This is an architectural contemporary and environmentally sustainable ranch house (3,175ft2) with horse stables, independent guest quarters and artist studio located on Mesa Bonita (160 acres) with possibility to include River View Mesa for a total of 391 acres.  The main house is a state-of-the art (2006) adobe construction in stucco with diamond-finish interior plasterwork.  It has three bedrooms, three baths, an open-concept kitchen and living space, a loft, a 900ft2 multipurpose room, and a 600ft2 garage with greenhouse. The house has radiant floor heating throughout, a fireplace, a north and south terrace and a garden. Mesa Bonita is located at a 50-minute drive from Santa Fe plaza and 70 minutes from Albuquerque airport. The property is perfect for creative, nature loving people, working from home, or as a seasonal invigorating retreat or vacation home.

If you’re looking for a place to enjoy serenity in New Mexico, look no further than this tranquil, luxury ranch. Located in the Galisteo Creek Basin nestled in the foothills of the Ortiz Mountains and Cerrillos hills, this high desert haven is just 3.4 miles off pavement outside of historical Madrid, NM, a quaint artisan hamlet with creative vibe, galleries and small eateries.

The house is of adobe construction with 2-inch outside insulation under stucco and is optimally oriented to be open to the south for passive solar heating and to see the breathtaking views to the north. The construction includes a clerestory that contains windows above eye level to admit additional sunlight and fresh air through natural ventilation. The floors are polished concrete with in-floor radiant heat throughout the residence (with the exception of the garage). There’s ample storage throughout the house.

Dominique designed the interior with an exacting artist’s eye for color, texture, and details. The home has an open-concept floor plan that is centered on the living, kitchen, dining, and office spaces. The living room, which features a Rumsford fireplace that provides an artistic focal point as well as warmth and ambiance, also has north and south French doors that open onto terraces. All interior walls are covered with diamond-finish plaster.

The kitchen features state-of-the-art concrete countertops and bar with seating, custom-built cabinets as well as high-end appliances that include a cooktop range, dishwasher, and Sunfrost refrigerator. A window over the double sinks overlooks the south courtyard. Adjacent to the kitchen is a large pantry with laundry and a tub sink.

There are 3 bedrooms, each with its own closet and full bath containing a vanity with concrete countertop, custom cabinets and bathtub or shower. The closet in the master bedroom is walk-in. There’s also a stairway to a crow’s nest that has hardwood flooring and walk-outs to both north and south balconies. This space, with its indescribably beautiful views, could be used as a fourth bedroom, office, or yoga or meditation room.

Between the kitchen and laundry is an entryway onto a hallway that serves as a mudroom with both north and south exits to the outdoors. This hallway leads to a 900ft2 multi-purpose room with a full bath that could be converted into an apartment. The room has a doorway into the double garage and adjoining greenhouse.

Along the length of the south side of the house is a courtyard for outdoor living and entertaining that contains a fountain and a pergola with a kiva fireplace.

In addition to the 3,175ft2 house with attached 600 ft2 garage and greenhouse, there are 3 separate free-standing structures:

1.    Horse Stables with 4 stalls, a tack room, a hay storage room with capacity for 300 bales, fenced areas for turnout, a round pen, and a water tank.

2.    An impressive Artist Studio (800ft2) that includes ceiling fans as well as a clerestory with windows above eye level to admit additional sunlight and fresh air through natural ventilation.

3.    A Caretaker’s independent living quarters (720ft2) with one bedroom, a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and utility room with its own solar and water catchment systems. With the separate Artist Studio, this Casita could be used as an in-residence artist’s retreat.
Water is precious in the high desert and rainwater harvesting is key to environmental sustainable living. The foundation of the house incorporates an approximately 24,000-gallon rainwater-catchment.  The concrete underground cistern has pump, pressure tank, and water filtration. The cistern supplies abundant soft potable water to the main house. The ranch has also a shallow well connected to the house and stables.

The home is powered by a substantial high voltage photovoltaic on-site electric solar power system with 14 @ 160-watt panels mounted on a freestanding Watson solar tracker that stores the D.C. electricity in 30 @ 6-volt deep-cycle Rolls batteries. A 6000-watt Sun energy inverter converts the power to A.C. and provides 2.5 kilowatts of power to the house. This is typically sufficient, but there’s a back-up generator if needs be. The septic tank is equipped with a Piranha waste-digestion and sludge-reducing system.

Cellphone connection is excellent (Verizon) and broadband Internet connection is perfect for working from home.

This is not a regular off-the grid home. The house itself is state-of-the-art. The properties combined (Mesa Bonita with River View Mesa) offer opportunities for hiking, horseback riding, picnics on the banks of the river, creativity, family vacations, camping and spiritual invigoration.

This stunning sanctuary can be your personal corner of Eden! The house, studio, casita, and stables are all located on Mesa Bonita, a 160-acre tract, selling price $1,465,000.00. In addition, there’s a contiguous 231-acre tract (River View Mesa) with Galisteo River frontage, selling price $295,000.00 that will only be sold secondary to give the Mesa Bonita buyers right of first refusal.

For showing, the sellers request that potential buyers please provide 48 hours’ notice as well as proof of funds or a prequalification letter. In addition, the listing broker has to be present at all showings.

Documentation

The main house is featured in the book Sun, Sticks & Mud – 1000 Years of Earth Building in the Desert Southwest (see separate document). The author architect, Bart Kaltenbach, chose to showcase the home because it represents both the ultimate in design of a comprehensive, sustainable, energy-efficient dwelling as well as an architectural masterpiece. The homeowners, renowned artist Dominique Samyn and her husband, an international agricultural consultant are citizens of the world. The couple chose to settle in The Land of Enchantment for its stunning natural beauty, multicultural society and to live in harmony with nature.