How Palo Santo Designs fuses cutting edge contemporary architecture with traditional methods and materials
Palo Santo Designs was founded in 2001 by Mark Giorgetti. “I started the company in Taos, a very small mountain town in northern New Mexico,” Mark explains. “Within a couple of years, we migrated to Santa Fe which as the state capital has a much stronger market. The basis of the company has always been design and build. We’ve also focused on environmentally appropriate construction methods and materials. Before starting the business, I worked with a number of general contractors who also prioritized sustainability. This coupled very well with my academic background in environmental science, having previously studied for a master’s degree in carbon management at the University of Edinburgh in the UK.
“I was keen to integrate the beauty and elegance of architectural forms with sustainability and environmental stewardship. When you pay attention to the right
things this can produce an easy overlap. We produce custom homes as well as boutique commercial property, primarily oriented towards small businesses. Bringing together architectural expressions, blending modern, contemporary design with more traditional elements, and marrying that with environmental stewardship has been particularly fun and interesting.
“Being in northern New Mexico, where we have such a unique architectural heritage, is especially interesting. Santa Fe is one of the oldest cities in the US at over 400 years old, with native Pueblo people having inhabited the area for over 1000 years. There is a local building tradition that stretches back far beyond the Spanish colonial period commonly referred to as Adobe. This was historically earthen blocks, with wooden structures for the roof, with earthen plasters and earthen floors. The foundation of the tradition is in using natural materials, it’s a style that has survived countless adaptations and reimaginings over the years. Famous local architects like John Gaw Meem spearheaded a Pueblo revival style of architecture back in the 1930s and 1940s. It took native methods and aesthetics and adapted them to modern materials. Over 100 years later, we are carrying on this approach of modernizing but at the same time reflecting and paying homage to the originators of these architectural styles. There is a fun fusion of traditional and modern design in Santa Fe that we really enjoy.”
Sustainability accreditations
Mark goes on to highlight some of the sustainability certification and credentials of Palo Santo Designs’ projects: “LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a program developed by the US Green Building Council, which has since become the internationally recognized standard. Depending on the building type there are different certifications. As we are primarily a home builder, we have engaged with LEED for homes. Over the last 12 years, we’ve certified over a dozen homes. LEED addresses key sustainability targets across multiple areas of focus, including site stewardship and location, as well as energy and water efficiency. Here in the arid Southwest, US water is an issue of critical importance. Indoor air quality, materials and methods are also analyzed in this process.
“The certification is intended to create a standard that exceeds minimum code requirements and to demonstrate to the public that performance in all of these areas has been exemplary. There are silver, gold and platinum certifications; all of our certifications are gold or platinum level. As the industry has evolved with new building codes and ever-increasing standards of efficiency, this has become easier and more cost efficient to attain. We’ve been able to ride the wave and contribute to the formation of a new baseline.”
Inspired design
Looking to the future, Mark sheds light on some exciting upcoming projects: “We’re about to break ground on phase two of a commercial project. Last summer we completed phase one, it was received really well. We sold out before even finishing construction. The project is a development of commercial condominiums. These are small 1500-square-foot units with a shared wall between each, designed for the benefit of small business owners. Being able to own and occupy their own base of operations is an appealing proposition for many small business owners. Phase one saw 15 units completed, over four separate buildings clustered into a neighborhood setting. These were pre-engineered metal buildings with exposed steel columns and beams.
“They feature a ground floor, plus a mezzanine, with minimalist contemporary, open-plan interiors, concrete floors and white painted walls. They are finished with lighting, a bathroom and a kitchenette so they are plug-and-play ready for small businesses to occupy. We’re already pre-selling units in phase two, with a variety of small businesses coming onboard including a bakery, a bike shop, a consignment shop, and a health and fitness center, as well as both working artists using the space as their studio and gallery artists who are producing and selling their work in a gallery setting. Santa Fe, being a hub of art as well as architecture, draws many artists to these spaces, which is something we’re really proud of and excited about. It’s a model that can be replicated,” he concludes. “Design that is modernist, but also harks back to a rural, industrial or agricultural style of architecture.”
Photo credit: Robert Reck Photography