A planned community needs tradespeople, and tradespeople need somewhere to park trucks and keep material. We build the small service shops, storage buildings and contractor yards that support Rancho Viejo, and we shape them to a place where the neighborhood plan, the open space and the trail network are part of the design brief.
As of a June 8, 2023 report, about 1,400 houses had been built in Rancho Viejo, with a projected 8,000 to 10,000 homes over the next 50 years and half the land kept as parks, open space and trails. Those numbers describe a long build-out in which a steady stream of new homes needs electricians, plumbers, landscapers, HVAC technicians and delivery services, all of whom need a base of operations.
Our contribution is the unglamorous side of that growth: small-bay contractor condos, stabilized laydown yards and storage buildings that can be tucked into a commercial pocket without drawing attention from the villages around them.
A community built in villages
Rancho Viejo is planned as seven villages, each with a central plaza, and began with a 350-unit demonstration village after 1997 talks between the developer, a design firm and Santa Fe County planners. It reserves 15% of homes as affordable housing. The plan is deliberate and layered, and industrial-style uses are not what a visitor sees when walking its streets.
That is exactly why quiet design matters when we are asked to build a service or storage building here. The building must serve the owner and still sit comfortably with a neighborhood that took years to plan. We approach each commission by asking what the plan allows, what the neighbors expect and how the building can stay in the background.
What a quiet service base includes
A typical package is a modest metal or masonry building with two to six bays, a small office, restrooms and a fenced yard. Inside, owners want clear floor area, high doors, a mezzanine for parts and wiring that can handle shop tools. Outside, they want a yard that turns a service van without driving across the lawn.
We pay attention to everything that faces the street or the trail: screening walls, low-glare lighting, landscaping that matches the community and dumpster enclosures that hide the mess. Those details cost little in the context of a building budget and make the difference between a project that is accepted and one that is contested.
Inside the fence, we plan for the way a trade actually runs: vans loaded in the evening, parts delivered by small trucks, a counter where a customer or a supplier can drop something off and a restroom that stays out of the shop. A layout that follows the daily routine saves the owner steps and time for as long as the business operates there.
Open space, trails and the shape of the lot
With half of the land kept as parks, open space and trails, many parcels edge a trail or a green belt. We protect that edge during construction with fencing, erosion control and a strict rule against staging on the open ground. Stormwater is directed away from the trail corridor, and we avoid cut slopes that would be visible from the path.
In 2016 Santa Fe County’s Sustainable Land Development Code incorporated the Community College District plan that guided Rancho Viejo’s development. That means a project may be reviewed under a plan with its own standards for form and use, and we read the plan before we draw the building. Our permitting and entitlements coordination turns those standards into a checklist the design team can follow.
From Rancho Viejo to its neighbors
Rancho Viejo sits within the broader Community College District south of the city, and many owners we meet have projects in both. The Community College District page describes the wider area, and the Eldorado at Santa Fe page covers the community farther south and east.
Because trades typically serve several communities, we look at where the owner’s customers are, how long drives take and which site balances rent, access and neighbor tolerance. Sometimes that points to Rancho Viejo, and sometimes to the bypass, and we say so plainly. Owners who need only a place to keep material may do better with a small storage building and a gravel yard than with a full shop, and we price both so the choice is a real one.
What drives cost in a planned community
Site infrastructure in a planned community is often already in place, which can reduce the cost of a new building compared with a raw parcel. At the same time, design standards, landscaping and screening requirements can add to the finish budget. We separate these lines so the owner can see what is required by the plan and what is a choice.
Owners also benefit from our approach to logistics and distribution basics: size the loading area for the actual vehicle, avoid wasted pavement and place the dock where it will not collide with traffic on the street. Sometimes a smaller building with a better yard is a better value than a larger one with a poor yard.
Plan a service base in Rancho Viejo
Tell us your trade, your vehicles and how much storage you need. We will check the plan, visit the lot and give you a clear path to a finished building that fits the community.
Common Questions
Can a service shop or contractor yard go in Rancho Viejo?
It depends on the parcel’s zoning and the community plan. Commercial pockets may allow service and storage uses, while residential villages do not. We check the plan and the county code before the owner commits, and we talk with the planning staff about what is feasible.
How does the plan for seven villages affect design?
Each village is planned around a central plaza, and the community reserves large areas as parks, open space and trails. That puts weight on form, scale and screening. We design buildings with modest height, quiet colors and well-hidden service areas so they fit the plan.
What is the Sustainable Land Development Code?
It is the Santa Fe County code that, as of 2016, incorporated the Community College District plan guiding Rancho Viejo. In practice, it means projects are reviewed with that plan in mind. Our team reads the relevant sections early and builds the requirements into the design.
How do you protect trails and open space while building?
We fence the work area, install erosion and sediment controls, keep staging within the lot and route trucks away from the trails. Daily checks catch any drift of material or water. A trail user should not be able to tell that a project is under construction nearby.
Is the cost of building lower than in the city?
It can be, particularly if infrastructure is in place. Design standards and screening can add cost, and the distance from some suppliers adds delivery time. We provide a line-by-line budget so the owner can compare options fairly.