new way, but, more than not, the approach is the same old build a box and live in it.
I look forward to progress in this area of construction placing people in containerized habitats that require far less of these physical complications. When the weatherproofing of a structure can be done under a single barrier for not only the cave, but the mountain, freeing up much space and thought that now occupies our traditional building methods and perspectives.

05/14/2026

The beauty of rust…honest. Interesting the uses we see of steel in residential architecture while we are also experiencing a growth in large wood framed structures. Kinetic facades, such as this can be of benefit in a number of applications and conditions. Use of this type of shade and breeze control can be an energy savings when employed properly. Many prophetic designers, such as Buckminster Fuller, employed kinetic devices and approaches to solve several perceived challenges.
These moving architectural elements will become more ubiquitous as we merge AI control systems which will be further integrated into other aspects of the structure’s systems; making the mechanical operation, temperature and power regulations and controls all respond to have a collective impact as they adjust to the ever-changing climatic conditions.
Many ancient cultures employed such vanes and louvres in their architectural forms that exploited natural physics; optimizing such things as natural convection and heat-exchanging systems. Most of these systems were passive in design but the effective active operation of such became baked into the cultural experience.
It was the onerous demands of operation that forced many of these active features into submission through stylized modifications or simply elimination being perceived as too primitive or inefficient in comparison to contemporary mechanical systems and closed environments; those things that boast of a more contemporized perspective in design, building and energy use and production that we have developed over the past century. The same ‘attributes’ that we are seeking remedies for currently yet our architectural demands are changing rapidly, with many approaches echoing more natural, static design principles for the sake of efficiency.
I’m wondering if there is not a move afoot to plumb a bit more of “how” we think and live rather than “where” or “in what” we live.

04/22/2026

Fantastic use of shape, form and color that softens the brutalism of the materials. Lots of enigmatic spaces that alludes towards other, adjacent spaces creating greater structural details in the planes and angles as well as a greater sense of space. Notable to me was the use of color to suggest drapes and tapestries found in gothic cathedrals and castles. Nice homage and effect, I thought, in maintaining both a sense of intimacy and simultaneous openness, such as the feeling one might experience under large trees in a forest. Interesting.

04/11/2026

Modular construction has many benefits. This will be the future of most mass residential construction. Along with a growing “3D Printing” of homes this is the inevitable incorporation of automation into our assumptions and expectations.
We have been through these industrial revolutions before. As we move from one paradigm to another, many, long-held and used tools and techniques are quickly forgotten.
Personally, I have learned several techniques and materials that are now obsolete and gone from the conversation. By no means do I disparage the exciting changes and discoveries we are making in both architecture and building.
I cannot help but feel, though, that where once there was hard-won skill sets and practices now is becoming more about programming. Not quite the same sort of experience in the gratification area, eh?

04/11/2026

Begin with the minimal..

03/28/2026

02/23/2026

In the real world of energy production, where every resource is benignly explored and used to our advantage, will be essential in us perpetuating a functional grid supply.
I have seen so many interesting forms for wind power generation, many which seem helpful, if not a strong contribution. But it is in the ubiquity of such contributions to our electrical grid that the full strength lies.
It is obvious that those currently enjoying dividends from their local public utilities monopolies are not prone to support something that has a frightening aspect of being “unbillable”. Our energy interest are based not on pragmatic needs and supply methods but profits and all that brings into the mix. It is this myopia that has stunted so much of our energy production and use.
We will have to learn that by utilizing such technology, especially in our architectural designs, that we can facilitate this adoption through these devices; yet another challenge as so many structures are designed and built by lowest bidders.
It is up to us to both bring these new approaches to the people and to our ongoing assumptions of the purposes of architecture into the future; establishing “norms” for our group aesthetic awareness and acceptance.
I like the approach of this design, as it takes advantage of inconsistent directional wind. Urban spaces, with so many structures that cause air circulation disruptions are subject to chaotic wind gusts and breezes that can come from any direction, which makes this system very useful in urban conditions where more generic approaches to wind power generation become impractical due to such influences.
The size(s) of this unit can be very compact and, perhaps, even woven into architectural forms.
A grid wall, supported by a structural, exterior wall of a building (fu***ng data centers, perhaps), with each cell containing such an ‘orb’ could produce interesting and creative visuals while also serving the structure’s energy needs directly. Perhaps not in full, but a contributor to the greater grid. Design, function, success in both pragmatic needs and a dynamic aesthetic interest.
As architects and designers, I feel that we have an obligation to promote those things that serve people on a daily basis; designs with externalized intent, as free of ego drift as possible and see the opportunities for such design/functional elements in what we do. A great part of our expertise and knowledge is presenting and explaining the merits and purposes of architecture in ways that people can understand and appreciate on merit more than instruction or over-produced marketing.
Educating the client takes a few more minutes, but also invites the public to share in our perspectives not only of how things should look, but the overall contribution and influence of the whole on a healthy progressive society.