Sounds like a prima donna. You prolly should have said, "well, with that attitude I guess it won't!"
SSQ has a major distrust of architects because his Dad used to have to try to build what they drew! ;o)
We bought Chief Architect and I drew my own plans for the addition. SSQ did all the load calculations, since it's a two story and we have to deal with snow-loads, etc.
There are some nice 'desert' plans on the internet. This site has some nice Southwestern designs. You could buy a set of plans like this, then just employ a general contractor, or do it yourselves, subbing out the things you are not comfortable with doing. If you Google a search for house plans there are a ton of sites. You could prolly find one with straw bale walls, if you looked, or just do the whole thing with ICF's!
Bilbo and I just had whole wheat tortillas with homemade refried beans and homemade salsa for dinner. I never woulda attempted tortillas before...I'm learning to make a lot of things from scratch just because I can't find the healthy versions at the store and I want to be sure I know what's in 'em! That's a good thing, I'd say, especially as it saves me money.
Let me know if you'd like to try the tortilla or salsa recipes in a few weeks when you hit Phase 2!