Living Designs Group - El Monte Sagrado

El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa™, located in Taos, N.M., is a place as unique as the philosophy that guides it. Renowned for its commitments to ecological preservation and sustainability, the lush sanctuary of El Monte Sagrado is where you can nurture your mind, body and soul, naturally. With exquisite elegance, the resort offers 36 suites and casitas with décor that reflects an array of global influences inspired by Native American culture, foreign lands and local artists.

El Monte Sagrado is a magnificent example of the philosophy behind the development of ecosystems as infrastructure. The water and organic matter generated on site is reclaimed, reused, and celebrated as a part of a complete living mechanism that has built-in redundancies, and is capable of learning from itself and evolving over time.

Stormwater Reclamation
Storm water on the site is collected through an extensive system of roof gutters and underground drainage pipes. Coarse gravel filters remove sediment before the network of pipes located under resort paths carries the water to a lift station designed to keep pace with peak rain events. Collected water is utilized to offset evaporative losses in a series of four cascading trout ponds and small waterfalls that utilize physical and biological filtration to promote flourishing and productive pond ecosystems. Additional rainwater is circulated in the historic acequia to support traditional agricultural practices downstream.

Wastewater Reclamation
Water Reclamation at El Monte Sagrado is accomplished using a Living Machine® System and is designed to reclaim 4,000 gallons of water per day. Wastewater from El Monte’s kitchens and bathrooms is channeled to a series of collection and equalization tanks. Where organisms decompose the pollutants in the water. The water then passes through a set of constructed wetlands, which filter the water, and finally into the Biolarium™ pond and waterfall. The Living Machine® System is monitored and controlled by dedicated computers and software which maximize treatment performance.

Ground Loop Heat Exchage Rather than burning fossil fuels to heat and cool interior resort spaces, 100 wells circulate water 250 feet below the parking lot - where earth temperatures remain a constant 50F - and back to a network of heat exchangers and heat pumps, using the ground as a heat sink in summer and heat source in winter. This dramatically reduces the energy required to regulate the temperature within the resort. The electricity required to circulate the water is offset by photovoltaic panel arrays on the shade structures in the parking lot.

El Monte Sagrado Expansion
In 2006 the El Monte Sagrado Living Resort and Spa™ entered the second phase of expansion. The design is based upon principles rooted in the existing resort. The expansion includes a 10,000 sq.ft. banquet center, 48 hotel units, an open green space, parking, and an addition to the existing spa. Integrated open green space connects the hotel suites to the Native American suites with a continuous pedestrian path. As the focus of the original resort is towards the Sacred Circle, the focus of the addition is towards the new green space. Guests leave their cars behind and experience this open green on foot. The hotel units overlook the green space with private balconies, and the main entrance to the banquet center opens to an outdoor seating area along the edge of this expansive lawn.

View images of the:

Project website: El Monte Sagrado