The ceiling displays hand-cut aspen latillas placed in a herringbone pattern. They seem to actually trickle overhead, eventually meeting the strong pine vigas that support and adorn the living room’s vaulted ceilings. There, a massive and authentic kiva fireplace stretches from floor to ceiling, both guarding and comforting owners and guests alike. Underfoot, saltillo tile spreads out, still clasping in its form the cat and dog paw prints that were impressed as the tiles dried in the sun. For the Escamillas, the beauty they create and that surrounds them is the result of constant personal growth, faith and loyalty.
Born and raised in El Paso, Joe Escamilla graduated from Mayfield High School and received a bachelors degree in Electrical Engineering Technology from New Mexico State University (NMSU). “I was an engineer for so many years, and I’ve always loved to assemble things from scratch - to make something out of nothing,” recalls Joe. Monica, originally from Santa Fe, had also come to NMSU to study. After meeting, their lives took a turn for the better.
With Joe, Monica and her father, Edward Hernandez, have had everything to do with the formation of True Santa Fe Builders, right down to the name. Edward has been in the trade for fifty-one years, including a twelve-year stint as an inspector in Santa Fe. Joe founded the company while still in the engineering field.
“Well, Monica always wanted a true adobe house,” Edward smiles, arms folded across his chest. “If we’re going to talk about an adobe home, they’re entirely different from a stick frame house. This was one of the things I wanted to give my daughter, a house made out of true adobe. In 2003 True Santa Fe Builders was formed. “Not only are we from Santa Fe,” states Monica, a multi-million dollar producer in real estate for Coldwell Banker de Wetter Hovious, Inc., “but a lot of people recognize the name [Santa Fe]; they visit, see the architecture and ask me about it.”
“For myself,” Joe chimes in, “‘true’ stands for integrity and sharing the truth with customers, being honest with them to win their heart. Santa Fe is ‘holy faith’ and we believe in the ‘God the Creator’. We don’t just build homes; we build people. Edward builds people although sometimes he doesn’t realize it. He expects perfection and loyalty from subcontractors. If that’s not there they’ll come to know it. We expect them to grow, to be men of integrity and high quality.”
Faithful to such standards, True Santa Fe Builders was honored for the construction of their personal adobe home. In 2004 they were awarded a plaque from the Doña Ana County Historical Society that reads:
The Doña Ana County Historical Society Hereby Honors
2052 Estancia Place, True Santa Fe Builders “Building
Adhering to Regional Architecture” 2004
It was a proud moment for the family business. “We had classes coming from the university to see how it was constructed,” says Monica. “One guy almost got into a wreck as he was driving by to see what was going on,” laughs Edward. “Still,” adds Monica, “not everyone we build for requests an adobe, because it is labor intensive and that drives the price up.”
That price can be well worth it when it comes to energy conservation. “I just put on the air conditioner before you came over for the interview [at 7 p.m.],” Monica explains, “and most homes have had theirs on all day for over a month now. In the winter we don’t have to turn the heat on until November.”
“Adobe is very efficient,” affirms Joe. “I leave the windows open overnight and it cools the interiors of the walls and house. The interior of the adobe stays cool. When it starts to heat up in the day I close the windows and by the time the house starts to heat up the sun has already started to go down.”
Customers should know, “We do everything,” emphasizes Joe. “We build customized new homes and incorporate remodels into existing homes. In all kitchens we incorporate kiva shaped bell hoods over the stove hood; every room has structured wiring built into it, with lines prepped for phones, DSL or home computer networking. We incorporate lighting under the toe kicks in the kitchen, above shelves or under cabinet lighting.”
True Santa Fe also builds anything outside. The Escamilla’s backyard is testament to this. With a fully functional outdoor kitchen, fireplace, fire/cooking pit, pool with a rock waterfall, Jacuzzi, guesthouse and ample lighting, the yard is the embodiment of the talent it took to build it. “This is a model home and our office,” Joe smiles, “and to see the joy in the customer’s eyes, knowing they’re going to have a home like this one…it’s satisfying to us personally.”
True Santa Fe Builders, Inc. would also like to recognize designer Nancy Charles-Byres from Charles Inc. “Through Nancy’s help we have achieved the architecture and style of homes that create awe in the faces and hearts of our clients,” states Joe. Team work has certainly been the key to our success.
With over seventy years combined New Mexico building experience, a commitment to customers and ‘true’ belief in a job done perfectly, True Santa Fe Builders have already begun to leave their mark on the home market in the Southwest.
Cabins were initially designed to blend in with nature and take advantage of the natural environment as much as possible, and this book highlights that living in a great log cabin is about loving where you reside and not about how much square footage your house covers.
Robbin Obomsawin’s book features twenty classic cabin designs that are under1,500 square feet, and she writes in the hope of bringing the cabin back to its roots. She doesn’t ignore the needs of today’s homeowners, bur rather incorporates contemporary design ideas, trends and potential needs into her plans for designing dwellings that seem very nostalgic in today’s fast paced, cutting edge world. The book also gives great construction advice such as picking a site, using local materials, and offers design suggestions.
Robbin Obomsawin is the author of Small Log Homes, Best Log Home Plans and The Not So Log Cabin. She lives in Westdale, New York, and is the construction manager and general contractor for Beaver Creek Log Homes. She has served as vice president of the American/Canadian Log Builders Association for Handcrafters.
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