Publication: Jnl Final Edition 8/2005-today;  Date: Jan 7, 2007;  Section: Real Estate;  Page: G1


In the Bosque
 
Builder returns to N.M. compound style in a Bernalillo subdivision
 
Story by JANE MAHONEY For the Journal Photographs by DEAN HANSON Of the Journal
 



    There’s an old New Mexico atmosphere to the new Bosque del Rio Grande development in Bernalillo. Stroll through the subdivision’s largest model home and note the dark arts and crafts-style cabinets, the simple 1930s-era trim around windows, and the galvanized metal roof in traditional gray and silver shades.

    “We’re going back to the old New Mexico compound feeling,” said builder Joe Boyden, whose Homes By Joe Boyden company is developing the 81-home subdivision near the Sheriff’s Posse grounds on the western edge of the Rio Grande. “We’re optimizing views, of course, but we’re also pushing the community concept.”

    With several model homes completed and a few spec homes viewable, the subdivision plans a grand opening Jan. 20-21. Bosque del Rio Grande can be reached from Sheriff’s Posse Road opposite the Jackalope complex on Highway 550 in Bernalillo. Open house hours are noon to 5 p.m. Sundays and Mondays; and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Call 798-9897 or visit www.joeboydenhomes.com for information.

    Boyden, a Tijeras-based contractor who has been building homes in the East Mountains, the metro area and Santa Fe for more than 20 years, came up through the trades, learning framing, concrete and finish work along the way. Today, he designs the company’s houses and oversees construction of about 85 houses annually.

    The new site along the bosque, with stunning views of the Sandia Crest to the east, is special even to this experienced builder. Boyden’s concept for this gated project is a rural atmosphere. Boyden has contributed to that by planting dozens of cottonwood trees along the entry lane and at home sites and building the houses on quarter-acre lots.

    Buyers will have access to the bosque and the river through a network of trails and walks. Occasional common areas will have shady seating. Boyden is even searching for an attractive tree stump to serve as a community bulletin board.

    Buyers can choose from a dozen floor plans at Bosque del Rio Grande. While there is a mix of single-story and two-story houses, all have a New Mexican appearance with architecture that is Territorial, Pueblo or northern New Mexico style. Prices begin just above $300,000 and will approach $1 million. Sizes range from about 1,500 square feet to 3,300 square feet.

    Boyden said he offers clients choices when it comes to customizing their home plans. Modifications are common as homeowners enlarge master suites, add covered patios, change window or door locations and add fireplaces. “We’re very flexible about changing things,” said the builder.

    Standard features include ceramic tile flooring, vaulted ceilings (in some plans), wood trim, granite slab countertops, appliances, pantries, colored exterior concrete, glass shower enclosures and garden tubs, wooden medicine cabinets, arched doorways, interior beams and vigas. Upgrades can range from additional fireplaces to full landscaping.

    Buyers can even watch their homes being built via an Internet connection. A video site following each home’s construction is updated every two weeks.

    Boyden embraces open design concepts but has an eye for privacy as well. In the two-story Red Hills model, a two-sided, glassbox fireplace opens to both the kitchen and living room. Upstairs, in the master suite, another dual fireplace can be viewed from the bed or the bath. A breakfast bar topped by dark overhead cabinets is a divider between kitchen and family room.

    In a return to 1930s style, Boyden has used dark woods throughout, even staining the vigas and beams a deep chocolate. Kitchen cabinets are a simple style, and wainscotting wraps the dining room. Tiny 1-inch tiles are used in the shower and on kitchen backsplashes. An oldfashioned white bathtub — but with thoroughly modern plumbing — gleams in the master bath.

Top: Many houses in Joe Boyden’s new Bernalillo subdivision are in northern New Mexico style, with pitched roofs. This is the Red Hills model.
 



Above: Dark wood is used in this model home in the new Bosque del Rio Grande subdivision in Bernalillo.
 



Below: This master bathroom has mountain views.
 






Above: A two-sided fireplace opens to the kitchen and living room. Granite slab countertops and one-inch tile backsplashes are standard. Below: More than a dozen floor plans are available. This is the family room in the Red Hills model.