With Griegos Farms, Jay Rembe brings cottage-court concept to life in ABQ’s North Valley

Jay Rembe walks through the 10-acre property in Albuquerque’s North Valley on Wednesday morning, getting a good look at his latest project: Griegos Farms, a 90-unit build-to-rent community.

Rembe, the founder and CEO of Rembe Urban Design + Development, the company behind projects such as the Richmond Street Studios in Nob Hill, points to his latest development’s use of a cottage-court concept “that really hasn’t been done much here.” He also speaks of the project’s focus on architecture, particularly its landscaping, including a series of orchards, a community garden and other features.

“The cottage-court concept is unique and promotes all the wonderful things that are important to most of us — walkability, interaction with your neighbor, the huge community aspect of it and really a healthy lifestyle,” said Rembe.

Rembe’s inspiration for the cottages, tightly woven together with walkable pathways aimed at creating a sense of community, comes from courtyard projects in Downtown Albuquerque, he said. But it also comes from a book by Ross Chapin called “Pocket Neighborhoods,” as well as Rembe’s time living in Spain.

Griegos Farms, already in strong demand with about 70% of the cottages in the first phase leased to soon-to-be renters, is on track for completion by mid-2025, Rembe said, noting November will see the first phase built out.

Rembe declined to name the total cost of developing Griegos Farms, located near Rio Grande and Griegos, but said he purchased the land from the Archdiocese of Santa Fe — a Catholic Church anchors the property, Our Lady of Guadalupe — and one other landowner.

The project, designed by in-house architect Kenny Myers, is using local homebuilder Abrazo Homes as the general contractor, led by owners Mackenzie Bishop and Brian McCarthy. Rembe said it’s the first time the two Albuquerque-based companies have worked together, noting Abrazo’s “wonderful reputation.”

The cottages will be a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, which range in size from 655 to 1,170 square feet, aimed at “really defining the space,” Myers said. Some one-bedroom units, for instance, include additional storage. And everything from the cabinetry to the tiling in the bathroom is in direct opposition to what one might see in a typical “cookie-cutter” neighborhood.

Outside, front porches with wood beams give the cottages a “traditional Northern New Mexico” feel, Rembe said. Griegos Farms will also include a series of ponds, Rembe said, which will collect rainwater and help irrigate the property’s landscaping.

Parking, located in the back of the property, “forces (residents) to meander through these pads where you’re walking by someone’s front porch,” Rembe said. A multi-purpose center — a two-story modern barn building — is being built onsite for residents to use for community gatherings.

He said the project is, in many ways, a meticulous look at historical features true to the North Valley neighborhood.

“In the '70s, they did a landmark study, and they referenced … 112 historically relevant houses,” Myers said. “And so what we did was took that and really distilled it down to some very specific architectural features that are prevalent in the neighborhood, and then the houses were really designed based on those.

“The idea, from an architectural standpoint, is that these things, once the dust settles on construction and the landscape grows, feel like they’ve been here for 100 years.”

Rembe, who is working on other projects like the Downtowner, a 200-plus-unit apartment complex in the heart of Albuquerque, said he plans to work on similar Albuquerque projects like Griegos Farms in the future.

“We think it's a great typology,” Rembe said.