Metal Buildings at Mesa del Sol, Albuquerque
Support space beside a studio campus has to be big, tall and ready on a date somebody else set. That is the work we look at on Mesa del Sol, the master planned community on Albuquerque's South Mesa, about six miles southeast of downtown. Albuquerque Studios sits there, and the City of Albuquerque announced in November 2020 that Netflix's expansion would add 300 acres to the campus with $150 million in capital expenditures.
Production needs buildings that do not look like much and work hard: workshops for set construction, storage for lumber, lighting and props, loading areas with truck access, and offices bolted to the front of a column-free bay. A pre-engineered clear span building does all of that at a lower cost per square foot than most other structural systems, and the walls and roof can be insulated for sound and temperature.
We build those shells for studio vendors, light industrial tenants and owners who see the South Mesa as their next address.
Shops, storage and production support
A set shop wants height and clear floor. We design the frame with the eave clearance for overhead cranes or hoists if you need them, and we frame wide overhead doors that a loaded truck or a rolled set piece can clear. Storage buildings for props and lighting usually want the opposite: lots of floor area, racking aisles and a few good dock doors, which is a straight warehouse metal shell.
Many vendors also want a mezzanine for offices, wardrobe or a parts room over the shop floor. We frame those inside the building so that the main clear span stays open. If you are weighing a second level against more footprint, mezzanines and platforms are worth pricing first. We coordinate structural drawings for the mezzanine with the building manufacturer so the loads are in the frame design from day one.
Who needs this kind of building out here
The Mesa del Sol site description lists 12,900 acres, with a master plan covering 9,000 acres over a 40 year span, 3,200 acres set aside for parks and open space, and a plan for about 18,000,000 square feet of office space. Those are planning figures, not a promise of what gets built or when, but they tell you the land is meant to hold a mix of users over a long time.
Studio vendors are one group. Light manufacturers and equipment suppliers are another, and for them we draw on our manufacturing work, which runs from fabrication shops to assembly space with a small clean office. Owners whose business depends on moving freight use the same blocks for logistics and fulfillment space, a use we cover under logistics and fulfillment centers.
Why the South Mesa location works
Mesa del Sol is bounded by the Albuquerque International Sunport on the northwest, Kirtland Air Force Base on the north and east, the Isleta Reservation on the south and Interstate 25 on the west. For a contractor, that boundary list tells us what the site visit will be like: close to the airport and a main interstate, so deliveries are straightforward, with open mesa ground around the buildings and a lot of wind coming across it.
Nearby, the rest of the metro is a short drive. If your operation reaches north, in Albuquerque we handle valley and foothill lots one way, and the same crews can cover both. Owners who want cheaper ground further down the valley sometimes look at Belen before they settle. The key point for you is that big trucks can get in, steel can be unloaded without a street closure, and a crane has room to set up. That keeps erection time short.
What moves the price on an open mesa lot
On open ground the building usually costs less than owners expect and the site work more. The line items that move the number are the foundation (shaped by the soils report), fire flow and utilities extension, paving for truck turning, and the insulation system. Clear height and span push the steel weight up fast. A 24 foot eave costs more than an 18 foot one, and we say so before you fall in love with extra height you will not use.
The Netflix expansion announcement cited 1,467 construction jobs, which tells us the trades in the metro will have competing demands. We lock in subcontractors early and give you a schedule with a margin for that, not a best case. If your budget is tight, industrial office buildouts are where most savings hide, since a basic finish package costs far less than a full corporate fit-out.
How we run a South Mesa job
We start with a site visit, the soils report and your equipment list. From there we price the shell, the foundation and the site package as separate lines so you can see where the money goes. We order the steel as soon as you approve the design and the permit set is moving through review.
Erection is a short phase. A crew with a crane sets the frame and closes the roof first, then the walls, so the interior is dry by the time the trades arrive. Wall liner and trim details matter in a studio support building, because the inside face takes abuse, and the choice of liner panels and trim is worth settling early. We walk the finished building with you before we call it done.
Planning a building at Mesa del Sol?
Tell us the parcel, the size and what you need to store or make inside it. We will come back with a budget range and an honest read on the schedule.
Common Questions
Can you build a quiet or sound controlled building?
A metal building can be built to reduce noise transmission, but it is a design decision made early. Insulated wall and roof assemblies, interior liner and sealed door perimeters all help. If you need a true sound stage, you will want an acoustical consultant on the design, and we coordinate the shell around their requirements. We do not guess at decibel ratings.
Is Mesa del Sol only for studio users?
No. The master plan is for a mix of uses over many years, and the area includes light industrial and office users as well as the studio campus. What fits on a particular parcel depends on its zoning and the master plan rules, so we check with the planning contact before drawing the building.
How tall can the building be?
Pre-engineered frames can be built tall, but the limit on a given site is set by zoning, airport proximity and the cost of the extra steel. Because the Sunport and Kirtland sit next to the community, height near flight paths may be restricted. Check the allowed height on your parcel before settling the eave dimension.
What is the process from first call to move in?
You send us the site, the size and the use. We review the soils and utilities, give a budget range, and refine it into a firm price once the design is set. Then comes permit submittal, steel order, foundation, erection, close-in and interior work. We keep you posted at each hand-off, and we tell you early if steel lead time threatens a deadline.
