by Lexi Marshall
photography by Daniel Nadelbach
an Albuquerque builder brings nearly three decades’ worth of ideas together under one roof
There’s a kind of builder who never really stops working, even at home. For nearly three decades, Mike Martinez has been accumulating ideas. Some emerged on job sites, others through the practical problem-solving that comes with a career in construction. Four times, the Albuquerque builder has turned that experience toward homes of his own. The latest, a 7,138-square-foot modern farmhouse, where he now lives with his partner Carrie Fox, is the one where those years of accumulated ideas finally landed in a single place.
Mike arrived in New Mexico from Okinawa in 1990, when his father retired from military service and the family settled in Belén. An early affinity for making things— first bike ramps and forts, then shop-class projects—soon developed into an aptitude for construction. A job as a concrete laborer led to a carpenter’s apprenticeship and eventually to framing custom homes, where Mike discovered an instinctive ability. “I could easily visualize things in three dimensions and read plans,” he says. “For someone my age, I picked things up pretty quickly.” He earned his contractor’s license in 1996 and built what is now Quality Builders the old-fashioned way—driving from one job site to the next with tools in the back of his truck and handing out business cards at the end of each project in search of the next opportunity. Two years later, he joined Albuquerque Fire Rescue, balancing a career as a firefighter with a growing construction business until retiring from the department in 2025.
That balance of experiences ultimately influenced the design of his own home. The design process began in 2023 with Placitas-based architect Jim Beverly and underwent nearly a year of thoughtful refinement, including scrapping an early plan for a basement and underground garage once drainage issues made it impractical. As the plans evolved, so did the program. “Carrie wanted a gym, so I was like, ‘Well, I want a golf simulator,’” Mike says. “We just kept adding to what we wanted in the house.” Ground broke in October 2024, and the home was finished about 13 months later. It has since won multiple awards at the 2026 Parade of Homes: best kitchen, best bathroom, buyer’s choice and the premier award overall.
Building for himself also removed a familiar layer from the process: deliberation between builder and client. “When we build homes for clients, some of those conversations take a while going back and forth,” he says. “This gave me the freedom to just make decisions.” Carrie and designer Celina Crouse handled most of the color and lighting selections, presenting Mike with thoughtfully curated options for the final decision. However, the two brought differing aesthetics to the project—his toward modern, clean lines; Carrie’s toward a warmer farmhouse feel. The finished home reconciles the differences, tempering crisp architectural lines with warm wood and stone.
More than any single design choice, this home serves as a workshop for ideas that eventually make their way into client projects. The wine wall in the dining area was one such inspiration, conceived as Mike considered how to avoid the conventional glass-rack look he’d seen so often. He and his longtime superintendent, Rudy Leyba, built it on site out of leftover cabinet material. Mike and Rudy also handcrafted the exposed beam trusses that define the great room, while he and Carrie installed the ceiling-mounted mirrors with integrated faucets in the primary bath themselves. The home’s craftsmanship reflects the same meticulous attention to detail that has become a hallmark of his work. When the sink centerlines were off by just three-quarters of an inch after the countertops were installed, Mike chose to reopen the ceiling and adjust the mirrors and plumbing rather than compromise the design. “Most people would never have noticed,” he says, “but details matter.”
That rigor extends beyond what’s visible. High-performance windows, meticulous air sealing and an enhanced insulation envelope reflect the efficiency standards Mike has made a hallmark of Quality Builders’ work. Energy efficiency has long been a priority for Mike, both professionally and in his own home. Jane Whitmire of Sustainable Energy Building of New Mexico, who provides Home Energy Rating System (HERS) ratings, credits Mike with helping establish the company’s reputation for building high-performance homes. That commitment recently earned recognition from New Mexico Gas Company, which named the firm one of the state’s most energy-efficient builders. In Mike’s own home, the results are evident: Despite its size and a pool, he says monthly utility costs typically range from just $400 to $500—well below what would be expected for a home of this scale.
Nearly a year after moving into the home, Mike can identify little he would change—a few art pieces, maybe a side table here or there. Otherwise, the list is short. Most mornings begin with 30 minutes in the custom sauna adjoining the gym, answering emails before the day gets going. The home supports these small rituals despite being designed on a much grander scale—a fitting reflection of a builder whose work and life have long since been intertwined. To Mike, the house is more than a showcase. It’s the distillation of nearly three decades spent refining how spaces are conceived, constructed and, ultimately, lived in.
resources
Architecture
Jim Beverly Fine Home Designs
Home Builder
Quality Builders, Inc.
qualitybuildersnm.com
Interior Design
Celina Crouse
Appliances
Builders Source Appliance Gallery
Audio/Visual System/Smart Home
Media Solutions
Blinds
JC Blinds
Cabinetry
Kitchen Kraft, Inc.
Central Vacuum System
Albuquerque Sound & Vac LLC
Countertops/Kitchen Backsplash
Granite Connection
Fireplaces
Mountain West Sales
mountainwestsales.net
Flooring (Tile/Wood)
Stonewood Flooring
Front Door
Stately Doors & Windows
Gates/Metal Fabrication/Mirrors
Pace Metals LLC
Interior Doors
Toby’s Mid-Valley Doors
Landscape Design
Tabet Brothers Design
Landscaping/Water Feature/Putting Green
Chino’s Fountains
Lighting
Bright Ideas, Inc.
shop.lightingfordesign.com
Pool Design & Build
New Mexico Pools and Spas, Inc.
Sliding Window Wall/Windows
Chaparral Materials
Wall Finish/Custom Painting
Lopez Painting
