The renovation tapped into the expertise of Mountain States Structural Consultants and Clay Custom Homes, both sister companies of Clay Design and Material Gallery. The fifth-generation commercial and residential builders, and now supply house, have been in the business for more than 100 years.  

The building required updates to all the HVAC systems, plumbing, electrical work, roofing, and insulation. The builders also transformed the dated concrete block exterior as part of a green building conversion. They added 2 inches of exterior rigid foam to improve the building’s energy efficiency and applied two-toned stucco. They raised the parapets and revitalized the entry, which faces the major thoroughfare. All the while, New Mexico Department of Transportation vehicles were literally parked in the property’s front yard while NMDOT completed the major expansion of 528 from four lanes to six.

With the revitalization mostly complete after a three-year process that was extended due to NMDOT’s own building project, Clay Design and Material Gallery had a soft opening mid-2023, when stage one of the renovation was complete. CEO Claudia Clay says the center is a one-stop shop for builders and do-it-yourselfers. Clients can have their projects designed, purchase materials, and apply for financing under one roof. When complete, the showroom will feature 4,500 square feet dedicated to 11 kitchen vignettes, showcasing some of the 700,000 individual items from 150 global manufactures on sale there. “When clients walk in, their faces light up,” Clay says. “Craftsmanship is being lost, and we can bring that to our community. This space represents our legacy as builders and, now, as a materials gallery.”

After Photos: Casey Davis (360pindrop.com)