Palo Santo Designs LLC

Thank you for creating such a beautiful home! The thought and care you put into the house is evident everywhere, and it feels so welcoming, open and bright all at once. I continue to discover the beauty in all the details.... I'm in love!

Palo Santo Designs has established their reputation in our town as the premiere design/build firm capable of the most cutting edge green and sustainability features, including the ability to design and build net zero energy and net zero water homes of the highest quality. Their long history in Santa Fe and Northern New Mexico has given them an instinctive feel for working within the variety of traditional and contemporary vernaculars that make our iconic style so compelling to new and existing members of our community. As a company that inspires all of its own people, as well as its trade associates, to pursue excellence at all times, it is no wonder that the slew of awards they have garnered over the years have come their way. They also give back to their industry by being actively engaged with the Santa Fe Area Home Builder Association where there leadership has helped to inspire other like-minded builders, suppliers, and subcontractors. They are one of the best at what they do, for sure.

No p-traps in any of our three shower drains and recurrent water leaks in our walls were the last of the defects and omissions we discovered in our new Palosanto design / built home. We started design during the Fall of 2015 and moved into our “new” House during September 2017. We knew we had defective plumbing fittings in our walls prior to moving in. The first water leaks had occurred prior to Palosanto’s substantial completion of the Project. After moving in we continued to have recurrent water leaks in our walls for several months. In between Palosanto’s limited warranty water leak repairs we discovered the cause of septic gases and smells in our bathrooms. None of our three shower drains had been fitted with P-Traps. The aforesaid were not all of the omissions and defects we discovered throughout our Project. We would describe our experience with Palosanto as a broken design / build process that was high on promise but low on: quality controls, supervision, coordination, and in some critical areas a lack of technical expertise. We cannot recommend Palosanto as Designer nor Design/Builder. A good example of our experience with Palosanto is the following: While an engineered heating and radiant floor design was done and utilized during the budgeting process to be implemented during Construction, Palosanto allowed the Mechanical Sub-Contractor the unsupervised freedom to change the design and install the in floor radiant piping entirely at the Sub Contractor’s discretion, all of this without having informed us, as our Designer, of said change of plans and design. We discovered the design changes to the in floor radiant piping after the concrete floors had been poured. We procured professional heating design assistance, and made changes, at our expense, to the above floor manifolds, the circulating pump and the flow controls. We are still working on recuperating all we can of the original heating design’s performance and efficiency. After the discovery of the missing P-Traps in our shower drains, Palosanto agreed to demolish and rebuild our shower pans and floors, and finally also agreed to replace all suspected defective plumbing fittings in our walls. During demolition three new, up to then hidden, water leaks were found. All errors and omissions could have been easily prevented with good design/build practices. In retrospect, we had seen signs of deficiencies in the design and budgeting process, and we had known that the contract documents were lacking details and specifications. We had signed the Construction Contract and moved forward based on Palosanto’s experience, portfolio of work and reputation.

Mark Gorgietti and his team at Palo Santo Designs have worked with us through every detail of the design of our home. They have created an elegant, yet simple and efficient home plan for us that includes everything we hoped to have while fitting into our budget. Our impressive plans cover every phase of our building process from the ground up, and they have given us a realistic timeline with schedules that allow plenty of time to make our selections of lighting, windows, doors, appliances and decorative finishes. We are excited and thrilled that we will be living in a home designed by this talented company.

Working with Palo Santo Designs has been an absolute delight. They are committed stewards of the planet and they demonstrate that in their everyday actions as builders of sustainable homes of the highest quality. The partners and staff are young and energetic, yet have enough solid experience where one can rely on their being well versed and experienced in the craft of building construction. As architects, we relish the opportunity for a long and sustained collaboration.

I've owned land in New Mexico for several years and had always dreamed of building a small casita on the site. I live on the east coast and over the years, have never been able to find the right fit with a contractor/designer where I'd feel comfortable having something built while living so far away. I wanted quality design and construction, someone that was environmentally conscious, and most of all someone I felt I could trust. About a year ago, I was looking at house designs in New Mexico on houzz and came across Palo Santo's work. I was immediately drawn to the exterior design of a particular house and in looking at their website could see that they were quality builders. So, I reached out to Mark regarding the possibility of building something on the land I owned. Mark got back to me right away and said we should discuss the possibilities. I explained to him what I was trying to accomplish. We traded ideas and sketches for several months via emails and phone calls. We met in person during a trip to New Mexico and I knew these were the right guys to work with. They have great ideas, were very responsive, and delivered an on-time and on-budget project that exceeded my expectations!

I give Palo Santo Designs LLC the highest endorsement. As an interior designer, I have worked with many contractors/ builders through the years, and they are top notch in every way. They bring the highest level of communication, integrity, resourcefulness, attention to detail, oversight, respect for budget and 'the team', and collaboration to a project. They have a "can do" approach. They have dealt with sometimes difficult situations with grace and aplomb. That they apply an emphasis on green and sustainable products and practices earns yet even more respect.

Palo Santo Designs did the remodel on my Santa Fe Stamm. Mark, his team, and subcontractors, did a really great job and I'm very pleased with the outcome. My realtor, who has worked in Santa Fe for over 20 years, said it was the nicest remodel of a Stamm that he's seen!

Working with Mark and his expert team was a great experience. Our project was complete when he said it would be even inspite of all my changes. The finished product was beautiful and we couldn't be happier. I highly recommend Palo Santo to anyone contemplating a remodel or building from scratch.

In 2011 my partner and suffered a house fire and lost our home and all of our belongings. It was a very delicate time for us and therefore it was extremely important to find a contractor that not only did good work but was compassionate and grounded. I feel like we hit the jackpot with Palo Santo! Their craftsmanship and attention to detail is near perfection. Their professional yet warm communication made them so easy to work with. Our passive solar home is so efficient, it is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We love our beautiful new home! Thank you Palo Santo!