High Desert Community

High Desert is a 1,400-acre mixed-use community in the foothills of Albuquerque, developed with a strong emphasis on environmentally appropriate, naturalistic landscaping. The master plan preserves roughly 400 acres of open space and integrates sustainable design throughout the community. Over a 12-year period, SITES provided master planning, landscape design, research, and ongoing project management.

SITES designed the community’s streetscapes, drainage ponds, parks, trails, open spaces, and wildlife guzzlers, all shaped around a closed-loop water system. Every drop of precipitation is harvested, filtered, and reused in the landscape. Plantings are drought-tolerant, with water captured from roads, rooftops, and other hard surfaces. Materials—including gravel, boulders, and many plants—were sourced within 50 miles, and native vegetation was preserved or enhanced using passive, gravity-fed irrigation. SITES also served on the design review committee and authored the High Desert Plant List and Landscape Revegetation Guidelines.

Two major water-focused projects were developed within the community. The High Desert Water Harvesting Project functions as an interactive storm drain distillation and retention facility, collecting water from nearby arroyos and streets. A circular, stone-clad kiva forms the ponding area, with walkways, seating, and space for a large seasonal-marker sculpture.

At Pino Pond, SITES preserved mature piñon and juniper stands while creating an interpretive trail that explains the geologic history of the Rio Grande Rift. The planting design replicates the natural ecotone progression from the summit of the Sandia Mountains down to the Rio Grande Valley, completing the project with a strong sense of ecological place.